Increase Our Faith

1. And He said to the disciples, “It is impossible that offenses will not come, but woe [unto him] by whom they come.

2. It were better for him that an ass’s millstone were set around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea, than that he should cause one of these little ones to stumble.

3. Take heed to yourselves; and if thy brother sin against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him.

4. And if he sin against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, ‘I repent,’ thou shalt forgive him.”

5. And the apostles said to the Lord, “Add to our faith.”

6. And the Lord said, “If you had faith as a grain of mustard seed, you might say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted, and be planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.”

The lesson of the mulberry tree

The story of the rich man and Lazarus contains powerful lessons, not just for the Pharisees but for the disciples as well. It is easy to imagine the disciples listening in, hanging on every word, unclear about details, but getting the gist of what Jesus wants them to know. And the gist is this: Jesus is telling them to love people, to reach out to the poor, and do their very best because it is in this life that they will make the choices that determine their eternal destiny.

As the lessons continue, Jesus says to His disciples, “Offenses must come, but woe to him through whom they do come” (Luke 17:1). Jesus is here referring to the fact that spiritual trials are a part of life, and cannot be avoided. In other words, “offenses must come.” Or, to put it another way, we cannot be reformed and regenerated without undergoing some form of spiritual combat. And yet, we do not have to succumb. Even though we may be sorely tried, there is always enough grace given—if we are willing to receive it—to sustain us in the trials of life. What this means, then, is that offenses will come to us. This cannot be avoided. But they need not come through us.

To put it simply, in the course of our spiritual development, we will face inner challenges. Destructive habits and attitudes will inevitably rise up, endeavoring to rule over us. These are the “offences” that “must come” to us. It’s all part of the journey. Simply having negative thoughts and feelings cannot harm us. But if we accept these thoughts and feelings, dwell on them, and even act on them, they not only come to us, but they also come through us. This is what leads to human misery, not only for ourselves, but also for others. And that’s why Jesus says, “Woe unto him through whom these offenses come.” ¹

Jesus’ warning about the necessity of offenses is a reminder that we should not be deterred when offenses come. Rather, we should see them as a necessary part of the journey, and not allow them to discourage us. Anyone who embarks on the spiritual journey must be prepared to complete the voyage, fully aware that, at times, it may lead through rough waters.

The beginning of every spiritual journey starts with learning truth and then making an effort to live according to that truth. No matter how simple the truth or how meager the effort, this is the start of the greatest journey we will ever take. At first, we will take baby steps, moving forward in faith, uncertain and unsure, but innocently trusting that God will guide us and strengthen us. These tender efforts and initial beginnings are the “little ones” in us. They are the first and most preliminary stages on the path of regeneration.

Once we begin, we are not to turn back, no matter what tribulations come. To succumb, to turn back, would lead us into an even darker place than the one we were in before we began. Turning back would be a denial of the tender affections that got us started, those states of innocent trust in the Lord. Jesus refers to this denial as an offense against “the little ones” in us. Therefore, Jesus says, “It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones” (Luke 17:2). ²

This means that we need to be extremely careful as we begin our spiritual journey, paying careful attention to anything that would oppose those “little ones” in us. As a specific example, Jesus focuses on forgiveness. He especially wants His disciples to be aware of resentments, grudges, and hard-hearted feelings because they are diametrically opposed to the tender feelings associated with forgiveness. As Jesus puts it, “Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him” (Luke 17:3). Jesus then adds, “And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you, saying ‘I repent,’ you shall forgive him” (Luke 17:4).

The disciples are amazed. Forgiveness is a radical idea for them. It would be hard enough to forgive someone once, but seven times in one day seems impossible. Even if that person would say, “I repent” every time, it would still be beyond their comprehension. Knowing that this is going to be extremely difficult, requiring much greater faith than they have, the disciples turn to Jesus and say, “Increase our faith” (Luke 17:5). ³

Like the disciples, we may sometimes feel that our faith is weak and that we need to have God increase it. But the reality is that God’s presence is always with us, and that it is possible to experience greater and greater faith. We only need to believe that we can do His will if we pray for the power to do so. As Jesus says, “If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be pulled up by the roots and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you” (Luke 17:6).

The mulberry tree in this parable refers to false principles in our mind—false principles that we can root out and send back to hell (plant in the sea) by simply speaking the word of truth. After all, Jesus says, “If you have faith as a mustard seed,” all you need to do is say to this mulberry tree, “be uprooted,” and it will be cast into the sea. It seems, then, that plucking the tree from the ground and planting it in the sea is accomplished through a spoken word. But the idea of a “spoken” word is not to be taken too literally.

More deeply, the words, “Say to this mulberry tree,” refer to the power of our thoughts. When a right understanding of spiritual principles are at work in our mind, these thoughts can wield tremendous power. It is not about the power to pluck up physical trees, but rather the power to pluck up false principles and cast them far from us (“plant them in the sea”). While it does us no good to pluck up physical mulberry trees or move physical mountains, it does us a world of spiritual good to remove false ideas from our mind and replace them with truth from the Lord’s Word. This parable, then, is not about uprooting and removing mulberry trees. It’s about uprooting and removing those things that impede the reception of spiritual life as it flows in from the Lord. ⁴

All of this is related to the seeming impossibility of forgiving a brother who sins repeatedly, even when that brother continues to say, “I repent.” When the disciples hear this, they sense that it will take much greater faith than they currently have. Therefore, they say to Jesus, “Increase our faith.”

A practical application

The statement, “Increase our faith,” which is also translated, “add to our faith,” is a prayer for the opening of our understanding. It is a prayer for a proper understanding so that we may know God’s will and do it. For example, if we have been hurt deeply, we might falsely believe that we can never forgive that person. This false idea must be uprooted. And this is precisely what Jesus does through the lesson of the mulberry tree. The mulberry tree of false belief must first be uprooted so that the Lord can “increase our faith”—that is, expand our understanding. As a practical application, then, the words, “increase our faith, Lord,” could be used as a daily prayer for enlightenment. It is to pray, “Lord help me to cast out this false belief and this self-centered thought so I can learn what is true. Heavenly Father, increase my faith and expand my understanding.” ⁵

The Unprofitable Servant

7. “But which of you, having a servant plowing or shepherding, will tell him straightway when he comes in out of the field: ‘Go along, recline [to eat]’?

8. But will he not rather tell him, ‘Prepare [something] with which I may sup, and having girded yourself, minister to me till I have eaten and drunk, and after these things thou mayest eat and drink?’

9. Does he have thankfulness for that servant because he did the things that were ordered him? I think not.

10. So likewise you, when you have done all things that are instructed you, say, ‘We are useless servants; we have done that which we ought to do.’”

