Receiving the Lord’s Dinner Invitation

1. And it came to pass as He came into the house of one of the ruling Pharisees to eat bread on a Sabbath, they also watched Him closely.

2. And behold, there was a certain man with dropsy in front of Him.

3. And Jesus answering said to the lawyers and Pharisees, “Is it permitted to cure on the Sabbath?”

4. And they were quiet; and taking [hold] [of him], He healed him and sent [him] away.

5. And answering He said to them, “Which of you shall have an ass or an ox fallen into a pit, and will not straightway pull it out on the day of the Sabbath?”

6. And they were not able to answer Him again as to these things.

The previous episode ended with the words, “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.” In the literal sense, this refers to the Lord’s coming into Jerusalem to declare Himself to be king. More deeply, however, this also refers to the Lord’s coming into our lives as the ruler of our inner world, a mighty king who rules over our lower desires, and gives us the divine law as a guide for our lives.

The simple truth is that God is perpetually striving to enter our understanding (signified by “Jerusalem”) with comforting, reassuring truths. That is why He says, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem…. How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings.” In other words, God is continually desiring to feed us with His love and truth, even as a mother bird instinctively feeds her young—but we are not willing. ¹

It is because of our unwillingness that Jesus says, “See! Your house is left to you desolate.” In the language of sacred symbolism, a “house” refers to the human mind; it is left desolate whenever God is not received. But Jesus never abandons us, and never leaves us in desolation. Even though we may stubbornly refuse to admit Him “who comes in the name of the Lord,” He keeps showing up in our lives, just as He keeps showing up in the lives of the scribes and Pharisees. He keeps knocking on the door of our “house”—our mind—ready to come in, ready to break bread with us, ready to share the goodness and truth He yearns to give us.

It is for this reason that the next chapter begins with the words, “Now it happened, as He went into the house of one of the rulers of the Pharisees to eat bread on the Sabbath, that they watched Him closely” (Luke 14:1). As we have seen before, “they watched Him closely” not because they want to learn from Him, but because they want to catch Him in some violation of Mosaic law. It’s clear that as far as the Pharisees are concerned, this is not going to be just another meal; it’s going to be another opportunity for them to find fault with Jesus.

Healing dropsy

As the episode begins, we learn that there is a man at the meal who suffers from a condition called “dropsy.” This is an old medical term for any abnormal swelling caused by the build up and retention of fluid in the body. Sometimes known as “edema,” it describes a medical condition in which fluid is trapped in body tissue and cannot escape. While dropsy normally affects the skin, it can also affect the eyes, heart, lungs, and brain. The excessive build-up of fluid in these areas can lead to blindness, difficulty breathing, heart-failure, and even death. “Dropsy,” then, or the body’s abnormal retention of water, can be life-threatening.

Spiritually seen, especially in the context of the preceding chapter, the abnormal retention of water in the body relates to the abnormal retention of truth in the mind. Water, as we know, corresponds to truth. What water does for the body truth does for the mind. Water, however, is not taken in merely to be stored up; rather, it is taken in for the physical uses that the body performs.

Similarly, truth is not taken in merely to be stored up, but rather to be put to use. Like a fig tree that is filled with leaves but does not bear fruit, a person who is “filled with truth” but who does not perform useful service through that truth, suffers from “spiritual dropsy.” The truth is, so to speak, “trapped” in the person’s mind and prevented from performing its use. In this way, truth, which is intended to serve as a healthy guide for doing good becomes perverted into something that can not only damage but eventually destroy a person’s spiritual life. Truth is meant for use. ²

This, then, is the spiritual meaning of the illness called “dropsy,” or as it is written in Greek, ὑδρωπικὸς (hydrōpikos) which means, literally, “full of water.” Biblical commentators suggest that the Pharisees invited the man with dropsy to the sabbath meal with a specific purpose in mind. They were eager to test Jesus. They wanted to see if Jesus would perform another healing miracle on the Sabbath. They may have been wondering, Will Jesus once again violate Mosaic law by working on the Sabbath? After all, He just healed a woman who couldn’t straighten up. Is He about to do something similar—and on the Sabbath no less? Let’s see if we can catch Him in the act and condemn Him for violating the Sabbath commandment.

Fully aware that the lawyers and Pharisees are closely watching Him, ready to condemn Him, Jesus first questions them about the Sabbath. He asks, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?” (Luke 14:2). While it is true that the Hebrew scriptures forbade working on the Sabbath, there was no specific law that forbade healing on the Sabbath. Most people knew, intuitively, that animals still needed to be fed on the Sabbath, children needed to be cared for, and an injured person needed to be helped. Therefore, the lawyers and Pharisees do not respond to Jesus’ question. While they remain silent, Jesus, takes hold of the man with dropsy, heals him, and sends him on his way (Luke 14:3-4). Then, turning to the lawyers and Pharisees, Jesus asks, “Which of you, having a donkey or an ox that has fallen into a pit, will not immediately pull him out on the Sabbath day?” (Luke 14:5).

The mention of the donkey and the ox brings to mind a similar example given just a few verses earlier: “Does each one of you on the Sabbath loose his ox or his donkey from the stall, and lead it away to water it?” (Luke 13:15). Loosing the donkey and ox from the stall in order to water it refers to the basic biological need for water as a sustainer of physical life. More deeply, this image corresponds to the basic spiritual need for truth as a sustainer of spiritual life. But in the case of the man with edema, the problem is too much water—a massive accumulation of fluid in the body.

Spiritually, an excess of truth in our minds, is a sort of “spiritual swelling” which results when truth is merely stored up and not put to use. Instead of being used for spiritual health it becomes a source of spiritual harm. The truth of the Lord’s Word is intended to teach us how to do good for others. But when it serves to merely swell our egos, enhance our reputations, accumulate wealth, its fundamental use has been perverted. ³

In healing the man with dropsy, Jesus is giving the scribes and Pharisees an important lesson about how to rightly interpret God’s law concerning the Sabbath. At the same time, He is also giving them a deeper lesson about the importance of humility which is the opposite of excessive pride. But they are not yet able or willing to understand Jesus’ teaching. The best that they can do is simply not answer. Therefore, it is written “They could not answer Him regarding these things” (Luke 14:6).

