3 Thomas Act Five

3 Thomas Act Five

The Fifth Act of Thomas is really a great story, a great plot with amazing characterizations of the three main personae--Thomas, a free-thinking woman, and a demon. As a demon- possession story, it echoes, in many details, the story of Jesus' exorcism in Mark 5:1-8:

"5 They went across the lake to the region of the Gerasenes. 2 When Jesus got out of the boat, a man with an impure spirit came from the tombs to meet him. 3 This man lived in the tombs, and no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain. 4 For he had often been chained hand and foot, but he tore the chains apart and broke the irons on his feet. No one was strong enough to subdue him. 5 Night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones.
6 When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of him. 7 He shouted at the top of his voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? In God’s name don’t torture me!” 8 For Jesus had said to him, “Come out of this man, you impure spirit!”

As C.S. Lewis warns us, it is bad to deny the existence of demons, but it is also bad to entertain an unhealthy interest in them. The Fifth Act of Thomas is a realistic account of an exorcism, and it is also a potent reminder that "the armor of God" is not a figurative term.

The action begins with Thomas entering the city. He is going to see the parents of the boy he revived on the road. In a crowded street scene, a woman calls out to Thomas for help. She is soon to tell a story of demon possession, but she begins her address with an affirmation of faith:

"O Apostle of the new God that art come into India, and servant of that holy and only good God; for by thee is he preached, the Saviour of the souls that come unto him, and by thee are healed the bodies of them that are tormented by the enemy, and thou art he that is become an occasion of life unto all that turn unto him: command me to be brought before thee that I may tell thee what hath befallen me, and peradventure of thee I may have hope, and these that stand by thee may be more confident in the God whom thou preaches."

Then she tells this tale:

"I was sitting at the first in quiet, and peace encompassed me on every side and I had no care for anything, for I took no thought for any other.

And it fell out one day that as I came out from the bath there met me a man troubled and disturbed, and his voice and speech seemed to me exceeding faint and dim; and he stood before me and said: I and thou will be in one love and we will have intercourse together as a man with his wife; And I answered and said to him: I never had to do with my betrothed, for I refused to marry, and how shall I yield myself to thee that wouldest have intercourse with me in adulterous wise?"

[Sidebar: I want to dwell on this detail for a moment because it suggests something important about the woman's character. At the beginning of the woman's speech she tells Thomas that she did not accept her betrothed; this refers to the Jewish practice of the young virgins being engaged about a year before they get married, often at age 12. A year later, at age 13, the marriage is either consummated, or refused. We learn in a moment that the woman has been troubled by this demon for five years; therefore, if this girl's engagement were canceled at a typical age, 13, and we add in the five years of subsequent demon possession, this would make her about 18.

Then, as now, a woman who chose not to get married must have been very independent-minded. She says, "I had no care for anything, for I took no thought for any other." The words of a free spirit indeed. Perhaps this is what made her attractive to the demon--Satan's minions like to suck the life force out of us, and, like a bat after a big bug, the more quality the person has, the more fun it is to suck it out. Yum.

Going on:]

"And having so said, I passed on, and I said to my handmaid that was with me: Sawest thou that youth and his shamelessness, how boldly he spake with me, and had no shame? but she said to me: I saw an old man speaking to thee."

[Sidebar: The scene of the beautiful woman's first interaction with the demon reads like pure science fiction; in fact, as we proceed, we shall encounter several more images of infernal reality which have become commonly recognized archetypes in the collective unconscious. The whole idea of her speaking to a young man, while her maid sees an old man, is straight out of The  Twilight Zone. Unfortunately, this event is quite far from fiction, because it is, in FACT,  just the type of misdirection that Satan puts in our minds all the time. From here on the story is straight out of The Exorcist, and is just as entertainingly narrated:]

"And when I was in mine house and had dined, my soul suggested unto me some suspicion and especially because he was seen of me in two forms; and having this in my mind I fell asleep. He came, therefore, in that night and was joined unto me in his foul intercourse. And when it was day I saw him and fled from him, and on the night following that he came and abused me; and now as thou seest me I have spent five years being troubled by him, and he hath not departed from me.

But I know and am persuaded that both devils and spirits and destroyers are subject unto thee and are filled with trembling at thy prayers: pray thou therefore for me and drive away from me the devil that ever troubleth me, that I also may be set free and be gathered unto the nature that is mine from the beginning, and receive the grace that hath been given unto my kindred."