As we have seen, the Gospel According to Luke continues to focus on the opening of our understanding. It begins with the words “having had perfect understanding,” and consistently returns to this theme. It is like a recurring melody in a great symphony. Over and over again, Jesus takes His disciples aside to instruct them and to “increase their faith” by perfecting their understanding. This begins, however, by casting out false beliefs. Like the mulberry tree in the previous episode, false beliefs must first be uprooted before true beliefs can be implanted. This is how faith can grow. In brief, faith can be increased according to the increase in our understanding of truth. Instead of praying for the faith that surpasses understanding, we can pray for the understanding that deepens our faith. ⁶

Rewards and punishments

The instruction of the disciples continues in the next episode. Jesus has already spoken to them about the nature of forgiveness. This time, Jesus will be teaching them about rewards and punishments. For the disciples, one of their oldest beliefs, perhaps the most deeply rooted of all, is the idea of reward. A brief survey of Hebrew scriptures easily demonstrates that the relationship between God and His people was seen primarily as a system of physical rewards for good behavior. For example, when God called Abraham, He promised to bless him and make his name great. This blessing was to be in the form of sheep, oxen, donkeys, servants, land, and innumerable descendants (Genesis 12:16;13:15,16). In addition, their livestock would increase abundantly, and their farmlands would yield crops bountifully (Deuteronomy 30:11,12). Their only requirement was to obey God’s commandments.

Their idea of God, then, is a distant, divine Being who demands strict obedience. Those who are obedient will be rewarded richly, abundantly, and copiously—but primarily physically. And this is always dependent upon their external behavior. As it is written, “The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands He has recompensed me. For I have kept the ways of the Lord and have not wickedly departed from my God” (2 Samuel: 22:21-22). The disciples, then, having been raised in that tradition, retain the idea that God will reward good behavior with prosperity and punish bad behavior with poverty. For them this seems to be an unambiguous teaching. Simply put, if they obeyed God’s commands, they would prosper; if they disobeyed God’s commands, they would perish.

It is important, however, to understand that the history of the children of Israel parallels the history of human development. For the most part, rewards and punishments serve as primary motivations for children. They will behave well if they are promised a reward; and they will refrain from wrongdoing if they are threatened with a punishment. This is fine as a beginning. Eventually, as they grow and mature, we expect them to move on to higher motives. As people grow beyond childhood, we expect them to do good because it is good—not because they will be rewarded; we expect people to avoid wrongdoing because they care for other people, not because they are afraid of getting caught or being punished. This is the kind of maturity that uses intelligence to understand what is true, and then exerts effort to do what is good. ⁷

Jesus begins the lesson about rewards and punishments with a question. He asks His disciples, “Which of you, having a servant plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come at once and sit down to eat’?” (Luke 17:7). In asking His disciples this simple question, Jesus is inviting them to put themselves in the place of the master who has a servant. According to the understanding of the disciples, it would be entirely out of place for the master to prepare a meal for the servant—even if the servant had been working all day in the fields. Servants, by definition, must serve their master. They are not to be served. Jesus begins by simply reminding them of what they already believe.

Jesus then continues with another question. He asks, “But will the master not rather say to him, ‘Prepare something for my supper, and gird yourself and serve me till I have eaten and drunk, and afterward you will eat and drink’?” (Luke 17:8). Jesus’ question is about the current beliefs that involved the relationship between a master and a servant. According to custom, the servants may eat, but only after they have completed their chores, and only after the master has already been served. Moreover, since this is a servant’s duty, there is no expectation that the master should thank him. As Jesus puts it, “Does he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I think not” (Luke 17:9).

This is where the story begins to take on a deeper meaning. Jesus is using the parable about the master and the servant to introduce His disciples to a new understanding of what it means to serve. He knows that the mindset of His disciples is steeped in the idea that they will get physical rewards for keeping God’s commandments. At the very least, God will say, “Thank you.” Not just that, but God will demonstrate His gratitude by rewarding them with physical prosperity and material blessings. Jesus, however, gently leads them away from this false belief by telling them that the master will not be thanking the servant for merely doing his job. That’s why Jesus asks, “Does the master thank the servant because he did the things that were commanded him?” And then He answers His own question by saying, “I don’t think so.”

While earthly rewards are fine, and can serve an important use, the higher truth is that the spiritual rewards that accompany selfless service far outweigh any material rewards we could ever receive. When we are not thinking about obtaining an earthly reward, whether it be money or gratitude or praise, we experience—in the very act of serving—the blessings of heaven. These blessings flow in, unabated, because there is nothing of self-love, pride, or conceit to block them. It is for this reason that Jesus adds, “So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do.’” (Luke 17:10). Seen this way, Jesus is saying, “Be grateful that you have an opportunity to serve. In selfless service you will experience the joy of heaven.”

The parable about the unprofitable servant, then, is about rewards. Jesus is preparing His disciples to go out and preach the gospel. But they should know, beforehand, that they should not expect external rewards. It’s as if He is saying, “Just do your job. And as you do so, sincerely and diligently, with no thought of reward, you will experience intrinsic rewards that are far greater than those that come with riches, high honors, and positions of power. Therefore, whatever you do, do it not for a reward, but simply from love, and you will experience the joys of heaven.” ⁸

A practical application

Imagine that there were a few things in your life that you absolutely hated to do. Let’s suppose they include mopping floors and raking leaves. Then imagine that you meet an old friend whom you haven’t seen in years. Your friend was once full of life, but now has a terminal illness and is confined to a wheelchair. Every day your friend is getting weaker, unable to do the most menial tasks. When you get back home, you are struck with a new realization and a dramatic shift in the way you see your life. You have a new appreciation for doing even the most menial tasks. The thought comes, I don’t have to mop the floor; I get to mop the floor. I don’t have to rake the leaves; I get to rake the leaves. In other words, you get to do those things that used to annoy you. But now you do them gladly, with appreciation for the fact that you can. Lifting your thoughts a little higher, you transfer this attitude to your spiritual life. You realize that you don’t have to keep the commandments. Instead, you get to keep the commandments. Moreover, you no longer keep them out of a sense of duty and obligation, but rather you keep them out of a deep feeling of gratitude and love.” ⁹

The Grateful Leper

11. And it came to pass as He went to Jerusalem, that He passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee.

12. And as He entered into a certain village, there met Him ten leprous men, who stood afar off;

13. And they lifted up [their] voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy upon us!”

14. And seeing [them] He said to them, “Go show yourselves to the priests.” And it came to pass, in their going away, they were cleansed.

15. And one of them, seeing that he was healed, returned, [and] with a great voice glorified God,

16. And fell on [his] face by His feet, giving Him thanks; and he was a Samaritan.

17. And Jesus answering said, “Were there not ten cleansed? But where [are] the nine?

18. There were not found any that returned to give glory to God, except this foreigner.”

19. And He said to him, “Stand up, go [thy way]; thy faith has saved thee.”

The lesson of the previous parable focuses on the duties of a servant. Through this parable, Jesus is teaching His disciples about their duty to keep the commandments without thought of reward, simply because it is their duty to do so. More deeply, Jesus is teaching an eternal lesson about true rewards—the rewards that are inherent in selfless service. Our primary motive, in whatever we do, should not be material prosperity or financial gain; nor should we be seeking to accrue honors or advance our reputations. Whenever we serve with no thought of reward, we will experience the spiritual blessings that are associated with doing good. When we let go of the lesser, we receive the greater. It is a fundamental spiritual law.

