Insight on the Writing of the Gospels

[taijasi]

An excerpt from `Illuminations of the Mystery Tradition,' by Geoffrey Hodson (vol.2 of his esoteric diary) has much to say about the authorship of and by Matthew:

Geoffrey is shown a vision whilst in meditation and the receipt of commentaries on the Gospel of St. Matthew, Chapter 12. v.29. He sees a grey-haired old man of impressive appearance, wearing monk-like garments, seated at a trestle-table, writing. Beside him are some scrolls and many loose sheets of various sizes of manuscript. He refers to these, meditates a while and then writes. His mind is occupied with the idea that from many different accounts of the life of Jesus, oral and written, a consecutive story must be compiled. This is his motive and his mission. He works alone in a fairly large room, the windows of which consist of openings in the wall. It must surely be winter time for his fingers seem to be cold, and he pulls his woollen garment around him, ponders almost as if listening to an inward voice, glances at a page of manuscript and then hesitatingly writes.

He is a member of some community, a monastic order, I think, established some miles south-east of Jerusalem. He is greatly respected as an advanced human being, served and granted every instance. He has only to call out to obtain whatever he needs, and as I watch him he seems to have run out of ink. He calls over his left shoulder, points to the nearly empty ink-container whereupon his call is answered, and a further supply is brought. The servant, also in monastic dress, is most deferential and seems almost to walk on tiptoe as if ordered to make as little noise as possible.

Occasionally, the scribe walks about his room, looks out of a window absent-mindedly as if trying mentally to capture fleeting thoughts and to find appropriate words wherewith to express them. I see also that he is visited by people who have been collecting for him, and they repeat stories about Jesus which they have heard their parents and grandparents tell. As he listens to one such visitor, he nods in agreement as if the story told harmonizes with others, either oral or written. In some cases I see he asks his visitors to find and bring others who lived nearer the time when Jesus lived, and who can provide further accounts, stories, and legends.

The old gentleman's thoughts - as I watch him and even seem to hear him talking to himself, thinking inwardly - turn to the region of the western shores of the Sea of Galilee, as if to say, "There is the scene of so many related and recorded events in the life of the Saviour of men." Whilst he seems determined to be as factual as possible, I see that he is also an allegorist, and this presents itself to my vision of him as the sudden illumination of his mind, aura, and brain, even as if he were listening to dictated words which he writes down. I think he is conscious of his old age and even the approach of death, since he softly says to himself, "I must complete this task." I think his name is Matthew and if so, he may be the author of the original Matthew.

As I watch him writing, the sun has come up and both the room itself and the walls visible through the open door of the rest of the building become lighted by sunlight. There is a regular community here and nearby, a village, outside of which there are vineyards and other fields - very dry-looking but productive. Now he has finished writing for the time being and walked to another part of the building where others are working, and he displays a sense of humour by his cheerful remarks and evokes appreciative smiles and much nodding.

I observe a bakery and see some newly made loaves. Apparently peace reigns at this time, for I do not sense either fear or restriction of movement amongst the other people."

There are similar accounts of the writing of the Zohar by a group of Jewish Rabbis ... as well as various other accounts, some of Jesus as beheld directly, others both of and as inspired by, Archangels (`Devas'). These are all found in volumes I & II of Geoffrey's Diaries, as well is in many other esoteric works from the past 125 years or so.

taijasi