Neville Goddard on Matthew 20:23 - Mystical Bible Interpretation

Read Matthew 20 in context

Scripture Focus

23And he saith unto them, Ye shall drink indeed of my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with: but to sit on my right hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father.

Matthew 20:23

Biblical Context

Jesus tells his disciples they will drink his cup and be baptized with his baptism, but the seats of honor are prepared by the Father for those He has chosen.

Neville's Inner Vision

In this verse, the cup and baptism symbolize inner experiences rather than external events. The cup is the experiences you now drink, inviting you into deeper identification with the I AM. The baptism represents inner cleansing by awareness, the dissolving of old self-concepts in the light of the Father within. The seats of power—the right and left—are not quantities bestowed by Jesus but inner states of consciousness already prepared by the I AM of your being. Your task is to align with that preparation, accepting and feeling as if you are already seated in the kingdom, recognizing that authority flows from the Father within you. Thus, the verse invites you to shift from seeking outward validation to embodying the consciousness that has been prepared for you by your inner Father, turning suffering and privilege into manifestations of your I AM.

Practice This Now

Close your eyes and assume you are already seated at the right of the Father in your inner kingdom; feel the cup as the ongoing acceptance of all that comes to you, and let the baptism purify the self by awareness.