But the question arises, How can we get to the point where we no longer seek external rewards? The answer lies in the realization that the good we do is from God who works into and through us. To the extent that we can acknowledge this, we will no longer have the need to take credit for the good that we do; nor will we desire the praise and admiration of others. In brief, we do not seek any glory for ourselves because we realize that all glory belongs to God.

In the story which follows, Jesus illustrates another aspect of this new teaching. It is the story of ten lepers, all of whom are healed by Jesus, but only one of whom returns to thank Him. The one who returns is especially grateful. As it is written, “Now one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at Jesus’ feet giving Him thanks. And he was a Samaritan.” (Luke 17:16).

Significantly, this Samaritan is the only leper who returns and gives thanks. The incident causes Jesus to say, “Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine? Were there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?” (Luke 17:18). Jesus then turns to the one who returned in gratitude, and says to him, “Arise, go your way. Your faith has made you well” (Luke 17:19).

It should be noted that the other nine lepers were also cleansed, simply by following Jesus’ command. Jesus had said to them, “Go, show yourselves to the priests. And so it was that as they went they were cleansed” (Luke 17:14). Faith is demonstrated not just in the hearing, but also in the doing. Therefore we read, “As they went, they were cleansed.” And so it is with us. The healing process begins not just when we listen to God’s Word, but when we act on it. But in order for the healing to be complete, we must also return to acknowledge the source of our healing. We must acknowledge the One who heals us from every spiritual ill, and cleanses us from every spiritual failing. That is why Jesus has additional words of blessing for the Samaritan who returned to thank Jesus and glorify God. Jesus says to him, “Arise,” He says. “Go your way. Your faith has made you well.”

The episode of the ten lepers is a continuation of the stories about faith and how it increases in us. The nine lepers may have been cleansed of their physical afflictions. But the one who returned to praise and glorify God received a deeper healing, one that would continue beyond the grave. It was a healing of faith. In this regard it should be noted that the one who returned was a Samaritan—considered to be a despised “heathen”—and yet it was the Samaritan who demonstrated the greatest faith of all.

This is the kind of “increased faith” that Jesus has been teaching about in the two preceding episodes. It is this “increased faith” that recognizes the true source of all spiritual healing, and therefore gives glory to God. Like the leper who fell on his face before Jesus, whenever we humble ourselves and give thanks to the Lord, we open the way to experience the “kingdom of God.” ¹⁰

A practical application

While we should not expect to receive praise for what we do for others, we should always remember to give glory to God. This is not because God needs our praise, but rather because we need to come into that state of humility where we recognize that we can do nothing of ourselves. Gratitude to God, then, becomes an essential aspect of our spiritual life. We are to continually give the credit, the glory, and the honor to God with the understanding that all good is freely given and should be returned to its rightful owner. If someone praises us for good work we do, we can reply with a gracious “Thank you,” while inwardly acknowledging that God, the rightful owner, deserves all the praise and gratitude. Like the grateful leper who returned to thank and praise God, we should also remember to give credit to God. In return, God blesses us—without our even seeking it—with the treasures of heaven. ¹¹

The Kingdom of God

20. And being questioned by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God should come, He answered them and said, “The kingdom of God comes not with observation.

21. Neither shall they say, ‘Behold, [it is] here! or, Behold, [it is] there!’ For behold, the kingdom of God is within you.”

The previous episode was about the heavenly treasures that are in store for us when we perform useful services without any thought of reward. Whenever we choose to live in this manner, it is as though the Lord’s kingdom is already within us. It is fitting, therefore, that the subject of the kingdom of God should occur in the next episode. We read, “Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, ‘The kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say, “See here!” or “See there!” For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you” (Luke 17:20-21). ¹²

This time Jesus is instructing the Pharisees. He is striving to move them away from their external orientation and their fixation on the material world, toward more internal, genuinely spiritual concerns. He wants them to understand that the kingdom of God is not something that they will see with their physical eyes, but rather something they can only experience with their spiritual senses. This is why Jesus tells them that “The kingdom of God is within you.”

This is an important moment in Luke’s narrative. Up to this point, the Pharisees have displayed nothing but contempt and hatred for Jesus, plotting in secret to murder Him. Nevertheless, Jesus still asserts that even the Pharisees have the capacity to receive heaven into themselves. This is because God’s love and wisdom is constantly flowing into everyone—into saints and into sinners, into lepers and Samaritans, and even into Pharisees. Therefore, when Jesus tells the Pharisees that “the kingdom of God is within you,” He is saying that heaven is not “on high,” nor is it coming in the future. Rather it is a state of mind they can come into right now, at this very moment, to the extent that they put away selfishness and choose to live according to the truth that God gives to them—especially the truth that all the good they do is from God. In brief, they could enter heaven the moment they choose to let heaven enter them. ¹³

Although the Pharisees persistently refuse to receive the love and the truth Jesus offers, the capacity to receive these heavenly qualities is still within them. In the same way, the capacity to receive the kingdom of God is in everyone, and is never taken away. ¹⁴

The Son of Man

22. And He said to the disciples, “The days will come when you shall long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you shall not see.

23. And they shall say to you, ‘Behold here!’ or, ‘Behold there!’ Go not away, nor pursue.

24. For just as the lightning that flashes out of the [one part] under heaven shines to the [other part] under heaven, so shall also the Son of Man be in His day.

25. But first He must suffer many things, and be rejected by this generation.

26. And even as it came to pass in the days of Noah, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of Man.

27. They ate, they drank, they wed, they were given to be wed, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all.

28. Likewise also as it came to pass in the days of Lot; they ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built;

29. But the day Lot went out from Sodom, it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed [them] all.

30. According to these things shall it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed.

31. In that day whoever shall be on the housetop, and his vessels in the house, let him not come down to take them away; and he that is in the field, let him likewise not turn around to what [is] behind.

32. Remember Lot’s wife.

33. Whoever shall seek to save his soul, shall lose it; and whoever shall lose it, shall preserve it alive.

34. I say to you, In that night two [men] shall be in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left.

35. Two [women] shall be grinding [grain] together; the one shall be taken, and the other left.

36. Two [men] shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.”

Turning to the disciples, Jesus now talks about the Son of Man. Interestingly, His choice of language is almost identical to the choice of language He used when speaking to the Pharisees, but with an important difference. To the Pharisees He said that the kingdom of God does not come with outward observation. If people were to say, “See here!” or See there!” they must not believe it, for the kingdom of God is within them.

Jesus has a similar message for His disciples, but with a different emphasis. To them He says that when they desire to see “the Son of Man,” people will tell them, “Look here!” or Look there!” (Luke 17:23). In the same way that He told the Pharisees to stop looking for outward signs of the kingdom, Jesus tells the disciples not to listen to people who say that the Son of Man is here or there. Rather, Jesus tells them that the Son of Man will come as “lightning that flashes out of one part of heaven and shines to the other part of heaven” (Luke 17:24).

