gospel of Thomas 37

His disciples said, "When will you become revealed to us and when shall we see you?"

Jesus said, "When you disrobe without being ashamed and take up your garments and place them under your feet like little children and tread on them, then will you see the son of the living one, and you will not be afraid."

In this verse, from the Gospel of Thomas, the disciples are asking Jesus, when are we going to really see you? They have felt there is something unusual about Jesus. He is emanating a peacefulness, a feeling of wholeness, everything that the enlightened ones are.

After a while, a master begins to exude a certain energy, which the seekers, the disciples, can feel. They know there is something there that they are missing in themselves. They have not yet seen it. But there's the feeling that it's there – something, something not quite tangible, something they can't quite put their finger on.

So they're asking him: when are you going to be revealed to us? When shall we see you? They're getting a little impatient, perhaps. They have that thirst. And the answer that Jesus gives is so telling. We should pay careful note of it. It's nothing about Jesus, you see. His answer doesn't say, when I do this or when I do that. His answer is thrown right back onto the disciples. It's the disciples that have work to do, to change, in order for that revelation to happen.

So Jesus says, when you disrobe without being ashamed. When you take off your clothes, when you can stand naked – before Jesus, before each other, before the world – when you can stand naked, without being ashamed. It's a key sign, even to this day. When you can stand there without being clothed, then you will be ready. And in that very readiness, you will see the truth that Jesus is exuding.

Jesus is acting as an example of what can be, of what is within us. But whilst we are clothing ourself – whilst we are covering our body with garments, hiding it, ashamed of it – whilst this is the case, we are not ready to see our own glory. We are not ready to see God within us.

So Jesus is right to pick on this as a key indicator. It sounds a trivial thing. And people make all sorts of excuses to avoid nudity. They think that can't possibly mean anything. But try it one day. Try standing naked before a master, or before your friends. It is incredibly difficult to do.

The clothes are the material expression of a deep need to cover ourself with a mask, to hide who we are. And whilst that is our basic psychology, about ourself, we will not become enlightened. And this is what Jesus is pointing out. Until you are ready to unmask yourself, then you will not see Jesus. You will not see what he really is.

You're already feeling it: there's something special about this guy. But to really know it, you have to know it within yourself too. And for that to happen, you have to be prepared to stand naked, exactly as you are, without being ashamed of anything within you: without being ashamed of your body; without being ashamed of your thoughts; without being ashamed of your desires, your beliefs. Everything that is within you needs to be accepted.

And when you have accepted it in yourself, you will be able to show it to others, without shame. The clothing is symbolic of that. But more than just symbolic, it is a reflection of our inner psychology. And when you are truly comfortable being naked, then you will also be comfortable about sharing everything that you are; showing it to others.

And then of course, you will be something like a little child, innocent again. And you will jump up and down on your clothes, laughing. You will dance on them. And you will feel free.

And then, then you will see what Jesus really is. And you too, will feel it within yourself. And you will no longer be afraid.