9.3 Clearing the Smoke and Touching Truth
The Quest for Purity: Pheidon's Discovery in Ancient Lydia
In the bustling markets of ancient Lydia, around the 7th century BCE, a young goldsmith named Pheidon sought a way to verify the purity of gold brought to him by merchants. Gold symbolized wealth and power but was often mixed with other metals to increase weight and deceive buyers. Pheidon knew that only pure gold had the distinct sheen and malleability prized by kings and traders, but verifying its purity was challenging.
The last paragraph of John’s ninth chapter has always troubled me—so much so that I had begun overlooking it years ago. However, I have lived with each word of one of its verses for the last week until the smoke cleared, and I began to see the word “Touchstone." I don't claim to understand the verse fully, but it has started to make sense to me in a way that adds value to my life.
I didn't fully understand the concept of a touchstone, so I asked ChatGPT to compose a bit of historical fiction about it. That's how we came up with our friend, Pheidon. Let's continue.
The Revelation at the Pactolus River
One day, while working near the Pactolus River, Pheidon noticed something intriguing. He observed that a streak was left behind when he rubbed a piece of gold against a particular black stone. Curious, he began experimenting, rubbing different metals against the stone and comparing the marks they left. He discovered that pure gold produced a distinctive yellowish streak, while other metals left marks of various colors or none at all. This simple stone, later known as a touchstone, allowed Pheidon to quickly and reliably test the quality of gold.
The Touchstone's Impact on Ancient Trade and Society
The discovery of the touchstone revolutionized trade in the ancient world. It became an essential tool for goldsmiths, merchants, and rulers, ensuring the integrity of transactions and currency's value. The touchstone spread across civilizations, from Greece's markets to Persia's bazaars, becoming synonymous with honesty and reliability.
Touchstone as a Symbol in History
Throughout history, the touchstone has remained a powerful symbol. It represents the idea of a simple, straightforward test that determines the actual value of something—whether it be gold, a person’s character, or an idea. The legacy of Pheidon's discovery endures, reminding us that sometimes, the most straightforward tools can profoundly impact society.
The touchstone's legacy extends beyond its physical use. The term "touchstone" has entered the broader language as a metaphor for any standard or criterion by which the quality or genuineness of something can be judged. It represents the enduring human desire to seek truth and authenticity, whether in gold, ideas, or character. The discovery and widespread use of the touchstone illustrate how a simple tool can shape societies and cultures, impacting how we perceive and evaluate value.
A Spiritual Parallel: The Touchstone and John 9:39
With Pheidon and his touchstone in mind, let's look at verse 39:
39 Jesus said, “I came into this world for judgment, so that those who do not see may see and those who do see may become blind.”
John saw that everyone who came face-to-face with Jesus reached a decision point: "Two roads diverged in a yellow wood.” Some people noticed something so unique and valuable in his teaching and actions that they called him "son of man." Some, who could not see it, called him “a sinner." Jesus became the touchstone for everyone who rubbed up against him—a simple, straightforward test of whether someone could see spiritually or not. It was for this type of judgment or evaluation that Jesus came into the world.
People either adapted to the evidence and began to “see” or dug in, defended their beliefs, and became “blind.”
9:39 Greek Interlinear: And said Jesus, for judgment I into this world came, that they that see not might see, and that they that see blind might become.
Clearing the Smoke
The word judgment, translated into English, comes from the idea of smoke clearing away so that someone may see adequately and make an informed decision or opinion.
Jesus believed that the creator of the universe inhabited his creation, including man. This belief so infused his consciousness that it shaped every word he said and everything he did, making the words seem provocative and the actions miraculous. There was something so special about him that people either adapted their beliefs to the evidence and began to “see," or they dug in, defended their beliefs, thickened the smokescreen, and became “blind”—unable to see.
“As There Is A Code Written Into My Body (Genetics), There Is Also A Code Written Into My Being. ”
Let’s look at the last three verses together.
39 Jesus said, “I came into this world for judgment, so that those who do not see may see and those who do see may become blind.” 40 Some of the Pharisees who were with him heard this and said to him, “Surely we are not blind, are we?” 41 Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would not have sin. But now that you say, ‘We see,’ your sin remains.
This three-verse conclusion wraps up the entire story of the man blind from birth, his eyes being opened, his inquisition, his parents' inquisition, his second inquisition, and Jesus' confrontation with the Pharisees. Jesus tells the religious leaders, in my words, "To stay behind a smoke screen of your outdated religious beliefs, for the sake of security, will cause you to make mistakes continually.”
Jesus as the Ultimate Touchstone
This superb painting by the 16th-century artist El Greco, Christ Healing the Blind, tells the story as well as words can describe it. In it, you can almost see the smoke screen thickening between Jesus and the Pharisees. Notice how the unsure puppy dog seems to be siding with Jesus.
Click on the image to go to the website.
While studying the idea of vision-impairing smoke and its clearing away, which is embedded in the word "judgment," I discovered that it is also connected to conceit, which makes sense. We've all seen how conceit can separate a person from others by building an invisible wall around them. It can also trap them in their current belief system, preventing them from seeing a new and evolving truth.