The term “Son of Man” refers to the truth Jesus came to offer. This is the divine truth that can illuminate the mind like lightning flashing across a dark sky. Jesus knows that His words will eventually make an impression on the disciples. It will, however, take time. They will often be confused, contentious, even doubt-filled, but flashes of enlightenment will come; the lightning of Jesus’ wisdom will flash across the dark sky of their minds, and they will begin to have glimpses of the truth. ¹⁵

Jesus then warns His disciples that the road ahead will not be easy. Jesus knows that He will become a living representative of what people will do to the truth that He came to offer. They will treat the truth in the same way that they have treated Jesus. It will be despised, condemned, and rejected. As Jesus puts it, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation” (Luke 17:25). This, of course, is nothing new. It was true also in the days of Noah when the voice of truth came to warn people of the looming destruction. But the people were heedless of the truth. As Jesus puts it, “They ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all” (Luke 17:27). ¹⁶

The lesson of Noah is quite clear. Without truth we will drown in a sea of falsity. It was similar in the days of Lot: “They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built” (Luke 17:28). But they did not heed the voice of truth, spoken through the angels who came to them, saying, “Escape for your life! Do not look behind you nor stay anywhere on the plain. Escape to the mountains lest you be destroyed” (Genesis 19:17). And because they did not heed the voice of truth, they all perished. As Jesus puts it, “On the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all” (Luke 17:29).

Jesus reminds the disciples of these stories of destruction to let them know that something similar is happening in their own time. The voice of truth is once again among them, and once again people are not listening. They continue to look back to the belief systems of a bygone era, which now hold them in captivity and will soon bring about their ruin.

In the midst of these destructive, self-serving belief systems, Jesus arrives to bring new truth—truth that could lift them, like Noah, above the floods of false belief, and lead them, like Lot, out of the heat of Sodom-like self-love. This is the “lightning” Jesus refers to. It is the Son of Man—the Divine Truth—which comes to reveal a new understanding of God, a new way of loving one’s neighbor, and a new understanding of life’s purpose. As Jesus puts it, “Even so will it be in that day when the Son of Man is revealed” (Luke 17:30).

The narrative now shifts to a detailed picture of what will take place “in that day” and “in that night” when the Son of Man comes. As it is written, “In that day, he who is on the housetop, and his goods are in his house, let him not come down to take them away. And likewise, the one who is in the field, let him not turn back. Remember Lot’s wife” (Luke 17:32). Again, Jesus reminds them of the end that befell those who “looked back,” and the doom that came upon those who clung to the material objects that were in their households. Spiritually speaking, Jesus is referring to our tendency to “look back” to the old belief systems that can no longer sustain us.

The phrase “look back” relates to the understanding which has the capacity for “seeing” higher truth but, unfortunately, looks back to one’s own way of seeing reality, especially when self-interest is involved. As it is written in the Hebrew scriptures when speaking about those who should be leading and protecting the people, “His watchmen are blind and ignorant…. They are shepherds who cannot understand. They all look back to their own way, every one of them for their own gain” (Isaiah 56:10-11). ¹⁷

When higher truth comes into our life—the coming of the Son of Man—we are not to look back. It may feel as though we are giving up something that has become an essential part of who we are. This is because we so often define ourselves by our acquired and customary belief systems. Letting go of those habitual patterns of thought might feel like we are losing a part of ourselves—even dying. Jesus, however, urges us to go ahead and give them up, even if it feels like the loss of life. As Jesus puts it, “Whoever seeks to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it” (Luke 17:33).

Interestingly, this reference to “losing one’s life” continues the series of “losses” beginning with the parables of the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost son. Those stories about loss were followed by the parable of the unjust steward who lost his livelihood and the story about the rich man who feasted sumptuously every day, but failed to give to the poor. Therefore, he lost his life. In this case, Jesus speaks about the importance of giving up that which we think is our very life—the false beliefs that we have about happiness, especially the idea that the whole of happiness consists in material blessings. In this regard, if we stubbornly cling to false beliefs, we will lose our opportunity to experience a life that is truly spiritual. But if we let go of those false beliefs, choosing instead to receive higher truth, our life will be preserved. ¹⁸

The importance of intentions

As Jesus approaches the end of this series of warnings, He adds three more predictions about coming catastrophes. As He puts it, “In that night there will be two men in one bed: the one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding together: the one will be taken and the other left. Two men will be in the field: the one will be taken and the other left” (Luke 17:34-36).

In order to understand these words, we need to realize that Jesus is not speaking about events that will take place in time and space. Rather, He is speaking about spiritual realities: “Two men in one bed” is a scriptural phrase that stands for the idea that two people can have the same doctrine, but apply it differently—one in a way that favors self-love, the other in a way that favors love to God and to the neighbor. In sacred scripture a “bed” represents a person’s belief system, the place where the mind rests. ¹⁹

Similarly, two women can be grinding meal together. Although they are both doing similar work, their intentions may be quite different; one may have good intentions, while the other has selfish intentions. This can also be true for two men who are working together in the same field. One might be governed by good motives while the other might be governed by self-serving motives. In each of the three cases, whether it’s two men in one bed, or two women grinding meal, or two men working in a field—those with good intentions and noble motives will be “taken” by God, while those with selfish intentions and corrupt motives will be “left behind.” Being “taken by God” means that they will experience heavenly states; being “left behind” means that they will be left to suffer the consequences of their own self-centered decisions. ²⁰

What we see in each case is the all-important doctrine of intentionality. In the end, it is our intentions that matter, not our understanding of doctrine or the uses we perform. Above all, we need to ask ourselves, “What is in our heart?” “What affections rule?” and “What are our deeper motives?” Our intentions—heavenly or hellish—will ultimately save or condemn us; they will determine our heaven or our hell. ²¹

A practical application

It is often said that “the road to hell is paved with good intentions.” This is usually taken to mean that it’s important to follow through on our plans and realize our dreams. But we need to look deeper. Intentions matter. We can do all the good in the world, but if we do it for selfish reasons, it does us no good. Therefore, as a spiritual practice, set an intention to subordinate self-will so that God’s will can work through you. It might be as simple as intending to care for a child or help a friend. Your intention is to allow the Lord to be present through you. This happens when you pray for and manifest the Lord’s qualities (kindness, consideration, understanding, etc.). Notice what happens.

The Gift of Rationality

37. And they answering said to Him, “Where, Lord?” And He said to them, “Where the body [is], there the eagles will be gathered.”

This series of episodes begins with a highly pertinent question asked by the Pharisees: “When will the kingdom of God come?” And it ends with another significant question, this time asked by the disciples: “Where will it take place?” Their questions are about time and space. But when we look more deeply, these temporal/spatial questions are no longer relevant. The time is now; and the place is here. The kingdom of God is within us, and the Son of Man is coming to us at this very moment to save us from the destructiveness of our self-centered, materialistic states—states that are so harmful that they can be compared to a dead, decaying body. It is for this reason that Jesus ends this episode with the memorable but disturbing words, “Wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together” (Luke 17:37).