Responsibilities of the Dinner Guest

7. And He spoke a parable to those who were invited when He observed how they chose out the first places to recline, saying to them,

8. “When thou art invited by anyone to a wedding, recline not in the first places to recline, lest [one] more honorable than thou be invited by him,

9. And he that called thee and him, coming, shall say to thee, ‘Give this [man] a place’; and then thou begin with shame to have the last place.

10. But when thou art invited, go recline in the last place, that when he that invited thee comes, he may say to thee,’ Friend, go up higher.’ Then shalt thou have glory before those that sit with thee.

11. For everyone that exalts himself shall be humbled, and he that humbles himself shall be exalted.”

The object lesson, in which Jesus heals the man of dropsy, has little effect on the lawyers and Pharisees. On the literal level, He is instructing them about the Sabbath, showing them that their extreme strictness—even to forbid healing—is diametrically opposed to the spirit of the commandments. More deeply, the object lesson is about excessive pride and the exaggerated states of self-importance that result from having a knowledge of truth without a desire to put it into one’s life. Their only response is silence.

Jesus, however, is undeterred by their lack of response. Instead, He goes on to give them another, more obvious lesson. Noting how the people who have come to dine at the Pharisee’s house have chosen the best places for themselves at the table, He gives them some practical advice: “When you are invited by anyone to a wedding feast,” He explains, “do not sit down in the best place, lest one more honorable than you be invited by him; and he who invited you and him come and say to you, ‘Give place to this man,’ and then you begin with shame to take the lowest place” (Luke 14:9).

This appears to be a straightforward, and practical lesson. The scribes and Pharisees, who pride themselves on their learning, and who love seats of honor, might be interested in advice about how to avoid shame. After all, it is in their self-interest to guard their reputations and avoid public embarrassment. They would also be interested in ways they could advance their reputation in the eyes of others. Therefore, Jesus tells them how to do this: “But when you are invited, go and sit down in the lowest places, so that when he who invited you comes, he may say to you, ‘Friend, go up higher’” (Luke 14:10). Note how Jesus appeals to their love of having a good reputation, honor, and glory: “Then you will have glory in the presence of those who sit at the table with you.” ⁴

We would be mistaken, however, to conclude that Jesus is merely giving lessons in how to protect and promote one’s reputation. The kingdom of heaven is not about social climbing; it’s about humbly receiving what flows in from God. It’s about removing ourselves from excessive pride, recognizing our lowliness, and allowing ourselves to be lifted up by God. That’s why Jesus deepens the lesson by adding this eternal truth: “Whoever exalts himself will be abased, and he who humbles himself will be exalted” (Luke 14:11). ⁵

Responsibilities of the Host

12. And He said also to him that invited Him, “When thou makest a dinner or a supper, call not thy friends, nor thy brothers, nor thy kinsfolk, nor rich neighbors, lest they also invite thee back, and a recompense be made thee.

13. But when thou makest a reception, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind;

14. And thou shalt be happy, for they cannot recompense thee; for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just.”

Having dealt with the responsibilities of the dinner guest, Jesus now addresses the responsibilities of the dinner host. He says, “When you give a dinner, or a supper, do not ask your friends, your brothers, your relatives, nor your rich neighbors, lest they invite you back and you be repaid. But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind” (Luke 14:12-13). Once again, Jesus is turning upside-down the customs and practices of His day. It was almost unthinkable to invite the poor, maimed, lame and blind—these were the social outcasts, the ones purportedly despised by God, and therefore punished with poverty and physical disability. To associate with them, and especially to eat a meal with them, would be to risk contamination.

But Jesus knew this was a false belief and an evil practice. He knew that wealth and poverty were not signs of favor or disfavor with God. Similarly, He knew that physical health and physical affliction were not blessings or curses from God. While it is true that disease can have a spiritual origin, it does not follow that people who are afflicted by diseases have brought those diseases upon themselves. Nor does it follow that God punishes people by cursing them with poverty, disease, and affliction as penalties for their sin. God never punishes and never casts anyone into hell. On the contrary, God is love itself, wisdom itself, and mercy itself. He intends nothing but good, and wills only good for everyone. ⁶

On one level, inviting “the poor, the maimed, the lame, and the blind” to the feast might seem to flagrantly defy the social customs and mistaken religious beliefs of the day. In reality, it is to practice true benevolence and inclusiveness, welcoming all people to the table, regardless of their social status or physical condition. More deeply, the “poor, maimed, lame, and blind” represent the various spiritual disabilities that are prevalent among people who lack an understanding of spiritual truth and the power to live according to that truth. This also applies to the places within ourselves that are in spiritual need. These are the people whom the host should invite to supper. ⁷

And for those who do so, thinking of gaining nothing in return, there will be a great blessing. As it is written, “And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you; for you shall be paid at the resurrection of the just” (Luke 14:14). The idea here is that true heavenly joy is in serving others without any thought of reward or gain. ⁸

Rejecting God’s Invitation

15. And when one of those that sat with [Him] heard these things, he said to Him, “Happy [is] he that eats bread in the kingdom of God.”

16. And He said to him, “A certain man made a great supper, and invited many.

17. And he sent his servant at the hour of supper to say to those that were invited, ‘Come, for all things are already prepared.’

18. And they all as one began to excuse themselves. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a field, and I have the necessity to go out and see it; I beseech thee, have me excused.’

19. And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to test them; I beseech thee, have me excused.’

20. And another said, ‘I have wedded a woman, and therefore I cannot come.’

21. And that servant, having come, reported these things to his lord. Then the householder, being angry, said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor and the maimed and the lame and the blind.’

22. And the servant said, ‘Lord, it is done as thou hast ordered, and there are still places.’

23. And the lord said to the servant, ‘Go out into the highways and hedges, and constrain [them] to come in, that my house may be filled.

