The Imprisonment of John the Baptist
1. And it came to pass when Jesus had finished instructing His twelve disciples, He passed on thence to teach and to preach in their cities.
2. And John, hearing in the prison the works of the Christ [and] sending two of his disciples,
3. Says to Him, “Art Thou He that comest, or should we expect another?”
4. And Jesus answering said to them, “Go, report to John what you hear and see:
5. The blind receive their sight and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel announced to them.
6. And happy is [he], whoever shall not be offended in Me.”
7. And as they went, Jesus began to say to the crowds concerning John: “What did you come out into the wilderness to observe? A reed shaken by the wind?
8. But what did you come out to see? A man clothed in soft garments? Behold, they that wear soft things are in kings’ houses.
9. But what did you come out to see? A prophet? yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet.
10. For this is [he] about whom it is written, ‘Behold, I send My messenger before Thy face, who shall make ready Thy way before Thee.’
11. Amen I say to you, There has not arisen among those that are born of women a greater than John the Baptist; but the least in the kingdom of the heavens is greater than he.
12. And from the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of the heavens presses, and they who press seize upon it.
13. For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John,
14. And if you will to accept [it], he is Elijah who was going to come.
15. He that has ears to hear, let him hear.
In the previous episode the disciples were organized, instructed, and sent forth. Because each disciple represents a spiritual principle that is central to our spiritual life, it is necessary that the “disciples in us,” that is, our core spiritual principles, be well-organized. This pictures the way our benevolent affections and noble thoughts, though initially scattered, can be organized by the Lord, put into shape, readied for action, and sent forth. 1
Along the way, the Lord maintains a continuous state of equilibrium, thereby protecting and preserving our spiritual freedom. For example, we might be going along quite well with a firm faith in the Lord’s presence and power. Then something arises in our external world to cause us to doubt Jesus’ divinity and power to save. This is represented in the next episode when John the Baptist is imprisoned. Because John the Baptist publicly proclaimed that the kingdom of heaven is at hand, and preached that repentance was necessary in order to prepare the way for that kingdom, he was persecuted and put in prison. 2
The persecution and imprisonment of John the Baptist represents something that can take place within each of us. When we are persecuted, when we feel discouraged, and when things are not working out the way we had hoped, we might doubt whether following the Lord is the right thing to do. We might doubt His divinity. We might doubt the authority of His words. And we might doubt that the kingdom of heaven is really at hand.
Even John the Baptist, one of Jesus’ staunchest supporters, is beginning to have his doubts. While he is confined in prison, John sends a message to Jesus. The message, which is sent through two of John’s disciples, is in the form of a question. John is asking Jesus about whether or not He is really the promised Messiah. “Are you the Coming One,” says John, “or do we look for another?” (11:3).
Jesus does not respond directly to John the Baptist’s question. Instead, Jesus tells John’s messengers to go back to John and report what has been happening. As Jesus puts it, “The blind receive their sight and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up; and the poor have the gospel preached to them” (11:5).
Even though John the Baptist is in prison having doubts about whether or not Jesus is the Coming One, miracles are still taking place. In our own lives, external circumstances may not be working out as we had hoped. And yet the Lord is still working within us. At such times, we are in spiritual equilibrium. We can let the hells flow in with all kinds of doubts and discouraging messages. Or we can focus on the miraculous ways the Lord can open our spiritual eyes, enable us to hear His voice, and raise us to new life, regardless of external circumstances. 3
Jesus speaks to the crowd
After sending John’s disciples back to him with the message about the many miracles that are taking place, Jesus directs His words to the crowd, asking them what they think about John. “What did you come out into the wilderness to see?” Jesus says to them. “A reed shaken by the wind?” (11:7). Again, Jesus asks, “What did you come out to see? A man clothed in soft garments? Behold, they that wear soft things are in kings’ houses” (11:8). Then Jesus asks for a third time, “What did you come out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet” (11:9).
Each time that Jesus asks the question, “What did you come out to see?” He reveals more about who John the Baptist is. First of all, John is certainly not a reed shaken by the wind. A reed shaken by the wind is like a person who is easily swayed by the shifting winds of popular opinion. By contrast, John the Baptist is a man who has a firm belief system and does not vacillate.