But what does this mean for me? Two thoughts come to mind. First, I must evaluate my beliefs against this picture of Jesus.
Regardless of where I land on the many various claims of today’s Christianity, it was apparent to everyone there, especially John, that something special was operating within and through this man. Something so unique that the only word they had for it was Christos, or Christ, the anointed one. But anointed by whom? At this point, the smoke can either begin to clear away or thicken.
The people of Jesus' time or culture had no problem tracing their physical existence back to the creator through their blood or lineage to the first man, Adam. Thanks to scientific discovery, we have no trouble believing in tracing the carbon atoms in our bodies back to the creation of the universe.
Joni Mitchell
“We are stardust, we are golden, we are billion-year-old carbon.”
“It is a statistical certainty that a million years ago, some of the atoms destined to form you were trapped in asteroids, flying through space on trajectories that would eventually collide with Earth.”
The Legacy of Oneness
To our physical lineage, Jesus added a new wrinkle, a parallel line, that connected our spiritual existence or consciousness back to creation. His only words for this connection were, "I and the father or one.” It was this "oneness" that the people experienced as love and miracles. It was this "oneness" that John overheard Jesus pray that the disciples would also experience. It was this “oneness" that Jesus instructed his followers to spread to every person everywhere - even me. Again, it's decision time. Here is where the roads diverge for each of us. Will I follow the path leading to a greater understanding and experience of this truth, or will I erect my smokescreen of certainty for security?
The Road Less Traveled: A Call to Personal Spiritual Discovery
My second thought from the story in chapter 9 must be based on the answer to the first thought. If my answer is no, I don't believe there is a spiritual life or any consciousness beyond my own, then I'm free to go and carve out the best, most secure life possible behind my smokescreen. But, if I sense some element of truth in the idea of a ribbon of consciousness back to the creator, I must continue walking down “the road less traveled by,” the path of discovery.
A Life Worth Living: The Balance of Understanding and Experience
On this path, it’s essential to balance understanding and experience. Make sure you understand your experiences and allow that new understanding to shape your future experiences. Done daily, this leads to "an examined life," which Socrates said was the only life worth living. Later, Jesus referred to it as an abundant life.
“The unexamined life is not worth living.”
A Word to Future Generations: On Spiritual Exploration
To my grandchildren and their children: Be careful about coming to conclusions based on past beliefs when they conflict with the evidence.
At the outset of this exercise, my objective was to gain an understanding of God through the words and actions of Jesus, as told by the apostle John. I wanted to remove the filter of my religious upbringing and take a fresh look at what Jesus said, did not say, what he did, and did not do. I also wanted to see what might be between the lines that would enhance understanding. That’s where I discovered that Jesus had a "spiritual practice" of solitude that is not explained but only referenced as removing himself from the crowd and spending time alone. Perhaps it was so familiar to John’s early readers that it went without saying. Or, he could have thought that the individual must develop a spiritual practice to fit their lifestyle. Either way, Jesus’ practice is not explicit but is hidden between the lines.
During moments of silence, Jesus connected with true spiritual awareness and developed his understanding of "God as Father" or “Our Father, who art in heaven.” This means recognizing a creator who has infused all of his creation with guiding principles or an operating system. He regularly withdrew from the crowds to maintain this awareness, as we must also do. In this solitude, we can grow awareness and live as children of the creator, who gives us life and guides our daily activities.
Conclusion: The Next Step in the Spiritual Journey
Simply living day to day out of that consciousness forced everyone Jesus came in contact to examine their beliefs and form an opinion. John the Baptist saw him as "the long-awaited Messiah,” fitting his concept of repenting and preparing for a new era. The disciples saw him as “the way, the truth, and the life,” the truth being lived out daily. And John cracked the code, describing Jesus as “the Word becoming flesh.”
By obeying that voice within his consciousness without deferring to cultural norms or yielding to any limiting beliefs, he did things that seemed miraculous and/or scandalous to those around him. Jesus believed that this way of life was meant for everyone by believing as he believed and doing as he did. We’ll see that in the next section.
“If you examine a butterfly according to the laws of aerodynamics, it shouldn’t be able to fly. But the butterfly doesn’t know that, so it flies. ”
My Key Takeaways
The touchstone serves as a metaphor for Jesus in John’s story. His presence forces me to confront the truth and make decisions. Jesus becomes the spiritual touchstone, revealing my true nature and beliefs.
The concept of judgment, as used by Jesus, involves clearing away the "smoke" of outdated beliefs and illusions, enabling me to see spiritual truths. Conceit, or self-deception, can obscure vision, trapping me in old ways of thinking.
Jesus introduced a new understanding of oneness, connecting humanity’s physical and spiritual existence to the Creator, the Father. This oneness was experienced as love and miracles and is central to Jesus's teachings and actions.
The path of spiritual discovery requires balancing understanding and experience. This journey,” the road less traveled," modeled by Jesus and his periods of solitude, leads to a deeper connection with the Creator and a more examined, abundant life.
As life unfolds, I should remain open to new evidence and understanding rather than clinging to outdated beliefs.