Jesus is using powerful imagery to warn about the destruction in store for those who refuse to listen to the Son of Man when the truth of His teaching flashes like lightning across their minds. Those who are unwilling to be led by that truth, but prefer instead to “look back” to their selfish reasonings, will be like birds of prey devouring decaying bodies. Instead of being lifted up on eagles’ wings to experience higher states of understanding, their selfish reasonings will bring them down and prevent them from seeing the big picture. Although they could soar on high with spiritual sight comparable to the vision of an eagle, they remain in their lower, self-centered beliefs, seeing nothing in front of them except objects on which they can feed.

Herein lies both our tragedy and our triumph. Each of us is given the gift of rationality. We can abuse that faculty, using it to justify our selfish interests through cunning and clever reasoning. Or we can use that gift as it is intended, enabling us to see higher truth so that we might be led by it, live according to it, and experience the kingdom of heaven. The choice is always ours. ²²

Footnotes:

644. Verse 6. These have power to shut heaven that it rain no rain in the days of their prophecy, signifies that those who reject the goods and truths of heaven and the church that proceed from the Lord, receive no influx out of heaven. This is evident from the signification of "shutting heaven," as being lest any influx out of heaven be received (of which presently); also from the signification of "rain," as being truth fertilizing, which is truth from which there is good that flows down out of heaven (of which also presently); also from the signification of "their prophecy," as being prediction respecting the Lord and His coming, and respecting the good of love to Him and the truths of faith in Him. This revelation and the proclamation of this revelation at the end of the church is what is chiefly meant by "the days of the prophecy of the two witnesses." It is the Lord that is chiefly proclaimed at the end of the church by "the two witnesses," because "the two witnesses," which are the good of love to the Lord and the truth of faith in Him, are what chiefly bear witness of Him, therefore it is afterwards said that:

The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy (Revelation 19:10).

[2] "To shut heaven" means to prevent the reception of any influx out of heaven, because it is added, "that it rain no rain," which signifies influx of Divine truth out of heaven. For it is well known that every good of love and every truth of faith flows in out of heaven, that is, from the Lord through heaven, with man, and that it flows in continually; from which it follows that neither the good of love nor the truth of faith is in anywise man's, but is the Lord's with him. These both flow in so far as evil and falsity do not obstruct; it is these that shut heaven so that there is no influx; for evil and good, and falsity and truth, are opposites, consequently where the one is the other cannot be; for evil with man prevents the entrance of good, and falsity the entrance of truth; while good causes evil to be removed, and truth falsity; for these are opposites, as heaven and hell are opposites; therefore the one acts against the other with an unceasing endeavor to destroy, and the one that prevails destroys the other.

[3] Moreover, there are in every man two minds, an interior which is called the spiritual mind, and another, the exterior which is called the natural mind. The spiritual mind is created for the reception of light from heaven, but the natural mind for the reception of light from the world. The spiritual mind, therefore, which is man's interior mind, is heaven with him, and the natural mind, which is man's exterior mind, is the world with him. The interior mind, which is heaven with man, is opened so far as man acknowledges the Divine of the Lord, and man so far acknowledges this as he is in the good of love and charity and in the truths of doctrine and faith. But this interior mind, which is heaven with man, is unopened so far as man does not acknowledge the Divine of the Lord, and does not live the life of love and faith; and that mind is shut so far as man is in evils and in falsities therefrom; and when it is shut then the natural mind with man becomes a hell; for in the natural mind are evil and its falsity, consequently when the spiritual mind which is heaven with man is shut, the natural mind which is hell rules. From this it can be seen what is meant by "heaven is shut that it rain no rain. "

[4] It is said that the two witnesses have power "to shut heaven," but still these do not shut it, but the evil and falsity shut it that rule with the men of the church at its end. This is said of "the two witnesses," as was said above that "fire shall go forth out of their mouth and shall devour their enemies," and yet no fire goes forth from them and devours (as has been said in the two articles above). "That it rain no rain" signifies no influx of Divine truth out of heaven, because "water," which makes rain, signifies the truth of the Word, and the truth of doctrine and faith therefrom (See above, n. 71, 483, 518, 537, 538); and as rain water descends out of the clouds in heaven, so "to rain rain" signifies the influx of Divine truth from the Lord in heaven, and as rain fertilizes the earth, so "rain" signifies Divine truth fertilizing and making fruitful the church, for which reason "rain" signifies also spiritual blessing.

[5] That "rain" in the Word does not mean rain, but the inflowing Divine, which causes intelligence and wisdom, and also the good of love and the truth of faith in man, to grow and become fruitful, and that "to rain" signifies influx can be seen from the following passages. In Moses:

My doctrine shall flow down as the rain, My word shall distill as the dew, as the drops on the grass, and as the showers on the herb (Deuteronomy 32:2).

Doctrine is here compared to rain, because "rain" signifies the Divine truth proceeding, from which is everything of doctrine; for all comparisons in the Word are also from correspondences. Because "rain" signifies the Divine truth flowing down it is said, "My doctrine shall flow down as the rain." "Dew" signifies good, and since "word" has the same signification, therefore it is said, "My word shall distill as the dew." So intelligence and wisdom therefrom are signified by "the drops on the grass," and by "the showers on the herbs," for as the grass and herb of the field grow from the waters of the rain and dew, so do intelligence and wisdom by the influx of Divine truth from the Lord. This is first said by Moses, because in this chapter he is speaking of the twelve tribes of Israel, which signify in the spiritual sense all truths and goods of the church, and thus doctrine in the whole complex.

[6] In the same:

The land which ye shall pass over to possess it is a land of mountains and valleys, of the rain of heaven it drinketh waters. And I will give the rain of your land in its time, the former rain and the latter rain, that thou mayest gather in thy corn, and thy new wine, and thine oil. But if ye shall serve other gods, and shall not walk in my statutes, the anger of Jehovah shall glow against you; He will shut heaven that there be no rain, and the land shall not yield her produce (Deuteronomy 11:11, 14, 16, 17).

This describes the land of Canaan and its fruitfulness; but as that land means in the spiritual sense the church, it follows that all things of this description signify such things as belong to the church, as "mountains," "valleys," "corn," "new wine," "oil," "produce," and "rain." "A land of mountains and valleys" signifies the higher and lower, or internal and external things of the church; the internal things of the church are with the internal man, which is also called the spiritual man, and the external things of the church are with the external man, which is called the natural man; that both these are such as to receive the influx of Divine truth is signified by "of the rain of heaven it drinketh waters." That Divine truth inflows in both states, that is, when the man of the church is in his spiritual state and when he is in his natural state, is signified by "the rain given in its time, the former rain and the latter rain;" for the man of the church is by turns in a spiritual state and in a natural state, and the influx and reception of Divine truth in a spiritual state is meant by "the former or morning rain," and in a natural state by "the latter or evening rain;" spiritual and celestial good and truth which the man of the church has therefrom is meant by the "corn," "new wine," and "oil," which they shall gather in; that the falsities of doctrine and of worship will prevent the influx and reception of Divine truth, and in consequence, the increase of spiritual life, is signified by "if ye shall serve other gods there shall be no rain, and the land will not yield her produce," "other gods" signifying the falsities of doctrine and of worship.