24. For I say to you that none of those men that were invited shall taste of my supper.’”

When Jesus speaks about the duties of the host, one of the people sitting at the table seems to understand, for he cries out, “Blessed is he who shall eat bread in the kingdom of God!” (Luke 14:15). The “bread” that we shall eat there, of course, is not physical bread—but rather the bread which comes from heaven, the deep feelings of love that feed our spirit, and the refreshing truth that quenches our spiritual thirst. These are the feelings and thoughts that flow in from God whenever we are engaged in unselfish service. This differs greatly from having a dinner to impress friends or curry the favor of influential people. This is the dinner that is provided for the spiritually poor, maimed, lame, and blind states within us. It is a heavenly feast in which we “eat bread” in the kingdom of God. ⁹

In this parable, God is the host for the great supper, and each of us is an invited guest. Jesus puts it like this: “A certain man gave a great supper and invited many.” The “great supper” is the opportunity to receive the goodness and truth that the Lord freely offers to everyone. This is represented by the man telling his servant to go out and say to the invited guests, “Come, for all things are now ready” (Luke 14:17). The “servant” is the truth of God’s Word. It is a constant invitation to feast on God’s love and drink in God’s truth as one would eat and drink at a wedding celebration. ¹⁰

Unfortunately, people do not always accept the invitation. Some, like the person who had just bought a piece of land, politely ask to be excused. He says, “I have bought a piece of ground, and I must go see it. Please excuse me” (Luke 14:18). The second person makes a similar request, saying, “I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to test them. Please excuse me” (Luke 14:19). While they are polite, their excuses seem flimsy. After all, who would buy land without seeing it or oxen without first testing them? On the literal level, then, this sounds like mere excuse-making—the shallow justifications we concoct to avoid responding to God’s call.

We come now to the third person. He also cannot accept the man’s invitation, but he is less polite. He does not even ask to be excused. He merely says, “I have wedded a woman, and therefore I cannot come” (Luke 14:20). At first glance, this seems to be a fairly acceptable excuse. After all, it could be viewed as a good thing to focus attention on one’s wife, to look after her needs, and to be there to support her. But notice how the master responds when the servant comes back and reports on the refusals to accept his invitation. As it is written, “Then the master of the house, being angry, said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in here the poor, the maimed, the lame, and the blind’” (Luke 14:21).

Why would the master be angry? For some, this is an image of God’s anger with us for not accepting His personal invitation to come to the great feast. Seen from the perspective of our own humanity, it can be very upsetting to have prepared a great feast, and then, after having made everything ready, the invited guests decide not to come. We might even be angry. Seen merely at this level, the parable could have a powerful impact, warning people to beware the wrath of God if they do not respond to His invitation. This is what it means to understand scripture according to our own state of consciousness—a state in which we see God as capable of anger. The truth is, however, that God is never angry. No matter how often we refuse His invitation, He never ceases to offer it. The anger that is attributed to God is a projection of our own human states. People see God according to the state of their own consciousness. ¹¹

It is important to understand the different ways we have seen God, at different times in our lives, and at different eras in the advancement of humanity. Otherwise, we might come away from the Word with an understanding that is written for people who are unable to lift their minds above the idea of an angry father—a father who would be so incensed by a refusal to attend his dinner that he would say, “None of these men who were invited shall taste my supper” (Luke 14:24). In spiritual reality, it is our own refusal to accept God’s invitation that shuts us out of the rich banquet He has prepared for us. Therefore, this parable is not about “Divine anger”—there is no such thing; it is, rather, about our refusal to receive the love and wisdom that the Lord desires to share with us. ¹²

Three types of refusal

We also need to take a deeper look at the three types of refusal that are given. Each refusal pictures a particular way in which we go about refusing God’s invitation to come to the feast He has provided for us. In the first example, the man says that he has just bought a field and wants to go “see it.” The word “see” suggests that this excuse relates to the understanding. More specifically, it is about a tendency in each of us to be preoccupied with our own ideas, our own insights, and our own thoughts about spiritual reality. Sometimes referred to as “the pride of self-intellect,” this tendency prides itself on being able to see what’s true without the aid of revelation. When we are in this frame of mind, we have “bought into” our own way of seeing things and believe that the way we see things is true. Therefore, there is no need for the Word of God, and no time for biblical study. Why bother? says this mindset. I can find all the answers I need within myself. This is the biblical equivalent of these words from the Hebrew scriptures: “In his pride the wicked man does not seek the Lord; in all his thoughts there is no room for God” (Psalms 10:4).

When this is the case, there is no desire to listen to what God has to say or to accept His invitation. Believing that all answers can be found within oneself, there is no need for revelation. This, then, is the “intellectual” denial of God; we would rather “see” for ourselves than to trust in what God has revealed in His Word. This is the person who says, “I have bought a piece of ground and must go and see it. Please excuse me” ¹³

The second person asks to be excused because he has just bought “five yoke of oxen.” In the Word, “oxen” represent our natural affections. These are the affections that plod along, head down, like the ox, faithfully doing its job, hauling logs, plowing fields, pulling carts, while being unaware of anything higher than natural charity. People like this believe in doing good, not because the Lord teaches so, but simply because they have an inherited inclination to do what is good. They have, so to speak, “bought into” the idea that they are naturally good and therefore have no need of God.

When we believe that the good we do is from ourselves rather than from the Lord, we will have little interest in going to the Lord for spiritual nourishment. Instead, we will decline the Lord’s invitation, saying in our hearts, I’m basically a good person, and I have all the power I need to do good. Therefore, I have no need for God. In the parable, this is the person who says, “I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to test them. Please excuse me.” ¹⁴

To sum up the first two refusals: The man who wanted to “see the field” represents self-intellect, the stubborn belief that we can think for ourselves without instruction from God’s Word. The man who wanted to go and “test the five yoke of oxen” represents the part of us that believes that we are basically good and can do everything, just fine, under our own power. Taken together, these two parts of the human mind represent the pride of self-intellect and the belief in one’s own power. This illusion of self-sufficiency leads to the idea that there is no need for God in one’s life. When this is the case, God’s invitation to come to the table is declined.

