Today’s Prayer to Passage continues within the ancient scriptures of the “Nag Hamadi”. This month’s spiritual devotion within these texts will be taking place between June 1 – June 30, 2017.

Today I pray, “Dear God, I feel adventurous. I feel excited. I feel trusting in a way that frees me to new heights within this world of emotions and limitations. I am ready for my adventure. Thank You for this. Amen.”

Following my prayer, I held the closed book in my hands and opened it to reveal this passage:

“Jesus said to his disciples, “Compare me to something and tell me what I am like.”

Simon Peter said to him, “You are like a just messenger.”

Matthew said to him, “You are like a wise philosopher.”

Thomas said to him, “Teacher, my mouth is utterly unable to say what you are like.”

Jesus said, “I am not your teacher. Because you have drunk, you have become intoxicated from the bubbling spring that I have tended.”

And he took him, and withdrew, and spoke three sayings to him. When Thomas came back to his friends they asked him, “What did Jesus say to you?”

Thomas said to them, “If I tell you one of the sayings he spoke to me, you will pick up rocks and stone me, and fire will come from the rocks and devour you.”

Jesus said to them, “If you fast, you will bring sin upon yourselves, and if you pray, you will be condemned, and if you give to charity, you will harm your spirits.

When you go into any region and walk about in the countryside, when people take you in, eat what they serve you and heal the sick among them.

After all, what goes into your mouth will not defile you; rather, it’s what comes out of your mouth that will defile you.”

Jesus said, “When you see one who was not born of woman, fall on your faces and worship. That one is your Father.”

Jesus said, “Perhaps people think that I have come to cast peace upon the world. They do not know that I have come to cast conflicts upon the earth: fire, sword, war.

For there will be five in a house: there’ll be three against two and two against three, father against son and son against father, and they will stand alone.”

Jesus said, “I will give you what no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, what no hand has touched, what has not arisen in the human heart.”

The disciples said to Jesus, “Tell us, how will our end come?”

Jesus said, “Have you found the beginning, then, that you are looking for the end? You see, the end will be where the beginning is.

Congratulations to the one who stands at the beginning: that one will know the end and will not taste death.”

Jesus said, “Congratulations to the one who came into being before coming into being.

If you become my disciples and pay attention to my sayings, these stones will serve you.

For there are five trees in Paradise for you; they do not change, summer or winter, and their leaves do not fall. Whoever knows them will not taste death.””
—NAG HAMADI SCRIPTURES

It is even an adventure to read these scriptures in the safe and same comfort of my home, not yet venturing out into the world. I have not traversed oceans and land this week, and yet I explore these words and feel exhilarated. It is a wonder to read these scriptures with an essence of energy that meets the desires of the heart of Yeshua and the disciples as they set out to stay with new friends in foreign lands to heal and offer a level of connection and compassion not yet given within the constructs of assiduous law and commanded teachings. This Essene nature of adventure and exploration calls to me now. And I must take up my pack and go. Amen.