Secondly, John is not clothed in soft garments. In sacred scripture, garments and clothing symbolize truths. Just as clothing is a protection for our body, truth is a protection for our spirit. John’s clothing is rough, made of camel’s hair and fastened with a leather belt. These rough garments symbolize the protective truths of the literal teachings of scripture—especially as they call us to the hard work of repentance. These hard sayings are straightforward, even seeming rough and crude. By comparison, when Jesus says, “They who wear soft clothing dwell in kings’ houses,” He is referring to the soft, shining garments of the angels who dwell in the house of the Lord. These angelic garments represent the beauty of the internal sense of the Word. As it is written in the Hebrew scriptures, “Clothe yourself with strength. Put on your garments of splendor” (Isaiah 52:1). 4
Clothed in rough garments, John is like the prophets of old, especially Elijah who is described as “hairy with a leather belt” (2 Kings 1:8). But John is even more than any of those prophets. According to Jesus, John the Baptist is God’s special messenger. He is the one who is appointed to prepare the way for the reception of the Lord. As Jesus puts it, “This is the one about whom it is written: ‘I will send My messenger ahead of You, who will prepare Your way before You.’” (11:10). Jesus is here referring to the prophesy given through Malachi, and is now applying it to John. As the Lord says in the Hebrew scriptures, “Behold, I will send My messenger, who will prepare the way before Me” (Malachi 3:1).
After describing John as more than a prophet, Jesus continues to expand on the special nature of John’s role. Jesus says, “There has not arisen among those that are born of women a greater than John the Baptist” (11:11). But then, Jesus adds this caveat: “And yet, the least in the kingdom of the heavens is greater than he” (11:11).
In order to understand these words, we must remember that John the Baptist represents the literal teachings of the Word, especially the straightforward, genuine truths that cannot be changed by the fickle winds of human opinion. Murder is murder. Adultery is adultery. Theft is theft. False witness is false witness. These timeless truths do not change. They prepare the way for the coming of the Lord.
In this regard, the statement, “There is none born of women who is greater than John the Baptist,” means that of all the truths recorded by human beings, none of those truths are greater than the literal truths spoken by John the Baptist. And yet, there is something even greater than those timeless literal truths. And that is the revelation of the internal sense, even in its lowest degree. The internal sense of the Word is comprised of both spiritual and celestial degrees, and numerous gradations of each. In describing even the lowest degree of the internal sense, Jesus calls it “the least in the kingdom of the heavens.” 5
In John’s day, the Word of God had been twisted and profaned until it had become almost useless for anything more than confirming whatever the religious establishment wanted the people to believe. The religious leaders made up harsh, even violent consequences for disobedience to their laws. Rather than the letter of the Word serving as a preparation for the Lord’s coming, it was turned into a weapon to keep people in fearful submission to the authority of the religious leaders. As Jesus says, “The kingdom of heaven suffers violence and the violent take it by force” (11:12). 6
A practical application
In every generation, there is a tendency to disregard, explain away, or even hold in contempt the plain, most evident truths of the letter of the Word. In the sacred scriptures, this is represented by the imprisonment of John the Baptist. While this is true of society in general, it can also be true in each of our lives. As a practical application, then, consider ways in which you may have purposefully or carelessly ignored or explained away any of the commandments. This often takes the form of justifications and rationalizations for behaviors that oppose the commandments. You might say, “Well, in this case, it’s OK to cheat, or lie, or steal because ….” Then fill in the words that justify your misbehavior. This is your opportunity to choose between imprisoning or releasing John the Baptist in your life. Remember, you are in spiritual equilibrium.
John the Baptist and Jesus Are Both Rejected
16. But to what shall I liken this generation? It is like little boys sitting in the markets, and summoning their fellows,
17. And saying, ‘We have piped to you, and you have not danced; we have lamented to you, and you have not wailed.’
18. For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’
19. The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Behold, a man, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners!’ And wisdom has been justified by her children.”
After the episode describing the imprisonment of John the Baptist and the miracles that have, nevertheless, been taking place, Jesus says, “To what shall I liken this generation” (11:16). He then compares the people of that day to “little boys sitting in the markets, and summoning their fellows, saying, ‘We have piped to you, and you have not danced; we have lamented to you, and you have not wailed’” (11:16-17).