We come now to the third person whose excuse is that he has “wedded a woman.” This person’s excuse represents the part of us that is so “wedded” to our beliefs and attitudes that we don’t even bother with asking politely to be excused. Instead of saying, “Please excuse me,” this part of our mind says, quite bluntly, “I cannot come.” This represents the worst of the three refusals. When both the intellect and the will are convinced that they have no need for God, an “infernal marriage” of falsity and evil takes place. We have become confirmed in our belief that we can know truth without revelation and that we can be good without God. In the language of sacred scripture, this is represented in the words of the third person who says, ““I have wedded a woman, and therefore I cannot come.” ¹⁵

These three kinds of refusal represent the various ways we refuse to accept the Lord’s invitation to come to His table for spiritual nourishment. Whether it is intellectual arrogance (I can figure this out for myself) or belief in our own goodness (I can do all things by myself), or the infernal marriage of falsity and evil within us, we will have no reason or desire to accept the Lord’s invitation. Whenever this happens, it is not the Lord’s fault, but our own, if we fail to taste the joys of heavenly life. This, then, is what is meant in the closing words of this parable when Jesus says, “None of those men who were invited shall taste my supper” (Luke 14:24). The Lord has not rejected them; they have freely chosen to reject the Lord. ¹⁶

On Becoming a Disciple

25. And many crowds went with Him, and turning He said to them,

26. “If anyone come to Me, and hate not his father and mother, and wife and children, and brothers and sisters, yes, and his own soul also, he cannot be My disciple.

27. And whoever does not bear his cross, and come after Me, cannot be My disciple.

28. For which of you that wills to build a tower sits not [down] first and counts the cost, whether he has [‘sufficient] to complete [it]?

29. Lest when he has placed the foundation and is not able to finish, all who behold begin to mock him,

30. Saying, ‘This man began to build, and was not able to finish.’

31. Or what king, going to wage war with another king, sits not [down] first and consults whether it be possible with ten thousand to meet him that comes against him with twenty thousand?

32. Otherwise, while he is yet far away, he sends an embassy, and asks for peace.

33. So, therefore, any of you who takes not leave of all his own belongings, he cannot be My disciple.

34. Salt [is] good, but if the salt become saltless, with what shall it be seasoned?

35. It is suited neither for the earth nor for the dunghill; [and] they cast it out. He that has ears to hear, let him hear.”

The previous episode, which we titled, “Responsibilities of the Host,” began by describing whom the host should invite to dinner. But as we have seen, this episode involves much more than a discourse on table etiquette, or a plea for being inclusive as we consider our circle of friends. It calls us to remember the banquet which God has provided for us and not to neglect it. It calls us to beware of getting so caught up in our own ideas, and our own desires—however well intended—that we forget about our most important friend, the One who gives us the ability to think and the power to do.

In fact, as the narrative continues, Jesus makes it abundantly clear just how important it is to keep God in mind as our highest priority. As Jesus puts it, “If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple” (Luke 14:26-27).

Jesus is here emphasizing how important it is for us to separate from anything that is evil and false in our lives, especially those evils that we have come into through heredity (father and mother) or have acquired through the choices we have made in this world. If we have known that something is wrong and have done it anyway, we have, so to speak become “wedded ” to it. It has become, spiritually speaking, our “wife.” Out of that infernal marriage come further evils and falsities, represented by “children.” All of this, and everything related to it (“brothers” and “sisters)” must be hated. In fact, Jesus says that we must even “hate our own life.” This is not about hating ourselves; rather, it’s about hating those aspects of ourself that are unwilling to follow God. ¹⁷

This is what it means to be a true disciple of God. It is the willingness to forsake every form of selfish love and to fight against our own evils. This is our “cross.” And this is what Jesus means when He says, “Whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple” (Luke 14:27).

Discipleship requires total devotion and total sacrifice. We cannot simply say that we want to be a disciple without being willing to follow through. In other words, we must begin our spiritual journey with a firm commitment to finishing it. As Jesus puts it, “For which of you intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it” (Luke 14:28). Notice that the emphasis here is not just on starting but also on finishing. Similarly, Jesus says, “What king going to war against another king, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand?” (Luke 14:31).

At first glance, the parable about building a tower and the parable about going to war seem to be no more than interesting comparisons to drive home the point about dedicated discipleship. More interiorly, however, they relate to the two parts of the human mind. The “tower” relates to the intellectual faculty. The higher the tower, the more we can see. Therefore, this part of the two parable-set is about taking the time to study God’s Word in an intellectual effort to elevate our understanding and sharpen our spiritual faculties. If we are serious about fighting and overcoming the heredity evils that we have acquired and spawned, we must arm ourselves with the spiritual truths and the heightened understanding we will need in that battle. ¹⁸

The next parable, closely allied to the first, speaks of the effort on the part of our will to enter the battle, even if it looks like the odds are overwhelming—twenty thousand against us, and ten thousand for us. The one king who is going to war with ten thousand at his side represents truth. The other king, who opposes him with twenty thousand at his side, represents falsity. It appears as though it is going to be a tough battle. Perhaps we will not have the courage to fight. Instead, “while the other is still a great way off” we may choose to send “a delegation and ask conditions of peace” (Luke 14:32).

While this might sometimes be advisable on the natural plane of our lives, it is never advisable on the spiritual plane. On that level, where the war is against hell itself, there is no compromise, and no room for negotiation. Alcoholics must never negotiate with the demons that drive them to drink. Adulterers must not bargain with the demons that seduce them into adultery. The chronic liar and the habitual thief must not broker deals with the demons that drive them to lie, cheat and steal. No delegation sent to these demons, asking for conditions of peace, can ever be successful. That’s why we must not avoid this battle.

Nor can we wage combat in a haphazard or partially committed manner. It must be an all-out effort. Just as God requires no less than a one hundred percent commitment from us, we too must make a one hundred percent commitment to cast out everything that is evil and false within us. We cannot “make peace” with our own evils. We must separate from them completely. We must turn away from every shred of selfishness, ego, and conceit. As Jesus puts it, “Whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple” (Luke 14:33).

