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Understanding Biblical Symbolism


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BIBLE VERSES

LUKE 23:34

"Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.” And they divided His garments and cast lots."

In biblical psychology, this is not a historical plea but an inner event: the Christ‑principle speaking from the center of consciousness while the lower nature is in a state of blindness and aggression.

The “they” are the unawakened forces within the soul — impulses, habits, fears, inherited tendencies — which “crucify” the Higher because they cannot yet recognize it.

The Christ within responds not with retaliation but with illumined compassion, appealing to the I AM for the release of these lower elements from their ignorance.

“Father” — the I AM, the Source within

The Christ‑principle turns upward toward the indwelling Divine:
• acknowledging the Higher as the ground of unity
• aligning itself with the pure Will of the Spirit
• standing in the center of the soul as mediator

This is the soul’s highest orientation even in its moment of greatest trial.

“Forgive them” — the Higher releasing the lower

Forgiveness here is not emotional softness.
It is the dissolution of ignorance.

It means:
• the Higher does not condemn the lower
• the Higher understands the lower’s blindness
• the Higher transforms rather than punishes

Forgiveness is the action of spiritual light upon the unpurified mind.

“They know not what they do” — the blindness of the lower nature

The lower qualities act without true perception.
They resist the Higher because they cannot yet see it.

This ignorance is:
- the confusion of desire
- the inertia of habit
- the literal mind’s misreading of spiritual truth
- the emotional turbulence that obscures the inner light

The Christ recognizes this and responds with compassion rather than conflict.

The Inner Pattern

This verse reveals the archetypal movement of regeneration:
1. The lower nature attacks the Higher.
2. The Higher remains centered in compassion.
3. The Higher appeals to the I AM.
4. The lower is released from its blindness.
5. Transformation becomes possible.

This is the pattern of every true inner crucifixion.

The Esoteric Message.....
Luke 23:34 depicts the Christ‑principle forgiving the lower nature from within, recognizing its ignorance and appealing to the I AM for its release. It is the soul’s highest compassion toward its own unawakened elements, turning conflict into illumination.

 

See Also

BIBLE VERSES

LUKE 1:5

LUKE 16:31