Jesus gives the example of children in the marketplace spontaneously calling for others to come play with them. “We have piped to you,” they say, “and you have not danced.” “We have lamented to you,” they say, “and you have not wailed.” John the Baptist and Jesus were calling, but the people refused to listen. Instead, they demonized John, and they condemned Jesus. As Jesus says, “For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Behold, a man, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of publicans and sinners’” (11:18-19).
This suggests an important comparison between what John the Baptist is offering and what Jesus is offering. In representing the restrictive literal truths of the Word. John stands for the importance of self-denial, personal restraint, and the shunning of evil. This is the first and foremost prerequisite before the kingdom of heaven can be welcomed. It is why it is said that John the Baptist prepares the way for the kingdom of heaven. Just as a garden must first be cleared of weeds before new seed can be planted, evil and falsity must first be removed before goodness and truth can be sown. 7
With this in mind, Jesus’ words take on increased significance. John the Baptist, representing the timeless truths of the literal sense, especially those contained in the Decalogue, calls people to repentance. This is the hard work of identifying and acknowledging those areas where we fall short of becoming the people God intends us to be. This also includes the effort to turn away from any thought, attitude or behavior that opposes the Ten Commandments.
This, of course, cannot be done without the Lord, but it is, all the same, a necessary beginning. In this regard, John the Baptist played a funeral dirge for the people. It is a lamentation that suggests the pain and difficulty of giving up old attitudes and behaviors, entrenched patterns that must die. And yet, no matter how much John the Baptist called for repentance, the people refused to mourn. They remained content with their old ways.
While John the Baptist came with a funeral dirge, urging us to put away the old life, Jesus came with a new song, inviting us to welcome a new life. Jesus came with a song of joy and gladness. It was a song of celebration. John’s emphasis was on fasting—that is, shunning evils as sins against God. But Jesus’ emphasis was upon feasting—that is, celebrating the advent of new life after sins have been removed. In both cases, however, both John the Baptist and Jesus the Savior were rejected. The people would neither relinquish their old ways, nor would they receive the new ways. They would not fast with John; nor would they feast with Jesus.
To put it another way, they were not willing to receive the simple wisdom that if they would shun evils as sins, the Lord would immediately flow in with heavenly life. This kind of wisdom can be recognized in the way a good person lives. As Jesus says, “wisdom has been justified by her children.” 8
A practical application
When Jesus compares the present generation to children playing games in the marketplace, He says that these children are calling out to each other saying, in effect, weep with us or dance with us. If we go through life, focused primarily on worldly success, we will not hear the children’s voices calling us to weep with them or dance with them. In the spiritual sense, these children’s voices represent the quiet, inward call of the Lord inviting us to both repent and rejoice. As a practical application, then, be alert for those aspects of your behavior that must change, especially those areas that must be resisted. This is the “children” in you calling you to repent. But also, be aware of the heavenly influences that want to flow in to fill the place where evils have been shunned. This is the “children” calling you to rejoice. To the extent that you shun evil, the Lord will fill you with His goodness. Choose to lament, and learn to dance. As it is written in the Hebrew scriptures, “Cease to do evil; learn to do good” (Isaiah 1:16-17).
Warnings
20. Then He began to reproach the cities in which most of His [works of] power were done, because they did not repent.
21. “Woe to thee, Chorazin! Woe to thee, Bethsaida! Because if the [works of] power had been done in Tyre and Sidon that were done in you, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.
22. But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment, than for you.
23. And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted up to heaven, shalt be thrust down even to hell; for if the [works of] power which have been done in thee had been done in Sodom, it would have remained even to this day.
24. But I say to you that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee.”
The balance between fasting and feasting, repenting and rejoicing, shunning evil and doing good is a vital one. As the divine narrative continues, Jesus reproaches the cities where the people refused to believe in Him. “Woe to you Chorazin!” says Jesus. “And woe to you, Bethsaida! Because if the mighty works had been done in Tyre and Sidon that were done in you, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I say unto you, it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment, than for you” (11:21-22).
The cities of Chorazin and Bethsaida were on the coast of the Sea of Galilee, in the very same region where Jesus had performed many of His miracles. The mighty works that were done in those cities should have had the power to convince the people of Jesus’ divine nature. In some cases, they did. But in other cases, especially when people were willfully resistant, Jesus’ mighty works were unconvincing. To these people who refused to believe, Jesus said, “Woe to you,” meaning that their determined resistance, even in the face of overwhelming evidence, would lead to their own destruction.
By contrast, Jesus speaks about the cities Tyre and Sidon. These two cities, which were situated on the Mediterranean Sea, were populated primarily by gentiles who knew very little about the God of Israel. Described as pagans who worshipped false gods, the people of Tyre and Sidon were, nevertheless, extremely wealthy. And yet, their worldly wealth was not enough to sustain them through difficult times.
Speaking through the prophet Ezekiel, the Lord gives a vivid description of what will happen to the large ships of Tyre and Sidon filled with all kinds of luxurious, expensive cargo. He says, “The east wind will break you to pieces far out at sea. Your wealth, merchandise and wares, your mariners, sailors and shipwrights, your merchants and all your soldiers, and everyone else on board will sink into the heart of the sea on the day of your shipwreck” (Ezekiel 27:25-27).
Spiritually speaking, this “shipwreck” refers to the futility of a life lived in pursuit of worldly ambitions, paying little heed to spiritual goals. Nevertheless, Jesus says that even these pagan people from Tyre and Sidon would have repented if they had seen the same mighty works that had been shown to the people in the region of Galilee. Through this illustration, Jesus is making it clear that no one is ever condemned for their ignorance. But those who stubbornly refuse to believe, even in the presence of the Lord’s mighty works, bring their own judgment upon themselves. 9
Jesus then repeats this strong warning by contrasting the people of Capernaum with the people of Sodom. As Jesus puts it, “And you, Capernaum, which are exalted up to heaven, shall be thrust down even to hell; for if the mighty works which have been done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained even to this day” (11:23).
In the book of Genesis, Sodom is described as being so corrupt that it was completely destroyed. This included not only the city, but also its inhabitants, and everything that grew in the city (see 19:25). This powerful imagery describes the destruction that people bring upon themselves by willfully turning away from the Lord. And yet, Jesus, provides a different way of looking at Sodom, especially in comparison with Capernaum. In addressing the people of Capernaum who had witnessed His mighty works, Jesus says, “But I say to you that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for you” (11:24).
All of this is a way of describing the dire situation of the human race at that time. As the light of truth continued to dim, the darkness of ignorance was filling the land. God had come into the world through Jesus Christ, as evidenced by His mighty works, but some had grown so accustomed to the darkness that they rejected the light—even when it was in their very midst. As Jesus puts it, if these mighty works had been done before others, even the evil people of Sodom would have believed and repented.
A practical application
The warnings in this part of the narrative are given to remind us that God is continually working miracles in our midst—miracles that we refuse to acknowledge. The fact that we are breathing is a miracle; the fact that our heart is beating is a miracle. The fact that grass is growing and trees are bearing fruit are miracles. Every healing is a miracle. Every day, when seen as an opportunity to grow into the person the Lord intends us to become, is a miracle. In fact, the inner miracle of spiritual transformation is greater than all the miracles that take place in nature. As a practical application, then, consider the mighty works that are all around you, especially the changes that are occurring within you as you continue to put Jesus’ teachings into your life. Let this be the most convincing evidence of God’s presence and power in your life.
An Easier Yoke
25. At that time Jesus answering said, “I profess Thee, Father, Lord of the heaven and of the earth, because Thou hast hidden these things from the wise and intelligent, and hast revealed them to infants.
26. Yes, Father; for so it was [for] good pleasure before Thee.
27. All things are delivered up to Me by My Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father; neither knows anyone the Father, except the Son, and [he] to whomever the Son intends to reveal [Him].
28. Come to Me, all [ye] who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest.
29. Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am meek and humble in heart; and you shall find rest for your souls.
30. For My yoke [is] easy, and My burden is light.”
In the preceding verses, Jesus has focused on the unwillingness of the people to believe, despite the mighty works that He was performing. Even John the Baptist had his doubts. Afterwards, when Jesus’ call to the people was met with unwillingness to respond, He compared it to children who were calling to one another in the marketplace. When the children played a happy song, there were some who refused to dance. When they played a sad song, there were some who refused to mourn.
Jesus then compared the lack of response from the children to the way people refused to receive both John the Baptist and Himself. In the case of John the Baptist, he came neither eating nor drinking, and preached repentance. That kind of self-restraint and self-discipline seemed too severe for them. Nor did they welcome Jesus whom they accused of not exercising enough restraint. Calling Him a glutton and drunkard, they condemned Him for eating and drinking with tax collectors and sinners. Either way, whether it was seen as a case of too much restraint or too little restraint, both John the Baptist and Jesus were rejected. The people refused to hear the call. As it is written in the Hebrew scriptures, “I spoke to you, but you did not listen. I called to you, but you did not answer” (Jeremiah 7:13).
This is followed by a set of verses in which Jesus reproaches those who have witnessed His miracles but have refused to believe. As an illustration, Jesus speaks about the people in the cities of Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum. These three cities, which were in the region of Galilee, were places where Jesus had performed mighty works, and yet the people persisted in their stubborn unbelief. By contrast the cities of Tyre, Sidon, and even Sodom, would surely have repented if they had witnessed the mighty works that Jesus had performed.
Now, as the divine narrative continues, there is a shift in tone as Jesus offers both a prayer and an invitation. As he begins His prayer, Jesus says, “I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent, and have revealed them to little children” (11:25). These words contain Jesus’ realization that it is impossible to deliver new truth to those who think they already know. These are the “wise and intelligent”—or so they think of themselves—who rely on self-intelligence and self-effort as the path to happiness and success. 10
The reality, however, is quite the opposite. The wisest of all, and the most intelligent of all, are those who realize how little they know. In sacred scripture, this quality is compared to the state of well-disposed children who are teachable, eager to learn, and willing to be led. This is that part in each of us that Jesus refers to when He says, “I thank you, Father … for you have revealed these things to little children.” 11
As long as we remain convinced that we do not need God, or Jesus, or revelation to figure out how we should lead our lives, the Bible will remain a closed book. We will neither understand it’s literal sense, nor it’s spiritual sense. Trying to generate our own happiness, relying on our own intelligence and our own efforts, is a heavy burden. It’s a burdensome yoke.
And yet, if we are humble and teachable, like innocent children who are willing to follow those they trust and love, the Lord can open up His Word to us. As long as we remain in this state of childlike trust, the Lord can open to us the mysteries of faith, reveal to us the wonders of the internal sense, and show us numerous applications to our life. This is consistent with the Lord’s plan. As Jesus puts it, “Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight” (11:26). 12
Jesus then clarifies His relationship to the Father, saying, “All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and he to whom the Son wills to reveal Him” (11:27). These words follow directly from the preceding verses in which Jesus said that God has revealed the hidden things of His Word, not to the proud and the intelligent, but to the humble and the innocent. That is, “to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.”
While the literal sense might give the impression that this is an expression of divine favoritism, it is nothing of the sort. On the contrary, it is the Father’s will to give all that He has to everyone. Nevertheless, the ability to receive what flows in from God depends on a person’s willingness to receive. In other words, it is humility not pride, innocence not arrogance, and confidence in God not confidence in self, that receives all that the Lord is offering. Whenever this happens, the Lord flows in with love and wisdom, goodness and truth, faith and charity. 13
A divine invitation
These words now serve as a divine prelude to one of the most memorable invitations in the Word. Jesus says, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (11:28). It is to be noted that Jesus does not say, “The Father will give you rest.” Instead, He says, “I will give you rest.” This is a beautiful message of comfort, a promise that in Jesus we shall not only find physical rest, but, more importantly, spiritual rest—that is, rest for our souls. As Jesus says, “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (11:30).
This is the yoke that we are invited to share with Jesus. Just as two oxen are yoked together to pull one cart, or plow one field, the Lord invites us to be yoked together with Him in order to make our way through the ups and downs of daily life. Yoked together with the Lord, we can bear any burden, meet any obstacle, and overcome any hardship. This is how we attain “rest for our souls.”
In this passage, the words, “Come unto Me” are especially significant. Jesus is not saying, “I will connect you with the Father so that you might have rest.” Rather, He is revealing His divinity as the source of spiritual rest. This is especially noteworthy because the Sabbath was the most sacred of all traditions. In Hebrew the word for Sabbath is Shabbat [שַׁבָּת] which means, quite simply, “rest.” In this passage, then, Jesus is continuing to reveal His divine identity, suggesting that He is the source of true rest.
Jesus’ invitation to learn from Him and to rest in Him provides a new idea of God’s love. No longer can God be seen as a stern, angry, judgmental, or punitive God who is to be feared. Instead, God can be directly approached as a loving Father. This is a picture of a God who is filled with tender compassion and unlimited forgiveness, a God who says to each of us, “Come unto Me all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (11:28-30). Through these words, Jesus gives us a right idea of God. 14
A practical application
A yoke is a wooden beam that is placed over the neck of two animals so that they can work closely together while pulling a load or plowing a field. Each of us has our own load to carry, and our own burdens to bear. The difficulties that we encounter can be more or less extreme depending on how we view the responsibilities and challenges that come our way. If we are inclined to be resentful and angry, or easily hurt and disappointed, or quick to judge ourselves or others, it will take great effort to become more understanding and forgiving. The initial efforts to change entrenched attitudes and behaviors may be especially difficult. That’s what makes the yoke feel like a heavy burden. But as we persevere, relying on the Lord to give us the wisdom and strength to overcome the harsh and burdensome yoke of our negative patterns, we will find that our burdens become lighter and easier to bear. As a practical application, then, call upon the Lord to help you overcome in a particular area of your life. It could be developing more patience, or having less anxiety, or learning to forgive more readily. Notice how the burdensome task becomes lighter the more you love being patient, the more you love being content, and the more you love being forgiving. To the extent that you find delight in doing the Lord’s will, you will be yoked together with Him who promises that His yoke is easy, and His burden is light. 15
Fusnotat:
1. AE 411: “All the Lord’s disciples together represented the church; and each one of them some central principle of the church; ‘Peter’ represents the truth of the church [faith], ‘James’ it’s good, and ‘John’ good in act, that is, works; the rest of the disciples represent the truths and goods that are derived from these central principles.”
2. AE 349:2: “A person is kept in the freedom of choosing, that is, of receiving good and truth from the Lord or of receiving evil and falsity from hell. This is done for the sake of a person’s reformation. Being kept between heaven and hell, and thence in spiritual equilibrium, is freedom.”
3. AC 9209:4 “Those called ‘blind’ are in ignorance of truth ; the ‘lame’ are those who are in good, but on account of their ignorance of truth, are not in genuine good; the ‘leprous’ are those who are unclean and yet long to be made clean; the ‘deaf,’ are those who are not in the faith of truth, because not in the perception of it; and the ‘poor,’ are those who have not the Word, and thus know nothing of the Lord, and yet long to be instructed. Consequently, it is said that ‘to these the gospel shall be preached.’”
4. AC 9372:4: “That the Word in the ultimate, or in the letter, is crude and obscure in the sight of men; but that in the internal sense it is soft and shining, is signified by their ‘not seeing a man clothed in soft raiment, for behold those who wear soft things are in kings’ houses." That such things are signified by these words, is plain from the signification of ‘raiment’ or ‘garments’ as being truths. It is for this reason that the angels appear clothed in garments soft and shining according to the truths from good with them. The same is evident from the signification of ‘kings' houses,’ as being the abodes of the angels, and in the universal sense, the heavens.”
5. AC 9372:6: “The Word in its inward sense or as it exists in heaven is in a degree above the Word in its outward sense or as it exists in the world and as John the Baptist taught it. This is meant by the statement that 'the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he'; for the Word perceived in heaven possesses wisdom so great that it surpasses all human understanding.”
6. AE 619:16: “John the Baptist represents the exteriors of the Word [the literal teachings of scripture], which are natural, like his clothing … namely, camel’s hair and the leather belt about his loins…. The Word in its most exterior sense is called ‘the sense of the letter’ or ‘the natural sense,’ for this is what John represented.”
7. Canons 208: “The first of charity is to look to the Lord and shun evils as sins which is done by repentance. Who does not understand that, before people can do good which is good, they must be cleansed from evils? Must not a cup be cleansed? And if it is not cleansed does not the wine taste of its uncleanness? And must not a platter be cleansed before food is placed upon it? For if the inside of a platter is mere uncleanness, does not the food excite aversion? Can anything pure flow into people from heaven, while they are nothing but impurity and uncleanness? Must not the impure and unclean be first removed? …. Before the Lord can flow in with good, evil must therefore be removed. It would indeed be perilous if He should flow in before, for the good would be turned into evil and increase it. For this reason, the first thing is to remove evil, and after that to flow in with good, and bring it into act by the individual…. That evil must first be removed is very evident from the precepts of the Decalogue…. These evils, therefore, must first be removed, and in proportion as they are removed the neighbor is loved.”