The truth is that help is always on our side. No matter how overwhelmed we might feel, God is there to sustain and protect us. In this regard, the number “ten thousand” represents every state of good and truth that God has laid up within us from the moment of our birth, and throughout our lives. These states, which are called “remains of good and truth” are God’s presence with us. They are being laid up in us continually as we are gradually prepared to receive what flows in from the Lord. Every true thought that has ever come to us and every loving emotion we have ever felt is part of this divine arsenal that the Lord has been building within us. Through this divine arsenal of goodness and truth the Lord fights for us against the evils and falsities that assail us—even when the odds appear to be overwhelming. ¹⁹

If we do not take up the struggle, if we choose to diminish, ignore, justify or excuse our evils, we become like tasteless salt. We may have plenty of truth, but if we have no desire to use that truth for self-examination and useful service, we are useless. As Jesus puts it, “Salt is good; but if the salt has lost its flavor, how shall it be seasoned?” (Luke 14:34). Jesus could not be more forceful in His use of language here. To be a disciple we must be willing to make a total commitment; we must be willing to surrender all selfish attachments, love God above all, and love our neighbor as ourselves. A partial commitment is useless. It is good for nothing, or as Jesus puts it: “It is neither fit for the land nor for the dunghill, but men throw it out” (Luke 14:35). ²⁰

These are powerful words. The call to one hundred percent commitment allows for nothing in between. One sometimes wonders whether this is asking too much of mere human beings who try and falter and try again. But God is continually there extending His invitation of support, and assuring us that no battle is too great for Him, and no situation in our lives, no matter how overwhelming it may seem to us, is too much for Him.

In His great mercy, God equips us for every battle. He builds the tower—though we think we are doing it; and He wages the combat—though it feels as though the effort is all our own. This is the continual message of the Lord’s Word. It is a spoken invitation, extended to everyone: “Come to the great supper. Everything is ready.” This is Jesus Himself reaching out with His message of love to all who are willing to hear it. “Come to the great supper,” He says. “Come and dine with Me.”

And so, this episode closes with a final invitation. It is an invitation to hear the Word of the Lord calling us to a new life of love, gratitude, and selfless service. It is an invitation to “come up higher.” As Jesus puts it in the closing words of this episode, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear” (Luke 14:35).

A practical application

Sometimes it may seem that the odds against us are overwhelming. It’s as if we are among the ten thousand who must go into battle against twenty thousand. But it’s reassuring to know that the Lord is on our side, and that He has perfectly equipped us for any battle we must face. Every truth we have learned with affection and every loving experience we have ever had will become the means through which the Lord will win every battle for us. At such times, it might be useful to remember this verse from the Hebrew scriptures: “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies” (Psalms 23:5) and combine it with the Lord’s words in this episode, “Come and dine with Me.” ²¹

Footnotes:

316. Having seven horns, signifies who has omnipotence. This is evident from the signification of a "horn," as being the power of truth against falsity, but in reference to the Lord, as being all power or omnipotence. The Lamb was seen to have horns seven in number, because "seven" signifies all and it is predicated of what is holy (See above, n. 257). A "horn" and "horns" signify power, because the power of horned animals, as of oxen, rams, goats, and others, is in their horns. That "horn" or "horns" signify the power of truth against falsity, and in the highest sense, which treats of the Lord, signify omnipotence, and in a contrary sense the power of falsity against truth, is evident from many passages in the Word; and as it is thus made clear what is signified in the Word by "horns," so often mentioned in Daniel, and also in Revelation; and as they are still employed in the coronation of kings, I will quote the passages here.

[2] In Ezekiel:

In that day I will make a horn to bud forth unto the house of Israel, and I will give thee the opening of the mouth in the midst of them; that they may know that I am Jehovah (Ezekiel 29:21).

"To make a horn to bud forth unto the house of Israel" signifies truth in abundance; "the house of Israel" is the church; because this is signified by "horn," and "its budding forth," it is also said, "and I will give thee the opening of the mouth," which means the preaching of truth.

[3] In the first book of Samuel:

My horn hath exalted itself in Jehovah; my mouth is enlarged against mine enemies, because I am glad in Thy salvation. He shall give strength unto His king, ¹ and shall exalt the horn of His anointed (1 Samuel 2:10).

This is a prophetical saying of Hannah. "My horn hath exalted itself in Jehovah" signifies that Divine truth filled her, and made her powerful against falsities; and because this is the meaning, it is said, "my mouth is enlarged against mine enemies;" "enlarging the mouth" is preaching truth with power, and "enemies" are the falsities that disperse Divine truth. "He shall give strength unto His king, and shall exalt the horn of His anointed," signifies the Lord's omnipotence from Divine good by Divine truth, for "strength" in the Word has reference to the power of good, and "horn" to the power of truth; and "the anointed of Jehovah" is the Lord in respect to the Divine Human, which has omnipotence (See Arcana Coelestia 3008-3009, 9954).

[4] In David:

Jehovah hath exalted the horn of His people, the praise for all His saints, for the sons of Israel, a people near unto Him (Psalms 148:14).

"He hath exalted the horn of His people" signifies that He hath filled with Divine truths; therefore it is said: praise for His saints, for the sons of Israel, a people near unto Him," for those are called "saints" who are in Divine truths, since Divine truth is what is called holy (See above, n. 204). "Israel" is the church that is in truths, "sons of Israel" are truths, "a people" is also predicated of those who are in truths, and a people conjoined with the Lord by truths is said to be "near."

[5] In the same:

Jehovah God of Hosts, Thou art the splendor of their strength; and by Thy good pleasure Thou shalt exalt our horn (Psalms 89:8, 17).

Here also "to exalt the horn" signifies to fill with Divine truth, and thereby to give power against falsities; therefore it is said, "Jehovah God of Hosts, Thou art the splendor of their strength," "splendor" in the Word is predicated also of the church, and of the doctrine of truth therein.

[6] In the same:

The good man is gracious and lendeth. His righteousness standeth forever; his horn shall be exalted with glory (Psalms 112:5, 9).

That "horn" signifies Divine truth is clear from this, that it is said, "his righteousness standeth forever, and his horn shall be exalted with glory;" "righteousness" in the Word is predicated of good, and "horn" therefore of truth; for in every particular of the Word there is a marriage of good and truth; "splendor" also signifies Divine truth.

[7] In Habakkuk:

The brightness of Jehovah God shall be as the light; He hath horns coming out of His hand; and in them is the hiding of His strength (Habakkuk 3:4).