[Sidebar: This last phrase,

"that I also may be set free and be gathered unto the nature that is mine from the beginning, and receive the grace that hath been given unto my kindred."

deserves comment.

First, there is reference to "the nature that is mine from the beginning". There are several places in the Gnostic Gospels which refer to the individual's true NATURE. The idea of the inherent nature of the individual is spoken of elsewhere in the Gospel of Thomas also in Judas, and it appears in this Act three times. When the woman first appears to Thomas and complains about her demonic possession, she mentions at the beginning that she would like to return to her true nature; when the demon gives his farewell speech, he also speaks of his nature, and all the things which pertain to that nature; finally we must consider the essence of true nature, the changeless Face of God, inclusive of all other possible cosmic faces. This is the essential nature of the Holy Spirit.

In a moment both Thomas and the demon will make reference to the true nature as "essence". The use of this term "nature" is of significance, because it draws our attention to an underlying principle of creation: in the beginning, we were made a certain way, by a Creator God who constantly makes choices--out of an array of infinite possibilities, the Christ manifests in its elected form.

In That Hideous Strength, C.S. Lewis makes this comment about the nature of the Holy Spirit :

"To those high creatures whose activity builds what we call Nature, nothing is "natural". From their station the essential arbitrariness (so to call it) of every actual creation is ceaselessly visible; for them there are no basic assumptions: all springs with the willful beauty of a jest or a tune from the miraculous moment of self-limitation wherein the Infinite, rejecting a myriad possibilities, throws out of Himself the positive and elected invention."

Another detail in this phrase spoken by the woman,

"that I also may be set free and be gathered unto the nature that is mine from the beginning, and receive the grace that hath been given unto my kindred."

makes an implied reference to kindred--to BLOOD. She is saying several things:

1. She is almost certainly telling Thomas that she is  Jewish--one of the family.
2. She is claiming a right to Thomas' help, as one of the chosen people.
3. She is reiterating the idea that the chosen people are deserving of God's Grace almost   as a sort of article of predestination.

Thus the web of mystical resonance to this story is compounded.

Going on:]

"And the apostle said:
O evil that cannot be restrained!
O shamelessness of the enemy!
O envious one that art never at rest!
O hideous one that subduest the comely!
O thou of many forms!
As he will, he appeareth, but his essence cannot be changed."

[Sidebar: Here, again is a reference to the Essential Nature of Created Being. It also reminds us not to be persuaded by APPEARANCES: the appearance may be one thing and the essence may be something completely different--witness the first scene, where the demon appears as a young man and an old man at the same time.

Going on, Thomas continues to assault the Demon's credibility--a justified tactic, especially in light of what we will hear, shortly, in the demon's speech.]

"O the crafty and faithless one!
O the bitter tree whose fruits are like unto him!
O the devil that overcometh them that are alien to him! O the deceit that useth impudence!
O the wickedness that creepeth like a serpent, and that is of his kindred!

And when the apostle said this, the malicious one came and stood before him, no man seeing him save the woman and the apostle, and with an exceeding loud voice said in the hearing of all:"

[Sidebar: The demon in Act Five says exactly the same kind of thing said by the demon in Act Three, the one who killed the boy on the road. Both demons talk about how unfair it is that they should be destroyed when their time is not yet come, (according to the demonic timetable, anyway). Perhaps it is a feature, of the Satanic mindset, that you demand your life to go on longer than it's supposed to, or, certainly, longer than it's going to. Perhaps it is GRACE that frees us from the dictates of the demonic timetable.

Another noteworthy feature of this speech is that it is a classic example of characteristic Satanic strategy: the demon is constantly shifting his moods, now benign, now affectionate, now pathetic and self-pitying, then threatening--threatening last, you see, revealing to us that all the previous monologues were mere play-acting, disguises that he can't even maintain for very long.

The demon's speech, right before he says goodbye to his beloved, is a truly Satanic, hysterical tirade. You can hear the demon struggling under the thumb of Christ power, and you can feel his mind jerking from one refuge to another, desperately trying to claw a way out.

This may a key to discerning the Satanic presence: Satan has no self-control, and if you give him enough rope he will always tip his hand and hang himself. He's really pretty dumb that way.

Going on, first with the poor-me, this-is-so-unfair persona:]

"What have we to do with thee, thou apostle of the Most High! What have we to do with thee, thou servant of Jesus Christ? What have we to do with thee, thou counsellor of the holy Son of God? Wherefore wilt thou destroy us, whereas our time is not yet come? Wherefore wilt thou take away our power? for unto this hour we had hope and time remaining to us. What have we to do with thee? Thou hast power over thine own, and we over ours."

Here is referenced, once again, the proper jurisdictions implied by Essential Creation--that is to say, "This is your turf and this is my turf. How dare you impose your God on my little autonomous corner of Creation? No fair!"

I never cease thanking God that life is not fair.

Notice, also, the similarity between this speech and the speech of "Legion" in Mark; to Thomas, the demon says, "What have we to do with thee, thou apostle of the Most High!", while, to Jesus,  the demon says, (in a LOUD VOICE, mind you):

"He shouted at the top of his voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? In God’s name don’t torture me!”

Going on, the legalistic, rational persona makes a courtroom of the scene, twisting Thomas' own words to be used against him:]

"Wherefore wilt thou act tyrannously against us, when thou thyself teachest others not to act tyrannously? Wherefore dost thou crave other men's goods and not suffice thyself with thine own? Wherefore art thou made like unto the Son of God which hath done us wrong? for thou resemblest Him altogether as if thou wert born of Him.

For we thought to have brought Him under the yoke like as we have the rest, but He turned and made us subject unto him: for we knew him not; but He deceived us with his form of all uncomeliness and his poverty and his neediness: for seeing Him to be such, we thought that He was a man wearing flesh, and knew not that it is He that giveth life unto men. And He gave us power over our own, and that we should not in this present time leave them but have our walk in them: but thou wouldest get more than thy due and that which was given thee, and afflict us altogether."

[Sidebar: This is also totally out of The Screwtape Letters! From the demon's point of view the  Christ is guilty of treachery, deception, and unsportsmanlike play.

"He cheated us by deceiving us! Who could actually believe in such a humble guy. Gimme a break! And now the rules have changed! Whassup wit dat?"

Furthermore, I find to be very interesting, the demon's historical comment about the powers that the Christ originally gave to the demons:

"And he gave us power over our own, and that we should not in this present time leave them but have our walk in them."

This description of the dominion over the Earth, temporarily given, by God, to the fallen angels, is a very interesting detail, because it affirms many Old Testament definitions of the role of Satan in Earthly life; it is also in substantial agreement with the Steiner view of history, vis a vis the "Age of Ahriman" evolving to the present age, etc.

When the demon submits to the power of the Christ, and confronts his own inevitable exorcism, he tragically waves good-bye to what appears to be a lost love, while tearfully pretending to have tender feelings for her; he is making one last-ditch effort to gain her sympathy. We know this because "to lie" is in his nature, and "to love" is not in his nature.]

"And having said this the devil wept, saying: I leave thee, my fairest consort, whom long since I found and rested in thee; I forsake thee, my sure sister, my beloved in whom I was well pleased."

[At this point he starts scheming:]

"What I shall do I know not, or on whom I shall call that he may hear me and help me.

I know what I will do: I will depart unto some place where the report of this man hath not been heard, and peradventure I shall call thee, my beloved by another name.

And he lifted up his voice and said: Abide in peace for thou hast taken refuge with one greater than I, but I will depart and seek for one like thee, and if I find her not, I will return unto thee again: for I know that whilst thou art near unto this man thou hast a refuge in him, but when he departeth thou wilt be such as thou wast before he appeared, and him thou wilt forget, and I shall have opportunity and confidence: but now I fear the name of him that hath saved thee."

[Sidebar: Many aspects of this speech imply a condemnation of carnal love. Maybe. We know that the Gnostics valued celibacy as a prime virtue. Remember, the woman had rejected a husband, preferring celibacy to marriage.

Then again, the type of possession here described might not even have anything to do with physical sex, but, rather, with a kind of psychic rape. It is not certain that the demon ever PHYSICALLY possessed her. Anyway, it makes one wonder what that demon in Act Three was going to do with the girl, once the boy was out of the way. Remember, the demon killed the boy because he was jealous; with the boy out of the way, I wonder if the demon was planning on possessing the girl in the same way that the demon in Act Five possessed this girl. It makes one wonder that so many possible perversions, of the affections, surround the act of love--perversions of the love surrounding affections. It also makes you wonder if he is lying.

Going on:]


"And having so said the devil vanished out of sight: only when he departed fire and smoke were seen there: and all that stood there were astonished."

[Sidebar: I love the mention of fire and smoke when the demon disappears--very Hollywood.]

The Fifth Act of Thomas ends with a beautiful prayer and a eucharistic ceremony. The Second Act of Thomas also concludes with a sacred baptism; the ceremonial opening of eyes looking beyond the material into the liquid.

 
On the subject of Baptism, I confess that I missed a point last week: remember when Thomas and the two brothers first arrive at the bath there is a voice that speaks to them. At first they can't see anything, they can only hear the voice; but after the baptism a Person arrives, whose light is so bright it makes their lamps seem dim, (and we are talking a LOT of lamps).

This moment of transformation, the moment when the Christ consciousness becomes available to Christians, when we see the light-- it's just like that. It's just like having a veil removed from our eyes, and suddenly the whole brightness of the universe shines out on us.

This is worth talking about because it is in line with the messages we've been receiving on Revelation; that is to say, it is in line with the idea of an evolving spiritual world. The experience of this transformation, from heathen to Christian, is a subject worth investigating. Clearly, there is a link between the spiritual awakening which is effected by baptism, and the devil's speech about justifying his evil deeds through doctrinal arguments. By this I mean, the devil's language, made of twisted interpretations of Scripture, is a veil that mutes and disperses the light of truth; thus, a ceremonial, irrational awakening can be just the thing to remove the veil and reveal the lies, with which Satan  invades the minds of many, many, many, many professed Christians. The light, that comes from baptism, represents the light which defeats the twisted arguments of Satan and reveals their shallowness and insubstantiality.

The act ends with another  "COME"  prayer.

"And he laid his hands on them and blessed them, saying: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ shall be upon you for ever. And they said, Amen.

And the woman besought him, saying: O apostle of the Most High, give me the seal, that that enemy return not again unto me. Then he caused her to come near unto him to a river which was close by there, and laid his hands upon her and sealed her in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost; and many others also were sealed with her."

[Sidebar: I find it interesting that the baptism is in several places referred to as a seal. Thomas put the seal on his disciples. What is meant by this seal? Can it be anything but the Armor of God, of which we have spoken many times, with which Jesus ceremonially girds us, when the enemy is on the horizon. While the 5th Act demon was plotting his return to the woman, betting on Thomas' absence as a weakness, he forgot about the Armor of God, and its power over space and time.

Going on:]


"And the apostle bade his minister (deacon) to set forth a table; and he set forth a stool which they found there, and spread a linen cloth upon it and set on the bread of blessing; and the apostle stood by it and said:

Jesu, that hast accounted us worthy to partake of the eucharist of thine holy body and blood, lo, we are bold to draw near unto thine eucharist and to call upon thine holy name: come thou and communicate unto us."

[Sidebar: Notice, in the following, the subtle reference to the Gnostic principle of the Mother God:]

"And he began to say:

"Come, O perfect compassion,

Come O communion of the male,

Come, she that knoweth the mysteries of him that is chosen,

Come, she that hath part in all the combats of the noble champion,

Come, the silence that revealeth the great things of the whole greatness,

Come, she that manifesteth the hidden things and maketh the unspeakable things plain, the holy dove that beareth the twin young,

Come, the hidden mother,

Come, she that is manifest in her deeds and giveth joy and rest unto them that are joined unto her:

Come and communicate with us in this eucharist which we celebrate in thy name and in the love-feast wherein we are gathered together at thy calling."

And having so said he marked out the cross upon the bread, and brake it, and began to distribute it. And first he gave unto the woman, saying: This shall be unto thee for remission of sins and eternal transgressions, and for the everlasting resurrection. And after her he gave unto all the others also which had received the seal, and said to them: Let this eucharist be unto you for life and rest, and not for judgement and vengeance. And they said, Amen."

The very strong conclusion here is that spiritual life, the raising of consciousness, is available through conscious supplication of spiritual help. It is this mobilization of spiritual power, through the physical, which I believe to be what Steiner refers to as the Christ IMPULSE. Somehow,  conscious attention to subtle energies rewards us with a sense of a higher consciousness, hovering above us; we just have to learn how to reach up and jump onto its bandwagon. The more we do it, the more systematic will be our approach to achieving this state of consciousness, and it is reasonable to hope that, at some point, our spiritual consciousness will be permanently raised. It is the raising of consciousness that allows us to wield the Sword of God as an adequate defense against Satan's minions, who never miss an opportunity to harass us and beguile us if we let him.

Let us pray: Jesus we thank you, with full hearts, for the protection from the wiles of the Tempter. Too often we fail to recognize the imprint of his foul nature on our thoughts and actions, but thank God that You are there to catch us when we fall. Amen