8. AE 768:9: “In the spiritual sense, the word ‘seed’ means divine truth, and ‘offspring’ means a life according to divine truth. Therefore, ‘offspring’ refers to those who live according to divine truth.” See also Life:1: “All religion is related to life and the life of religion is to do good.” '
9. AC 2335:3: “The Lord never judges anyone except from good; for He desires to raise all into heaven, however many there may be, and indeed, if it were possible, even to Himself; for the Lord is mercy itself and good itself. Mercy itself and good itself can never condemn anyone; but people condemn themselves because they reject good.” See also AC 2258:3: “Evil people condemn themselves to hell…. This is because they have separated themselves from divine goodness. The Lord in no case sends anyone down into hell, but people send themselves.”
10. TCR 839:2: “Internal people realize that what they know compared to what they don’t know is like the amount of water in a jar compared to the amount of water in a lake. External people are quite sure they know everything there is to know.”
11. AC 1767: “In the letter, the Word appears rough and imperfect. And yet, the Word of the Lord is such that inwardly there are concealed spiritual and celestial things, which are fully visible to good spirits and to angels when a person reads the Word.” See also AC 10400: “All those are in externals without internals who are in the loves of self and of the world, for with them the internal is closed and only the external opened. And when external people read the Word, without the internal, they see in thick darkness. Natural lumen without light from heaven is in spiritual matters thick darkness. But when light from heaven enters through the internal and [from there] into the external, there is enlightenment.”
12. HH 281: “In the Word ‘little children’ mean those who are innocent…. Good is good so far as it has innocence in it, for the reason that all good is from the Lord, and innocence is a willingness to be led by the Lord.” See also AC 5608: “In the heavens, the inmost or third heaven consists of those who are in innocence, for they are in love to the Lord; and because the Lord is innocence itself, therefore they who are there, being in love to Him, are in innocence. These, although they are the wisest of all in the heavens, yet appear to others like little children. It is for this reason, and also because little children are in innocence, that by ‘little children’ in the Word is signified innocence.”
13. AC 2327:3: “Insofar as the heart is humbled self-love and all resulting evil come to an end; and insofar as these come to an end good and truth, that is, charity and faith, flow in from the Lord. For what above all else stands in the way of their being received is self-love.” See also AC 9377: “Without humility there can be no worship or adoration of the Lord, because what is divine and the Lord’s cannot flow into a proud heart, that is, into a heart full of self-love, for such a heart is hard and in the Word is called ‘a heart of stone.’ It can flow only into a humble heart, since this is soft and in the Word is called ‘a heart of flesh,’ and so is receptive of good flowing in from the Lord, that is, receptive of the inflow of the Lord.”
14. TCR 163: “Heaven in its entirety is founded on a right idea of God, and so, too, the entire church on earth, and all religion in general. For that idea leads to conjunction, and through conjunction to light, wisdom, and eternal happiness.”
15. AC 905: “The more anyone is in the love of good and truth, the more freely that person acts…. Therefore, when the Lord is liberating people from the dominion of evil spirits and from their yoke, there arises a combat. But when people have been liberated, that is, regenerated, they, through the ministry of angels, are led by the Lord so gently that there is nothing whatever of yoke or of dominion, for they are led by means of their delights and their happinesses. This is what is meant by the Lord’s words, ‘My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.’” See also HH 533: “That it is not so difficult to live the life of heaven as some believe can now be seen from this, that when anything presents itself to people that they know to be dishonest and unjust, but to which their mind is inclined, it is simply necessary for them to think that it ought not to be done because it is opposed to the divine precepts. If people accustom themselves so to think, and from so doing establish a habit of so thinking, they are gradually conjoined to heaven…. And when people have made a beginning, the Lord quickens all that is good in them, and causes them not only to see evils to be evils, but also to refrain from willing them, and finally to turn away from them. This is meant by the Lord’s words, My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.’”