Because "horns" signify Divine truth with power, it is said, "the brightness of Jehovah God shall be as the light," and "in the horns is the hiding of His strength;" "the brightness of Jehovah" and "light" signify Divine truth; and "the hiding of His strength in the horns" signifies the omnipotence of Divine good through Divine truth, for all power of good is through truth, and in Divine truth lies concealed the omnipotence that is of Divine good.

[8] In David:

I have found David My servant; with the oil of holiness have I anointed Him; with whom My hand shall be established; Mine arm also shall make him mighty. My truth and My mercy shall be with him; and in My name shall his horn be exalted (Psalms 89:20-21, 24).

"David" means the Lord in respect to Divine truth (See above, n. 205); and "his horn shall be exalted" means His Divine power, which He has from Divine good through Divine truth; therefore, it is said, "My truth and My mercy shall be with him;" "mercy" in the Word, in the Word, in reference to Jehovah, or the Lord, signifies the Divine good of the Divine love. Because "David" means the Lord in respect to Divine truth proceeding from His Divine Human, He is called "David, my servant," "servant" meaning, in the Word, not a servant in the usual sense, but whatever serves, and it is predicated of truth because truth serves good for use, here for power.

[9] In the same:

I will make a horn to bud forth unto David; I will set in order a lamp for Mine anointed (Psalms 132:17).

Here by "David," and also by "anointed" the Lord in respect to Divine truth is meant, and "making His horn to bud forth" signifies the multiplication of Divine truth in the heavens and on earth by Him; therefore it is also said, "I will set in order a lamp for Mine anointed," which has a like meaning. That the Lord in respect to Divine truth proceeding from His Divine good, is called a "lamp" see above n. 62.

[10] In the same:

Jehovah my strength, my cliff, my fortress; my God, my rock, in which I confide, my shield and the horn of my salvation (Psalms 18:1-2; 2 Samuel 22:2-3).

"Strength" and "cliff" in reference, as here, to Jehovah or the Lord, signify omnipotence; "fortress" and "rock in which he confides" signify defense; "shield" and "horn of salvation" signify consequent salvation; "strength," "fortress," and "shield," in the Word are predicated of Divine good; "cliff," "rock," and "horn" are predicated of Divine truth; therefore these signify omnipotence, defense, and salvation, which Divine good has through Divine truth.

[11] In Luke:

Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for He hath visited and redeemed His people, and hath raised up a horn of salvation in the house of David; that He might save us from our enemies (Luke 1:68-69, 71).

This is a prophecy of Zechariah respecting the Lord and His coming. "A horn of salvation in the house of David" signifies omnipotence to save by Divine truth from Divine good, "horn" is that omnipotence; "the house of David" is the Lord's church; "the enemies from which He should save" are the falsities of evil, for these are the enemies from which the Lord saves those who receive Him; it is known that there were no other enemies from which the Lord saved those who are here meant by his people.

[12] In Micah:

Rise and thresh, O daughter of Zion, for I will make thy horn iron, and I will make thy hoofs brass, that thou mayest beat in pieces many peoples (Micah 4:13).

"Rise and thresh, O daughter of Zion" signifies the dispersion of evil with those who are of the church, "to thresh" is to disperse, and "daughter of Zion" is the church that is in the affection of good; "I will make thy horn iron" signifies Divine truth mighty and powerful; "I will make thy hoofs brass" has a like meaning, "hoofs" meaning truths in ultimates; "that thou mayest beat in pieces many peoples" signifies that thou mayest scatter falsities, for "peoples" are predicated of truths, and in a contrary sense, of falsities.

[13] In Zechariah:

I saw, and behold four horns, that have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem. He showed me four smiths, and He said, These horns that have scattered Judah, so that no man lifteth up his head; these have come to terrify them, to cast down the horns of the nations that lift up the horn against the land of Judah to scatter it (Zechariah 1:18-21).

This describes the vastation of the church, and its subsequent restoration. "Judah," "Israel," and "Jerusalem," signify the church and its doctrine; "the horns that scattered them" signify the falsities of evil that have vastated the church; "smiths" signify the like as iron, namely, truth in ultimates, which is mighty and powerful, thus the like as the "horn of iron;" therefore it is said of them, "these have come to cast down the horns of the nations that lift up the horn against the land of Judah," "the horns of the nations" are the falsities of evil that have vastated the church, and that are to be dispersed that it may be restored.

[14] In Lamentations:

The Lord hath thrown in His fury the strongholds of the daughter of Judah; He hath cast them down to the earth; He hath profaned the kingdom and the princes thereof; He hath cut off in the glowing of His anger every horn of Israel (Lamentations 2:2-3).

Here the total vastation of the church is treated of. The last time when it was laid waste is signified by the glowing of the Lord's anger; and its total vastation is described by "He hath thrown down the strongholds of the daughter of Judah, He hath cast them down to the earth. He hath profaned the kingdom and the princes thereof;" "the daughter of Judah" is the church; "her strongholds" are truths from good; "the kingdom and princes" are its truths of doctrine; whence it is clear what is signified by "He hath cut off every horn of Israel," namely, the cutting off of all the power of truth in the church to resist the falsities of evil.

[15] In Daniel:

Daniel saw in a dream four beasts coming up out of the sea; the fourth exceedingly strong, having teeth of iron; it devoured and broke in pieces; and it had ten horns: and I gave heed, and behold another little horn came up among them, and three of the former horns were plucked up by the roots before it; in this horn were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking great things. I saw that this horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them; and that it spoke words against the Most High. As to the ten horns, they are ten kings, and it shall humble three kings (Daniel 7:3, 7-8, 21, 23, 25).