[7] In the same:

If ye walk in My statutes and keep My commandments and do them, the land shall yield its produce, and the tree of the field shall yield its fruit (Leviticus 26:3, 4).

Here "the rain that shall be given in its time, and the produce of the land," have a similar signification as above; and as the church was at that time an external church, representative of interior spiritual things, so when they walked in the statutes, and kept the commandments and did them, it came about that they had rain in its time, and the earth yielded its produce, and the tree of the field its fruit; and yet the rain and the produce thence were representative and significative, "rain" represented the Divine flowing in, "the produce," the truth of doctrine and the understanding of truth, and "the fruit of the tree," the good of love and the will of good.

[8] This can be seen from its being said:

That the rain was withheld, and consequently there was a famine in the land of Israel for three years and a half, under Ahab, because they served other gods and killed the prophets (1 Kings 17:1; (1_Kings 1 Kings 18:1);Luke 4:25).

This was a representative, and thus a significative, that no Divine truth flowing in out of heaven could be received because of the falsities of evil, which were signified by "other gods" and by "Baal," whom they worshiped. "Killing the prophets" signified also the destruction of the Divine, for a "prophet" signifies in the Word the doctrine of truth from the Word.

[9] In Isaiah:

I will lay waste My vineyard; it shall not be pruned nor hoed, that the briar and the bramble may come up; and I will command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it (Isaiah 5:6).

Here, too, it is said of Jehovah that He layeth waste His vineyard, "and commandeth the clouds that they rain no rain upon it;" and yet this is not done by Jehovah, that is, the Lord, for He always flows in both with the evil and with the good, which is meant by His "sending His rain upon the just and upon the unjust" (Matthew 5:45); but the cause is with the man of the church, that he does not receive any influx of Divine truth, for the man who does not receive closes up with himself the interiors of his mind, which receive; and when these are shut the inflowing Divine is rejected. The "vineyard" which is laid waste signifies the church; "it is not pruned nor hoed" signifies no ability to be cultivated and so prepared to receive; "the briar and bramble" which shall come up signify the falsities of evil; "to command the clouds that they rain no rain" signifies that no influx of Divine truth from heaven is received.

[10] In Jeremiah:

The showers have been withholden, and there hath been no latter rain; and still the forehead of a harlot woman remained to thee, thou didst refuse to be ashamed (Jeremiah 3:3).

They said not in their heart, Come, let us fear Jehovah our God; that giveth the rain, and the former and the latter rain in its time. He keepeth unto us the weeks, the stated times of harvest; your iniquities make these things to turn away (Jeremiah 5:24, 25).

In Amos:

I have withholden the rain from you, when there were yet three months to the harvest, so that I might cause it to rain upon one city, and not cause it to rain upon another city; one field received the rain, but the field upon which it did not rain dried up; therefore two, three cities wandered unto one city to drink waters, yet they were not satisfied; nevertheless ye have not returned unto Me (Amos 4:7, 8).

In Ezekiel:

Son of man, say, thou art a land that is not cleansed, that hath no rain in the day of anger; there is a conspiracy of her prophets in the midst of her (Ezekiel 22:24, 25).

In Zechariah:

Whosoever of the families of the land shall not go up to Jerusalem to worship Jehovah of Hosts, upon them there shall be no rain (Zechariah 14:17).

In these passages also "rain" signifies the reception of the influx of Divine truth, which is the source of spiritual intelligence; and that there is "no rain" signifies that no such intelligence is given by any influx because of the evils and falsities that refuse to receive and that reject it.

[11] In Jeremiah:

The nobles sent their little ones for water; they came to the pits and found no waters, because the land was broken, for there had been no rain upon the earth; the husbandmen were ashamed, they covered up the head (Jeremiah 14:3, 4).

"Nobles" mean those who teach and lead, and "little ones" those who are taught and led; "waters" signify the truths of doctrine; "pits in which there are no waters" signify doctrinals in which there are no truths; "there had been no rain upon the earth" signifies that no influx of Divine truth is received by reason of the falsities in the church; "the husbandmen were ashamed and covered up the head" signifies those who teach, and their grief.

[12] In Isaiah:

Then Jehovah shall give rain to thy seed with which thou sowest the land; and the bread of the increase of the land, and it shall be fat and rich; thy cattle shall feed in that day in a broad meadow (Isaiah 30:23).

This would be when the Lord should come. The influx of Divine truth proceeding from Him is signified by "the rain" which the Lord will then give to the seed, "rain" meaning Divine influx, and "seed" the truth of the Word; "to sow the land" signifies to plant and form the church in oneself; "the bread of the increase which Jehovah will give" signifies the good of love and charity, which is produced by the truths of the Word vivified by Divine influx; "fat and rich" signifies full of the good of love and truths therefrom, for "fat" is predicated of good, and "rich" of truths; "the cattle shall feed in that day in a broad meadow" signifies the extension and multiplication of good and truth by Divine influx, and consequent spiritual nourishment, "cattle" meaning the goods and truths in man, "that day" the Lord's coming, and "a broad meadow" the Word, through which is Divine influx and spiritual nourishment; "breadth" is predicated of the extension and multiplication of truth.

[13] In the same:

As the rain cometh down and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither but irrigateth the earth, and maketh it to bring forth and to bud, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall My Word be that goeth forth out of My mouth; it shall not return unto Me empty, but it shall do what I will, and it shall prosper in that to which I sent it (Isaiah 55:10, 11).

Here "the Word" which goeth forth out of the mouth of God is compared to the rain and snow from heaven, because "the Word" means Divine truth proceeding from the Lord, which with us flows in through the Word; "rain and snow coming down out of heaven" have a similar meaning, "rain" signifying spiritual truth, which has been appropriated to man, and "snow" natural truth, which is like snow when it is in the memory only; but it is made spiritual by love, as snow is made rain water by heat. "To irrigate the earth and to make it to bring forth and to bud" signifies to vivify the church that it may bring forth the truth of doctrine and of faith, and the good of love and of charity; the truth of doctrine and of faith is signified by "the seed that it gives to the sower," and the good of love and of charity by "the bread that it gives to the eater;" "it shall not return to Me empty, but it shall do what I will," signifies that it shall be received, and that by it man shall be led to look to the Lord.

[14] In Ezekiel:

I will give them and the circuits of My hill a blessing, and I will send down the rain in its time, they shall be rains of blessing; then the tree of the field shall give its fruit, and the land shall give its produce (Ezekiel 34:26, 27).

"The circuits of the hill of Jehovah" mean all who are in the truths of doctrine and thence in the good of charity; "to send down the rain in its time" signifies the influx of Divine truth adapted to the affection and will of the one receiving; and as the fructification of good and the multiplication of truth are therefrom, they are called "the rains of blessing," and it is said that "the tree of the field shall give its fruit, and the land shall give its produce;" "the tree of the field" and "the land" signifying the church and the man of the church, and "the fruit of the tree of the field" the fructification of good, and "the produce of the earth" the multiplication of its truth.

[15] In Joel:

Rejoice, ye sons of Zion, and be glad in Jehovah your God, for He shall give you the former rain in righteousness, yea, He shall cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain and the latter rain, in the first, that the floors may be full of pure grain, and the vats overflow with new wine and oil (Joel 2:23, 24).

"The sons of Zion" signify those who are in genuine truths through which they have the good of love, for "Zion" signifies the celestial church which is in the good of love to the Lord through genuine truths. That the Lord with such flows in with the good of love, and from that good into truths, is signified by "He shall give them the former rain in righteousness;" "righteousness" is predicated in the Word of the good of love, and "the righteous" mean those who are in that good (See above, n. 204). That the Lord continually flows into truths with the good of love is signified by "He shall cause to come down the former rain and the latter rain, in the first;" that from this they have the good of love towards a brother and companion is signified by "their floors are full of pure grain;" and that from this they have the truth and the good of love to the Lord is signified by "the vats overflow with new wine and oil." Those who are of the Lord's celestial church have the good of love towards a brother and companion; and this love, with those who are of the Lord's spiritual church, is called charity towards the neighbor.

[16] In Zechariah:

Ask of Jehovah the rain in its time; ¹ Jehovah will make mists and will give to them the shower of rain, to a man the herb in the field (Zechariah 10:1).

Here, too, "rain" signifies the influx of Divine truth from the Lord, from which man has spiritual intelligence; "the shower of rain" signifies Divine truth flowing in abundantly, and "to give the herb in the field" signifies the knowledge of truth and good from the Word and intelligence therefrom.

[17] In David:

Thou dost visit the earth and gladden it, thou greatly enrichest it; the stream of God is full of waters, thou preparest their grain, and so thou dost establish it. Water its furrows; settle its ridges; dissolve it with showers; bless its budding (Psalms 65:9, 10).

The "earth" signifies here the church; "the stream full of waters" signifies the doctrine full of truths; "to water its furrows, to settle its ridges, and to dissolve it with showers" signifies to fill with the knowledges of good and truth; "to prepare grain" signifies everything that nourishes the soul; therefore it is added, "so thou dost establish the earth," that is, the church; "to bless the budding" signifies to produce continually anew and to cause truths to spring forth.

[18] In the same:

O God, thou makest the rain of good will to drop down (Psalms 68:9).

In the same:

He shall come down like rain upon the herb of the meadow, like drops in the fissure of the earth; in his days shall the righteous flourish (Psalms 72:6, 7).

In these passages "rain" does not mean rain, but the influx of Divine truth with man, from which he has spiritual life. In Job:

My word they will not repeat, and my speech will drop upon them, and they will wait for me as for the rain, and they will open their mouth for the latter rain (Job 29:22, 23).

Evidently "rain" here means truth spoken by anyone, and flowing into another, for "word," "speech," and "opening the mouth" signify truth going forth from anyone by speech; this is why it is called "rain," and "latter rain," and is said "to drop," which here means to speak.

[19] In Jeremiah:

The Maker of the earth by His power prepareth the world, by His wisdom and by His understanding He stretcheth out the heavens; at the voice that He giveth forth there is a multitude of waters in the heavens; and He maketh the vapors to go up from the end of the earth; He maketh lightnings for the showers, and bringeth forth the wind out of His treasuries (Jeremiah 10:12, 13; 51:16; Psalms 135:7).

"The world which the Maker of the earth prepares by His power" signifies the church in the whole globe, "power" signifying the potency of Divine truth; "the heavens which He stretcheth out by wisdom and understanding" signify the church in the heavens corresponding to the church on earth, "wisdom and understanding" signifying the Divine proceeding, from which angels and men have the wisdom of good and the understanding of truth, and "to stretch out" signifying the formation and extension of the heavens in general, and the extension of understanding and wisdom with everyone who receives; "at the voice that He giveth forth there is a multitude of waters in the heavens" signifies that from the Divine proceeding there are spiritual truths in immeasurable abundance, "voice" signifying the Divine proceeding, "waters" truths, and "multitude" abundance; "He maketh the vapors to go up from the end of the earth" signifies truths in ultimates, such as the truths of the Word are in the sense of the letter, in which are spiritual truths, "the end of the earth" signifying the ultimates of the church, "vapors" truths for those who are in ultimates, and "to make them to go up" meaning to give spiritual truths from ultimates because they are in ultimates, for spiritual truths are what especially make the church fruitful; "He maketh lightning for the showers" signifies enlightenment from influx of Divine truth with them; "and bringeth forth the wind out of His treasuries" signifies spiritual things in the Word from heaven.

[20] In Luke:

When ye see a cloud rising in the west straightway it is said, There cometh a shower, and so it cometh to pass; and when ye see the south wind blowing it is said, There will be a scorching heat, and it cometh to pass. Ye hypocrites, ye know how to discern the face of the earth and of heaven, how is it that ye do not discern this time? (Luke 12:54-56)

By this comparison the Lord teaches that they see earthly things but not heavenly things; and the comparison itself, like all other comparisons in the Word, is derived from correspondences; for "a cloud rising in the west" signifies the Lord's coming at the end of the church predicted in the Word, "cloud" signifying the Word in the letter, "rising" the Lord's coming, and the "west" the end of the church; "straightway it is said, There cometh a shower" signifies that then there will be an influx of Divine truth; "and when ye see the south wind blowing" signifies the proclamation of His coming; "it is said, There will be a scorching heat" signifies that then there will be an influx of Divine good. The same words signify also contentions and combats of truth from good with falsities from evil, "shower and scorching heat" signifying also such contentions and combats; for this comparison follows the words of the Lord:

That He came not to give peace on the earth, but division, and that the father shall be divided against the son, and the son against the father, the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother (Luke 12:51-53);

and these words signify such contention and combat; that "shower" also has this signification may be seen below. Because this comparison, regarded in its spiritual sense, implies the coming of the Lord, and because from blindness induced by falsities they did not acknowledge Him, although they might have known Him from the Word, it therefore follows:

Ye hypocrites, ye know how to discern the face of the earth and of heaven, but ye do not discern this time (verse 56);

that is, the time of His coming, and the conflict of the falsity of evil with the truth of good that then took place.

[21] In Hosea:

Let us know, and let us follow on to know Jehovah; His going forth is prepared as the clouds; and He shall come to us as the rain, as the latter rain that irrigateth the earth (Hosea 6:3).

This is said of the Lord and His coming; and as all Divine truth proceeds from Him, from which angels and men have life and salvation, it is said "He shall come to us as the rain, as the latter rain that irrigateth the earth," "to irrigate the earth" signifying to render fertile the church, which is said to be rendered fertile when truths are multiplied and thence intelligence increases, and when goods are made fruitful, and thence celestial love increases.

[22] In the second book of Samuel:

The rock of Israel spake to me; as the light of morning the sun riseth, of a morning without clouds; from the brightness after rain there is grass out of the earth (2 Samuel 23:3, 4).

This is said of the Lord, who from the Divine truth that proceeds from Him is called "the Rock of Israel." That Divine truth proceeds from His Divine good is meant by "as the light of the morning the sun riseth." There is a comparison with light because "light" signifies the Divine truth proceeding, and with the morning because "morning" signifies the Divine good, and with the rising sun because "rising" and the "sun" signify the Divine love; that these are without obscurity is signified by "the light of a morning without clouds;" the enlightenment of the man of the church by the reception and after the reception of Divine truth from the Lord's Divine good is signified by "from the brightness after rain," "brightness" signifying enlightenment, and "rain" influx and consequent reception. That those who are of the church have therefrom knowledge [scientia], intelligence, and wisdom, is signified by "the grass out of the earth," "grass," like "pasture," signifying spiritual nourishment, and thence knowledge [scientia], intelligence, and wisdom, which are spiritual food, and the "earth" signifying the church and the man of the church.

[23] In Matthew:

Love your enemies, bless ² them that curse you, bless them that hate you, and pray for them that hurt and persecute you; that ye may be sons of your Father who is in the heavens; who maketh His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust (Matthew 5:44, 45).

Here first charity towards the neighbor, which is to wish good and do good even to enemies, is described by "loving them, blessing them, and praying for them," for genuine charity regards only the good of another. Here "to love" signifies charity, "to bless" instruction, and "to pray" intercession, and for the reason that inwardly in charity there is the end to do good. That this is the Divine itself with man, such as it is with regenerate men, is signified by "that ye may be sons of your Father in the heavens," "Father in the heavens" means the Divine proceeding, for all who receive this are called "sons of the Father," that is, of the Lord; "the sun that He maketh to rise on the evil and on the good" signifies the Divine good flowing in; and "the rain that He sendeth on the just and on the unjust" signifies the Divine truth flowing in; for the Divine proceeding which is "the Father in the heavens," flows in with the evil equally as with the good, but the reception of it must be on man's part, yet not on man's part as from man, but as if from man, for the ability to receive is given to man continually, and it also flows in to the extent that man removes the evils that oppose, and does this also from the ability that is continually given, the ability itself appearing to be man's, although it is of the Lord.

[24] From this it can now be seen that "rain" signifies in the Word the influx of the Divine truth from the Lord, from which man has spiritual life, and this because "waters," of which rain consists, signify the truth of doctrine and the truth of faith. But as "waters," in the contrary sense, signify the falsities of doctrine and of faith, so "showers of rain" or "a shower," as well as "inundations of waters" and a "flood," signify not only falsities destroying truths, but also temptations in which man either yields or conquers. This is the signification of shower [imber] in Matthew:

Everyone that heareth My words and doeth them I will liken to a prudent man who built his house upon a rock; and the shower descended, and the rivers came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house, yet it fell not. But everyone that heareth My words and doeth them not shall be likened unto a foolish man who built his house upon the sand; and the shower descended, and the rivers came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it (Matthew 7:24-27).

Here "shower" and "rivers" mean temptations, in which man conquers or in which he yields; "waters" mean the falsities that usually inflow in temptations; and "rivers," which here are inundations of water from a shower, signify temptations; "the winds that blow and beat" signify the thoughts that arise therefrom, for temptations arise through the breaking in of falsities injected by evil spirits into the thoughts. The "house" they beat upon signifies man, strictly his mind, which consists of understanding or thought and of will or affection; he that receives the words of the Lord, that is, Divine truths, in one part of the mind only, which is that of the thought or understanding, and not at the same time in the other part, which is that of the affection or will, yields in temptations, and falls into grievous falsities, which are the falsities of evil; therefore it is said, "great was the fall of it;" but he who receives Divine truths in both parts, that is, both in the understanding and in the will, conquers in temptations. The "rock" upon which that house is founded signifies the Lord as to Divine truth, or Divine truth received by the soul and heart, that is, by faith and love, in other words, by the understanding and will; while the "sand" signifies Divine truth received only in the memory, and somewhat therefrom in the thought, and thus in a scattered and disconnected way, because intermixed with falsities, and falsified by notions. This makes clear what is meant by "hearing the words and not doing them." That this is the sense of these words can be seen more clearly from what precedes them.

[25] An "overflowing rain" or "shower" signifies an inundation of falsities also in Ezekiel:

Say unto them that daub on what is unfit that it shall fall, because an overflowing rain, because ³ ye, O hailstones, shall fall, and a wind of tempests shall break through. Thus said the Lord Jehovih, I will make a wind of tempest to break through in My wrath, and an overflowing rain in Mine anger, and hailstones in wrath for a consummation, and I will throw down the wall that ye have daubed with what is unfit (Ezekiel 13:11, 13, 14).

"Daubing with what is unfit" signifies the confirmation of falsity by fallacies, whereby falsity appears as truth; "hailstones" signify truths without good, thus without any spiritual life, which are all inwardly falsities, for ideas that are dead cause them to be merely shells, and like pictures in which there is nothing living; such truths merely known belong to the natural man, into which nothing from the spiritual flows. "The overflowing rain and the wind of tempests" signify falsities rushing in copiously, and things imaginary, and disputes about truths, which make it impossible for anything of truth to be seen, and which thus destroy man.

[26] In the same:

I will plead with Gog with pestilence and with blood, and I will rain an overflowing rain and hailstones, fire and brimstone, upon him and upon his troops, and upon the many people who are with him (Ezekiel 38:22).

"Gog" means such as are in external worship without any internal worship; and as such worship consists of what are like shells, the kernels of which are either rotten or have been eaten out by worms, these things are called "overflowing rain and hailstones," which signify falsities rushing in copiously and things imaginary which destroy man. The evils of falsity and the falsities of evil are signified by "fire and brimstone."

[27] The "flood of waters," of which it is said:

That it overflowed the whole earth and destroyed all except Noah and his sons (Genesis 7, Genesis 8),

also signifies the flood of falsities by which the Most Ancient Church was finally destroyed; "Noah and his sons" signify a new church, which is to be called the Ancient Church, and the establishment of that church after the Most Ancient Church had been devastated. (But the particulars of the description in these chapters of the flood and of the salvation of the family of Noah, may be seen explained in the Arcana Coelestia. That "waters" signify truths, and in the contrary sense, falsities, may be seen above, n.71, 483, 518, 537, 538; and that "the overflowings of waters" signify the overflowings of falsities and temptations, see also above, n. 518 .)

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