Here evidently "horns" means the falsities that destroy the truths of the church, or the power of falsities against truths; "the beast coming up out of the sea" signifies the love of self out of which spring all evils; here the love of ruling over heaven and earth, to which things holy serve as means; it is such a love that is meant by "Babylon" in Revelation. This beast was seen "coming up out of the sea," because the "sea" signifies the natural man separated from the spiritual; for the natural man is then of such a character that he desires nothing so much as to have dominion over all, and to confirm that dominion by the sense of the letter of the Word. "The ten horns" signify falsities of every kind, for "ten" means all; therefore it is further said, that "the ten horns are ten kings," for "kings" signify truths, and in a contrary sense, as here, falsities. "The little horn that came up among them, before which three of the former horns were plucked up by the roots," signifies the complete perversion of the Word by the application of the sense of its letter to confirm the love of dominion. This horn is called "little," because it does not appear that the Word is perverted; and what does not appear before the sight of man's spirit, or before his understanding, is regarded either as nothing, or as little. In the spiritual world such is the appearance of things that are apprehended by a few only. "The three horns that were plucked up by the roots before it," signify the truths of the Word there that have been thus destroyed by falsifications; these truths are also signified by the "three kings" that were humbled by the horn, "three" not meaning three, but what is full, thus that truths were completely destroyed. As that "horn" signifies the perversion of the Word in respect to the sense of its letter, and as this sense appears before the eyes of men, as if it were to be understood thus and not otherwise, and therefore not to be gainsaid by anyone, it is said of this horn, "that in it there were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking great things," "eyes" signify understanding, and "eyes like the eyes of a man" an understanding as if of truth, and "mouth" signifies thought and speech from that understanding. From this it can now be seen what is meant by all and by each of the particulars here mentioned; as by "the beast coming up out of the sea, that had ten horns and teeth of iron, and devoured and broke in pieces;" by "the little horn that came up among them, before which three of the horns were plucked up by the roots, in which were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking great things;" also by "it made war with the saints and prevailed against them," and "it spoke words against the Most High;" and "the horns were so many kings."

[16] In the same:

I saw in a vision one ram that had two horns, and the horns were high; but one was higher than the other, and the higher had come up last. It pushed westward, northward, and southward. Then, behold, a he-goat of the goats came from the west over the faces of the whole earth; he had a conspicuous horn between his eyes. He ran upon the ram in the wrath of his strength, and he broke his two horns, and he cast him down to the ground and trampled upon him. But the great horn of the he-goat was broken; and in place of it there came up four toward the four winds of the heavens. Presently out of one of them came forth a little horn, which grew exceedingly towards the south, and towards the east, and towards beauty. And it grew even to the host of the heavens; and it cast down some of the host to the earth, and trampled upon them. Yea, even to the prince of the host it magnified itself, and the dwelling place of his sanctuary was cast down, because it cast down truth to the earth (Daniel 8:2-12, 21, 25).

This describes a second thing that lays waste the church, namely, faith alone. The "ram" signifies the good of charity and faith therefrom, and the "he-goat" faith separate from charity, or faith alone, or, what is the same, those who are in these; their "horns" signify truths from good and falsities from evil, combating; truths from good are meant by the horns of the ram, and falsities from evil by the horns of the he-goat. That the "ram had two high horns, one higher than the other, and the higher came up last" signifies the truth of faith from the good of charity; and this was seen according to the influx of good and truth with man and spirit; for all good is received behind, and all truth in front, as the cerebellum is formed to receive the good, which is of the will, and the cerebrum to receive the truth, which is of the understanding; "westward, northward, and southward, toward which the ram pushed" signify the goods and truths that those receive who are in charity and in faith therefrom, by which they disperse evils and falsities; "the he-goat of the goats that came over the faces of the whole earth" signifies faith separate from charity, springing from evil of life; "the he-goat of the goats" is that faith; the "west" evil of life; and "the earth" the church; "he had a conspicuous horn between the eyes" signifies that this is from self-intelligence; "he ran upon the ram in the wrath of his strength, and brake his two horns, and cast him down to the earth, and trampled upon him" signifies the entire destruction of charity and of faith therefrom, for when charity is destroyed faith also is destroyed, for the latter is from the former; "the great horn of the he-goat was broken, and in place of it there came up four toward the four winds of the heavens" signifies all falsities conjoined with evils therefrom, "horns" signifying the falsities of evil, "four" their conjunction, and "the four winds of the heavens" all, both falsities and evils; "out of one of them came forth a little horn" signifies justification by faith, for this is born of the principle of faith alone; it is said to be "little" because it does not appear as a falsity.

That this horn "grew exceedingly towards the south, and towards the east, and towards beauty, and grew even to the host of the heavens, and cast down some of the host to the earth, and trampled upon them" signifies that it destroyed all the truths and goods of the church; "the south" meaning where truth is in the light, "the east" and "beauty" where good is in clearness through truth, "the host of the heavens" all truths and goods of heaven and the church; "to cast down the host to the earth, and to trample upon them" signifies to destroy utterly; that "even to the prince of the host it magnified itself," and that "the dwelling place of his sanctuary was cast down" signifies the denial of the Lord's Divine Human, and the consequent vastation of the church; "the prince of the host" is the Lord in respect to the Divine Human, because from that proceed all the truths and goods that constitute the church; "the dwelling place of the sanctuary" is the church where these are; this plainly means the truths destroyed by falsities, for it is said, "it cast down truth to the earth." That this is the significance of the "ram," and the "he-goat," and "their horns," is clearly manifest from appearances in the spiritual world; for when such as have confirmed themselves in the doctrine of faith alone and of justification by faith, dispute there with those who are in the doctrine of charity and of faith therefrom, there appear to others who stand afar off he-goats, or a he-goat with similar horns, and with like onset and fury against the rams or the ram, and he appears also to tread the stars under his feet. These things have been seen by me also, and at the same time by those standing by, who were thereby confirmed that such things are meant in Daniel; and also that like things are meant by "the sheep on the right hand, and the goats on the left" (Matthew 25:32-46 the end), namely, by "sheep" those who are in the good of charity, and by "goats" those who are in faith alone. From these quotations from Daniel it can be seen in some measure what is signified in Revelation by:

The dragon that was seen having ten horns (Revelation 12:3);

The beast that was seen coming up out of the sea, which also had ten horns (Revelation 13:1).

The woman that was seen sitting upon a scarlet-colored beast, that had seven heads and ten horns; respecting which the angel said, The ten horns that thou sawest are ten kings (Revelation 17:3, 7, 12);

but these things will be explained hereafter.

[17] That the power of falsity against truth is signified by "horn" or "horns" is evident also from the following passages. In Jeremiah:

The horn of Moab is cut off, and his arm is broken (Jeremiah 48:25).

"Moab" signifies those who are in spurious goods, and in falsified truths therefrom, which in themselves are falsities. The destruction of these falsities is signified by "The horn of Moab is cut off," and the destruction of these evils by "his arm is broken. "

[18] In Lamentations:

Jehovah hath caused the enemy to be glad over thee; He hath exalted the horn of thine adversaries (Lamentations 2:17).

Evil is meant by "enemy," and the falsities of evil by "adversaries;" "exalting the horn of the adversaries" is falsities prevailing over truths and destroying them.

[19] In Ezekiel:

Ye thrust with side and with shoulder, and push all the sick sheep with your horns till ye have scattered them abroad (Ezekiel 34:21).

"To thrust with side and with shoulder" is with all strength and endeavor; to "push the sick sheep with horns till ye have scattered them abroad" signifies to destroy by falsities the well-disposed, who are not yet in truths from good, and yet desire to be.

[20] In Amos:

In the day that I shall visit the transgressions of Israel upon him, I will visit upon the altars of Bethel, that the horns of the altar may be cut off, and fall to the earth (Amos 3:14).

"The altars of Bethel" signify worship from evil, and "the horns of the altar" signify the falsities of that evil; and that these are to be destroyed is signified by "the horns shall be cut off and fall to the earth."

[21] In the same:

They who are glad over a thing of nought; who say, Have we not taken to us horns by our own strength? (Amos 6:13).

"To take horns by our own strength" signifies by the powers of self-intelligence to acquire falsities by which truths will be destroyed.

[22] In David:

I said unto the boastful, Boast not; and to the wicked, Lift not up the horn; Lift not up your horn on high; speak not with a stiff neck. All the horns of the wicked will I cut off; the horns of the righteous shall be exalted (Psalms 75:4-5, 10).

"Lifting up the horn on high" signifies to defend vigorously falsity against truth; therefore it is also said, "speak not with a stiff neck." "To cut off their horns" signifies to destroy their falsities; and "to exalt the horns of the righteous" signifies to make powerful and strong the truths of good.

[23] Because "making high and exalting the horns" signifies to fill with truths, and to make them powerful and strong against falsities, therefore those truths are also called "the horns of a unicorn," because these are high. As in Moses:

The firstborn of his ox, honor is his, and his horns are the horns of a unicorn; with them he shall push the peoples together to the uttermost parts of the earth; and they are the ten thousands of Ephraim, and they are the thousands of Mannaseh (Deuteronomy 33:17).

This is said of Joseph, who in the highest sense represents the Lord in respect to the Divine spiritual, or in respect to Divine truth in heaven; from this "Joseph" signifies also those who are in the Lord's spiritual kingdom (See Arcana Coelestia 3969, 3971, 4669, 6417). "The firstborn of the ox, honor is his," signifies the good of spiritual love; "his horns are the horns of a unicorn" signifies truths in their fullness, and in their power therefrom; "to push the peoples to the uttermost parts of the earth" signifies to instruct in truths all who are of the church, and to scatter falsities by means of truths; "the ten thousands of Ephraim and the thousands of Manasseh" signify the plenty and abundance of truth and of wisdom therefrom and the plenty and abundance of good and of love therefrom; "Ephraim," in the Word, signifying the intellectual of the church, which is of truth, and "Manasseh" the voluntary of the church which is of good (See Arcana Coelestia 3969, 5354, 6222, 6234, 6238, 6267, 6296); and "ten thousands" and "thousands" signifying very many, thus plenty and abundance.

[24] In David:

Save me from the lion's mouth; and from the horns of the unicorn hear me (Psalms 22:21);

"lion" signifying falsity vehemently destroying truth; and "horns of unicorns" truths that prevail against falsities.

[25] In the same:

My horn like the horn of a unicorn (Psalms 92:10);

"like the horn of a unicorn" signifying truth in its fullness and power.

[26] In Revelation:

And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God (Revelation 9:13).

The altar of incense, which was called also "the golden altar," was a representative of the hearing and reception of all things of worship that are from love and charity from the Lord, thus a representative of such things of worship as are elevated by the Lord; "the horns of the altar" represented truths proceeding from the good of love; this makes clear why a voice was heard from the four horns of the altar, for it is through truths that good acts and speaks.

[27] Altars had horns for the reason that altars represented the worship of the Lord from the good of love, and all worship that is truly worship is offered from the good of love by truths. That the altar of incense had horns is seen in Moses:

Thou shalt make four horns upon the altar of incense; they shall be from it. And thou shalt overlay them with gold (Exodus 30:2-3, 10; Exodus 37:25-26);

and the altar of burnt-offering elsewhere in the same:

Thou shalt make horns upon the four corners of the altar of burnt-offering; its horns shall be from it (Exodus 27:2; 38:2).

That the horns were from the altar itself signified that the truths, which the horns represented, must proceed from the good of love, which the altar itself represented, for all truth is from good. That there were four horns, one at each corner, signified that they were for the four quarters in heaven, by which all things of truth from good are signified.

[28] Since all expiations and purifications are effected by truths from good, expiation was made upon the horns of the altars:

Upon the horns of the altar of incense (Exodus 30:10; Leviticus 4:7);

And upon the horns of the altar of burnt-offering (Leviticus 4:25, 30, 34; 8:15; 9:9; 16:18).

And as all Divine protection is by truths from good:

Those who committed evils and were in fear of death caught hold of the horns of the altar and were thus protected (1 Kings 1:50, 51, 53).

When those who purposely and willfully committed evil were not so protected (1 Kings 2:28-31).

Moreover, because "horns" signified truths from good, therefore when kings were anointed this was done by oil out of a horn:

That David was so anointed (1 Samuel 16:1, 13); and Solomon (1 Kings 1:39);

the "oil" signifying the good of love. From this signification of horns, which was known to the ancients, it was customary to make horns budding forth and fragrant; from this came the word "cornucopia."

Footnotes: