Learning to Pray

1. And it came to pass, [that] as He was praying in a certain place, when He had ceased, one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.”

2. And He said to them, “When you pray, say,’ Our Father, who [art] in the heavens, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done, as in heaven, so upon the earth.

3. Give us our daily bread according to the day.

4. And forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone that is a debtor to us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.’”

The story of Mary and Martha teaches us to put our priorities in order. If we want to serve others, we must first take time to sit at God’s feet. We must return to Him again and again, searching His Word, and prayerfully striving to understand His will.

And so it is that in this divinely ordered sequence of episodes, the very next episode pictures Jesus doing what He just advised Mary to do: He is at prayer. As it is written, “And it came to pass, as He was praying in a certain place” one of his disciples came to Him (Luke 11:1). Noticing that Jesus is at prayer, the disciple says to Jesus, “Lord, teach us to pray.” Interestingly, the Gospel of Luke is the only gospel that records this significant request. It is in keeping with one of the central themes of this gospel—the development of the understanding. In this case it is about understanding how to pray.

Jesus responds immediately, giving them the divine formula for every prayer. It begins with a direct address to the One true God, acknowledging that He is the Father of all. As Jesus puts it, “Our Father who art in heaven.” Next, true prayer acknowledges the supreme holiness of the Lord’s name, which refers not only to a specific name but also to every divine quality that proceeds from God. Whenever we pray for a divine quality, whether it be patience, or compassion, or understanding, or peace, we are calling upon the name of the Lord. ¹

After establishing the supremacy of God who is the Father of all, and whose essential qualities of love and faith are available to all, the prayer next moves on to a series of those things we should pray about. Prayer, after all, means to ask, entreat, or beg, and this is the form that the prayer takes.

The first prayer request is “Your kingdom come.” The word “kingdom” here signifies the “kingdom of heaven” and specifically, the divine laws that govern that kingdom. To pray that the Lord’s kingdom come to us is to pray for the opening of our understanding so that we might understand the laws of the heavenly kingdom. Once we know those laws and live by them, the Lord’s “will is done” as in heaven, so also upon the earth. ²

It should be understood that in the original Greek, these are not casual requests. They are exhortations, entreaties, pleas, and supplications all of which convey a sense of urgency. It is as if we are saying, “Lord, I beg you. Your kingdom must come. I need it desperately. So, please, please come into my heart and open my understanding that I might rightly read your Word and do your will. I beg you!”

The phrase, “on earth as it is in heaven” (which is also translated “as in heaven so also upon the earth”) is a simple prayer that there be heaven on earth. While the disciples may have thought of this in terms of a literal king governing in such a way that every material need would be satisfied, Jesus has much more in mind when He gives them this prayer. For example, in teaching them to pray for “daily bread,” He is reminding them to look to God alone as the source of all their nourishment, both physically and spiritually. And He is teaching them to do this every day— “daily.” More deeply, a prayer for “daily bread,” in the spiritual sense, is a humble request that God guide us continually, giving us in every moment what to think and what to feel. ³

As we move deeper into the prayer, we are instructed to acknowledge our sins, and ask for forgiveness. In the words of the prayer, we are to say, “Forgive us our sins.” But in order to receive God’s forgiveness, we must be willing to forgive others. This does not mean that God is holding back, waiting for us to make the first move; rather, God is always at the door of our hearts, ready to fill us with every blessing. But those blessings cannot enter us until we open the door. In this case, we open the door by admitting our sins, and then forgiving those who have sinned against us. As soon as we do this, the Lord’s forgiveness flows in, enabling us to truly forgive others. This is what happens the moment we clear away the resentful feelings, grudges, and hard-heartedness that have been blocking the Lord’s coming into our lives. “Forgive us our sins,” says Jesus, “for we also forgive everyone who is a debtor to us” (Luke 11:4).

Next, Jesus instructs His disciples to add these words to the prayer: “Do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one” (Luke 11:4). It must be remembered that these words are accommodated to the disciples’ level of spiritual development and given in terms that they could understand. While it might appear that God often leads us into temptation and gives us challenges to make us stronger, the reality is that God, who is Goodness and Mercy Itself, never leads anyone into temptation. Instead, He allows us to experience the pain of our own selfishness, the frustration of our thwarted ambition, and the misery that inevitably ensues when we strive to live life without God’s guidance and support.

It must be pointed out, however, that although God does not “lead us into” these temptations, He does allow them. Moreover, if we are willing to receive His assistance, He leads us through them. In other words, God permits misfortunes—often called trials and temptations, knowing that we can learn valuable lessons through these times of trial.

Reflecting for a moment on the divine arrangement of this prayer, it’s important to remember that it begins by turning to God, acknowledging the holy qualities that come from Him (“His name”); then we are taught to beg that we might receive these qualities through an opening of our understanding (“Thy kingdom come”) and through doing His will (Thy will be done”). It is then that we will receive our daily bread—that is, we will be given the loving affections and heavenly wisdom that will sustain us in every moment. Moreover, to the extent that we acknowledge our sins and forgive the sins of others, the Lord can fill us with the love and wisdom that will guide us through the inevitable temptations that will arise when our selfish loves begin to take precedence over our nobler nature.

The arising of these selfish loves and deliverance from them through the power of the Lord’s truth is meant by the words, “deliver us from evil.” This is also what is taught in the Hebrew scriptures where it is written, “Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil, for You are with me” (Psalm 23:4). In other words, God does not lead us into temptation, but He does lead us through temptation by filling us with His love and guiding us with His truth. ⁴

As we have pointed out before, Jesus often spoke according to the understanding of His disciples. The idea that God leads us into temptation was a deeply held belief at that time and Jesus knew that His disciples were not yet ready to rise above the appearance that God tempts them. So, in this case, Jesus is speaking in a way that is accommodated to their understanding. Only gradually will they be able to understand that God is Goodness and Mercy itself and that He never leads anyone into temptation. On the contrary, God continually teaches us how to avoid temptation, and if we cannot avoid it, He teaches us not only how to pass through it, but also how we can overcome it, and, finally, how we can learn from it. ⁵

A practical application

As we grow in our knowledge and understanding of God, our prayers will contain both the acknowledgement of God’s power and the acknowledgement of our powerlessness. Moreover, as our spiritual life deepens, we will realize that true prayer is about the spiritual matters of faith and the celestial matters of love—not about the satisfaction of our worldly desires. When this is the case, our prayers might sound something like this: “Lord, please open my mind and change my heart so that I might see others as You see them.” Or, our prayers might sound something like this: “Heavenly Father, when my lower nature leads me into temptation, deliver me from evil with truth from your Word, and fill me with the goodness of Your love. In Your holy name I pray.”

Earlier in this gospel, when Jesus prayed at His baptism, “heaven was opened” (Luke 3:21). This can happen for each of us as well. It is the sacred moment, during prayer, when we feel hopeful, or receive comfort, or perhaps experience a certain inward joy. ⁶

As a practical application, then, why not try prayer?

On the Importance of Being Persistent

5. And He said to them, “Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go to him at midnight, and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves;

6. For a friend of mine in his journey has come to me, and I have not anything to set before him’

7. And he from inside, answering shall say, ‘Make me not labor; the door is already shut, and my little children are with me in bed; I cannot stand up and give thee.’

8. I say to you, Though he will not rise and give him because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will stand up and give him as many as he needs.”

Prayer is, indeed, a central aspect of our spiritual lives. Without it, our spirits would wither and die. It renews and refreshes us; it enables us to meet the challenges of the day with strength and confidence; in brief, what sleep does for the body, prayer does for the soul.

But we must be persistent. God will not grant our prayers because we are specially chosen, or are members of a particular faith group. When it comes to prayer, there are no “insiders” and no “special friends.” It is a state of being in which we are all equal before God who encourages each of us to persist.

The need for diligent prayer is illustrated in the next episode. Jesus says to His disciples, “Which of you shall have a friend and go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves; for a friend of mine has come to me on his journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; and his friend will answer from within and say, ‘Do not trouble me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give to you’”? (Luke 11:7).

The story is a parable about our own lives. Each of us is the one begging for bread. It is another version of the request just given in the model prayer: “Give us our daily bread.” The man in bed who will not open the door represents the idea we have of God at those times when it feels as though He is not responding to our prayers. It feels as though “the door is closed.” This is only an appearance, of course. In spiritual reality, the door to God is never closed, unless we choose to close it. His daily bread is always available to us — unless we refuse to accept it.

But in the minds of the disciples, as in our own minds, there are times when it seems that God will not grant our wishes or listen to our prayers. Even as we pray for patience, understanding, and a forgiving spirit, we may yet remain impatient, resentful, and unforgiving. During these dark, midnight-like times in our lives, it seems that “the door is closed” and God is refusing to hand out bread.

Fortunately, the parable continues: “I say to you, though he will not rise and give to him because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence, he will rise and give him as many as he needs” (Luke 11:8). In the original Greek, the word which is here translated as “persistence” is much stronger. In older translations it is rendered as “importunity,” which means “impudence” or “shameless perseverance.”

In other words, we need to be shamelessly persistent in our prayers. While God often counsels us to relax, rest in Him, and be content, this is not the case when it comes to prayer. True prayer consists in persistently living by the truth that we know, with determination and steadfast resolve. Just as Jesus steadfastly “set His face” toward Jerusalem, we should set our minds on doing what we know is right, while fervently praying that God’s will might be done in our lives.

Prayer does not mean that we should spend all day on our knees with our hands tightly clasped together awaiting influx and enlightenment from God. While it is useful to withdraw into prayer, this is not enough. Our efforts to shun evil and do good should be ardent and unceasing. We make these efforts as if from ourselves, knowing that God is giving us the power to do so. As a result, every effort to live according to God’s will becomes a true prayer. Whenever we do this, striving to practice patience, rise above resentment, and exercise forgiveness—while persistently praying for the power to so—subtle shifts will take place in our spirit. We discover that God has risen in us, and is giving us as many loaves as we need.

Keep Knocking

9. And I say to you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you.

10. For everyone that asks receives; and he that seeks finds; and to him that knocks it shall be opened.

11. And [if] a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? And if [he shall ask for] a fish, instead of a fish will he give him a serpent?

12. Or if he shall ask an egg, will he give him a scorpion?

13. If you then, being wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall the Father that [is] of heaven give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him?

In the preceding parable, the friend’s door seemed to be shut. But because the man was shamelessly persistent, he received as many loaves as he needed. Similarly, Jesus now encourages His disciples to exercise the same persistence in their own prayers, persistently knocking on God’s door. Jesus tells them to “ask,” fully expecting that they will receive: “Ask,” Jesus says to them, “and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened” (Luke 11:9-10). ⁸

This attitude of persistence is important. It is hopeful, optimistic, and confident. It demonstrates full faith in God and in His power to give us the spiritual and celestial qualities we pray for—qualities which are summed up in life of faith in God and love towards the neighbor. Though it may often seem to us that these spiritual and celestial blessings do not come to us immediately, or that God does not answer our prayers, Jesus assures His disciples that everyone genuine prayer will be answered. As Jesus puts it, “If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? Or if he asks for an egg, will he give him a scorpion?” (Luke 11:11-12).

In speaking about a father’s love for his son, Jesus is appealing to the parental instincts of His disciples. This is a way of helping them to understand the nature of God’s love for everyone. After all, Jesus has just taught them how to pray, beginning with the words, “Our Father.” Since God is love Itself, it is His very nature to love His children without bounds and to give them everything they need for their salvation.

In this regard, it should be mentioned that “everything we need for our salvation” involves everything that is spiritual (i.e., matters of faith) and everything that is celestial (i.e., matters of love). In this case, Jesus uses the concrete language of the physical world to deliver messages that contain deeper spiritual truth. For example, when Jesus mentions a prayer for “bread” He is referring to love; when He mentions a prayer for “fish” He is referring to living truth, and when He mentions a prayer for an “egg,” He is referring to the start of spiritual life.

Using this sacred symbolism as our guide, we can take a deeper look at the meaning of this passage. Jesus is saying that if people pray for a loving heart (“bread”), God will not give them a heart of “stone.” Similarly, if people for living truth (a “fish”), God will not give them selfish reasoning (a “serpent”). And if people pray for a new spirit (an “egg”), God will not allow them to be poisoned by false beliefs (the sting of a “scorpion”). ⁹

This is how it is for each of us. Our prayers may not bring about the physical health, financial freedom, or social status we seek—but God will never fail to give us the love and wisdom that we desire. Moreover, He will give us the Holy Spirit—His real presence with us and in us. This is the Spirit that enables us to understand truth and do good. As Jesus puts it, “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him” (Luke 11:13). ¹⁰

A practical application

In the previous practical application, we suggested that you try prayer. In this application, we suggest that you try prayer again, but this time keep your prayer focused on spiritual and heavenly qualities. Instead of focusing on what God can do for your physical life, focus instead on what God can do for your spiritual life. For example, when you think about “daily bread” let it be a prayer about being sustained by the life-giving affections and noble thoughts that flow in from God. In this regard, you might consider asking God to give you patience in place of impatience, or forgiveness in place of resentment, or love in place of hatred. As you ask for these spiritual qualities in prayer, keep in mind that the only true prayers are living ones—prayers that are enacted through striving to become the person you hope to be. In the process, as you strive to manifest spiritual qualities in your life, as if from yourself, God will flow in with the power to be patient, the power to be forgiving, and the power to love. Eventually, as you continue to act like the person you hope to become, your prayer life and your daily life become as one. Your prayers will open the way for God’s power to infill your actions, and your actions will be your prayers made visible. ¹¹

A House Divided Cannot Stand

14. And He was casting out a demon, and it was mute; and it came to pass, when the demon had come out, the mute spoke; and the crowds marveled.

15. But some of them said, He casts out demons by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons.

16. And others, tempting [Him], sought of Him a sign from heaven.

17. But He, seeing their thoughts, said to them, Every kingdom divided against itself is made desolate, and a house [divided] against a house falls.

18. And if Satan also be divided against himself, how shall his kingdom stand? because you say that I cast out demons by Beelzebub.

19. And if I by Beelzebub cast out demons, by whom do your sons cast [them] out? Therefore, shall they be your judges.

20. But if I by the finger of God cast out demons, certainly the kingdom of God has come to you.

21. When the strong [one], fully armed, guards his own dwelling, his belongings are in peace;

22. But when a stronger than he comes upon [him] and overcomes him, he takes away all his armor on which he trusted, and distributes his spoils.

23. He that is not with Me is against Me; and he that gathers not with Me scatters.

Prayer is speech with God. We offer up our thoughts, we seek guidance, we ask for protection, we share our heart’s desires, and we express our gratitude. There is no mysterious “language of prayer.” There is simply the petitioner and God, speaking and listening. It is a fundamental human process. ¹²

But sometimes, we find that we cannot speak with God. We have nothing to say, and no desire to pray. It is a kind of spiritual “muteness.” We read therefore, in the next episode, that Jesus was “casting out a demon, and it was mute” (Luke 11:14). As soon as this spirit of muteness was cast out, the mute person began to speak. The multitudes marveled, but some said, “He casts out demons by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons” (Luke 11:15).

In spiritual reality, only truth can cast out falsity; only good can cast out evil. It is impossible for falsity to cast out falsity, or evil to cast out evil. Jesus assures us that this is indeed the case. As he puts it, “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and a house divided against itself falls” (Luke 11:17). Jesus makes it clear that Beelzebub is not the one who gives Him the power to cast out demons. The power to cast out demons comes from God alone. Therefore, Jesus says, “If I cast out demons with the finger of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you” (Luke 11:20).

The phrase “finger of God” is a reference to the Ten Commandments which “were written with “the finger of God” (Exodus 31:18). Jesus is reminding them that His power is from the same God who gave the Divine Commandments, and it is only through that power that He is able to cast out demons. The “demons” are real. They manifest as the many forms of self-love that keep us in bondage, refusing to let us pray or do what is good for others. They are like “a strong man, fully armed, who guards his own palace” (Luke 11:21). When we are under demonic influence, we find it impossible to pray. Like the mute man, we cannot speak with God.

But although demonic influences seem to be strong, even invincible, God is stronger. Therefore, Jesus adds these words: “When a stronger than he comes upon him and overcomes him, he takes from him all his armor in which he trusted, and divides his spoils” (Luke 11:22). Jesus, who comes to us with the truth of His Word and the power of His love, is the “stronger man.” Through the truth of God’s Word, falsity is disarmed, and its spoils are divided; battles are turned into blessings.

All this is accomplished when a person decides to be led by God’s goodness and truth. Those who are led by goodness and truth will join with Jesus in the work of gathering together all that is good and true within them. But those who do not choose to be led by goodness and truth will allow unclean spirits to wreak havoc within, them disrupting their lives and scattering whatever is good and true. As Jesus puts it, “He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters” (Luke 11:23).

A practical application

Goodness and truth unite us; they draw us together as one family under one God. But evil and falsity separate and scatter us. Will we be with Him or against Him who casts out demons with the finger of God? Will we be among those who gather, or those who scatter? This is the decision that Jesus leaves us with as this episode closes.

Casting Out—and Keeping Out—Unclean Spirits

24. When the unclean spirit has come out of a man, he passes through waterless places seeking rest; and finding not, he says, “I will return to my house from which I came out”;

25. And when he comes, he finds [it] swept and adorned.

26. Then he goes and takes seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and entering in, they dwell there; and the last [things] of that man become worse than the first.

27. And it came to pass as He said these things, a certain woman from the crowd, lifting up her voice, said to Him, “Happy [is] the womb that bore Thee, and the breasts [at] which Thou hast nursed.”

28. But He said, “Rather, happy [are] they that hear the Word of God and guard it.”

Casting out demons is indeed marvelous, but it is only a small part of the wondrous work that Jesus performs. In fact, if casting out demons were all He did, people would be in worse shape than before He started. We read, therefore, that “when an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when he comes, he finds it swept and put in order. Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of the man is worst than the first” (Luke 11:24-26).

Jesus was indeed able to cast out demons with the finger of God. This is the mighty power of the Ten Commandments in the literal sense, teaching us what not to do—what evils to shun. This is what it means spiritually to “sweep out our houses.” We are not to worship other gods, we are not to take God’s name in vain, we are not to work on the Sabbath, we are not to murder, not to commit adultery, not to steal, not to lie, and not to covet. To the extent that we do not do any of these things, our mental “house” will be swept clean.

But we cannot be satisfied with a spiritual life that is based only on sweeping out and emptying. Our spiritual nature—like physical nature—abhors a vacuum. If our spirituality is only composed of “Thou shall not, Thou shalt not, Thou shalt not,” we will momentarily be swept clean. But we will also be like an empty, unoccupied house that will quickly be filled by “other spirits more wicked than the original one.” Pride, vanity, conceit, arrogance, self-satisfaction, self-righteousness, and contempt will all come rushing in, and “the last state will be worse than the first.”

The only way to prevent this from happening is to fill the cleaned-out, demon-free dwellings with the opposite goods: in place of the false gods that are driven out, the One True God is invited in; instead of taking God’s name in vain, the name of God is called upon regularly in prayer; instead of working on the Sabbath, the Sabbath becomes a day to do good for others; instead of murdering we become life-givers; instead of stealing, we become contributors; instead of lying, we become truth-tellers, and instead of coveting we become grateful for all that we have. In this way, our empty dwelling is filled with gratitude and selfless service.

This episode, then, puts forth a two-step program for our spiritual rehabilitation. On the one hand, we must shun evils as sins against God. This is the first step. We cannot expect God to plant new seeds in our spiritual garden unless we first remove the weeds. But merely removing the weeds is not enough. Like a mind that is empty, anything can and will rush in. The neatly weeded garden will soon be overrun with other weeds, and unless a new crop is planted, there will be more weeds in that garden than in the beginning. Therefore, we must not only shun evils; we must also do good. Casting out demons is only the beginning; we must then begin to serve others.

As this episode closes, “a certain woman from the crowd,” still marveling at the exorcism performed on the mute person, cries out, “Blessed is the womb that bore You, and the breasts that nursed You” (Luke 11:27). While Jesus does not contradict her, He reminds her, and all who might be listening, that there are blessings that far exceed the miracles that He has performed. “More than that,” He says, “Blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it” (Luke 11:28). The emphasis is once again, not on miracles, but rather on hearing God’s Word, and doing it.

Seeking a Sign

29. And when the crowds congregated, He began to say, “This is a wicked generation; it seeks a sign, and a sign shall not be given to it except the sign of Jonah the prophet.

30. For as Jonah was a sign to the Ninevites, so also shall the Son of Man be to this generation.

31. The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation, and condemn them; for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and behold, more than Solomon [is] here.

32. The men of Nineveh shall stand up in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, more than Jonah [is] here.

33. And no one having kindled a lamp puts [it] in a secret [place], neither under a bushel, but on a lampstand, that they who go in may look at the light.

34. The lamp of the body is the eye; therefore, when thine eye is single, thy whole body also is illuminated; but when [it] is evil, thy body also [is] dark;

35. Take heed, therefore, that the light that is in thee be not darkness.

36. If then thy whole body [be] illuminated, having no part dark, the whole shall be illuminated as when a lamp by [its] bright shining gives thee light.”

Among those who gathered to witness the exorcism on the demon-possessed man, there were some who marveled, some who doubted, and some who sought “a sign from heaven” (Luke 11:16). Jesus now addresses this third group, saying, “This is an evil generation. It seeks a sign, and no sign will be given except the sign of Jonah, the prophet” (Luke 11:29). Jesus then recounts the story of Jonah, reminding everyone that even the men of Nineveh repented when Jonah preached to them. And then He points out that “one who is greater than Jonah is here” (Luke 11:32).

The one who is “greater than Jonah” is Jesus, but the people cannot understand what He means. Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the whale and then was disgorged onto dry ground. This miracle foreshadowed the much greater miracle that was soon to take place: Jesus would be crucified, and then, after three days, He would rise again. ¹³

Jesus knew that those who demanded a sign would still not be convinced. Signs and miracles may momentarily persuade, but they do not entirely convince. The hunger for more signs and greater miracles continues to increase and can never be satisfied. Faith is much deeper. It involves our understanding, and therefore cannot be blind. It is for this reason that Jesus goes on to say that “no one, when he has lit a lamp, puts it in a secret place or under a basket, but on a lampstand that those who come in may see the light” (Luke 11:33).

Jesus stood before them, as the light of the world, in plain view, but some refused to see. This was because they did not want to see. As Jesus continues, He says, “The lamp of the body is the eye. Therefore, when your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. But when your eye is bad, your body also is full of darkness. Therefore, take heed that the light that is in you is not darkness” (Luke 11:35). ¹⁴

When Jesus refers to an “eye that is good” he is referring to people whose understanding is unclouded by selfish desires. When “the eye is good,” people see the truth about themselves, even if it means that they must repent and change their ways. But when the “eye is bad,” it refers to an understanding that is clouded by selfish loves and worldly desires. When this is the case, the mind is full of darkness. There is no understanding because there is no real desire to understand. Even though the person might be shown a thousand miracles, they will relapse, again and again, into disbelief, demanding ever more miracles. ¹⁵

In place of miracles that coerce belief, Jesus wanted to illuminate their understanding with divine truth. He knew that a true understanding of scripture can light up the whole mind in the same way that a lamp can light up an entire room. This is what happens when a person has real faith in God. As Jesus puts it, “If then your whole body is full of light, having no part dark, the whole body will be full of light, as when the bright shining of a lamp gives you light” (Luke 11:36).

This is one of the chief goals of every prayer. It is to pray that God might grant us light so that we might see clearly how to do His will. As it is written in the Hebrew scriptures, “Your word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path” (Psalm 119:105). It is for this reason that David cried out, “My God turns my darkness into light” (Psalm 18:28).

Jesus Does Not Wash Before Dinner

37. And as He spoke, a certain Pharisee besought Him to dine with him; and He went in, [and] reclined.

38. But the Pharisee, seeing, marveled that He had not first washed thoroughly before dinner.

39. And the Lord said to him, “Now do you Pharisees make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but your inside is filled with extortion and wickedness.

40. Senseless [ones]! Did not He who made that which is outside make that which is inside also?

41. Nevertheless give the things that are within for alms, and behold, all things are clean to you.

42. But woe to you, Pharisees, because you tithe mint and rue and every herb, and pass by the judgment and the love of God; these things you ought to have done, and not to have left those also [undone].

43. Woe to you, Pharisees, because you love the first seats in the synagogues, and greetings in the markets.

44. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are as sepulchers that appear not, and the men that walk over [them and] know not.”

45. And one of the lawyers answering said to Him, “Teacher, in saying these things Thou insultest us also.”

46. But He said, “Woe to you, lawyers, also, because you burden men with burdens difficult to bear, and you yourselves touch not the burdens with one of your fingers.

47. Woe to you because you build the sepulchers of the prophets, and your fathers killed them.

48. Then you bear witness to and have good pleasure in the works of your fathers, for they indeed killed them, and you build their sepulchers.

49. By this also the wisdom of God said, I will send out to them prophets and apostles, and [some] of them they shall kill and persecute,

50. That the blood of all the prophets poured out from the founding of the world may be required of this generation,

51. From the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who perished between the altar and the house. Yes, I say to you, it shall be required of this generation.

52. Woe to you, lawyers, because you have taken away the key of knowledge; you entered not in yourselves, and those that were entering in you have forbidden.”

53. And as He said these things to them, the scribes and the Pharisees began to urge [Him] frightfully, and to provoke Him to speak of many things,

54. Lying in wait for Him, and seeking to catch something out of His mouth, that they might accuse Him.

People marvel at different things. The disciples marveled when Jesus calmed the wind and the waves (Luke 8:25); the people marveled when Jesus healed the boy who suffered from seizures (Luke 9:43), and as we have just seen in a recent episode, the multitudes marveled when Jesus cast out a demon from a man who was mute, enabling the man to speak. These were indeed marvelous occurrences. We can vicariously share the wide-eyed wonder among those who were first-hand witnesses to these events.

But, as we have seen, not everyone marveled. Some doubted, and some wanted further testimony. And there were some who stubbornly maintained that Jesus was an imposter who claimed to have extraordinary powers, but who was a charlatan, or sorcerer, or, worst of all, a demon. Even if they were to grant that Jesus had extraordinary powers, they reasoned that these powers could not possibly be from God.

This latter group of disbelievers, nervous about Jesus’ growing popularity, seems to have only one thing in mind: they want to prove that Jesus is an opponent of all that is pure and holy in religion. After all, this is the man who touches dead bodies, heals on the Sabbath, eats with tax collectors, drinks with drunkards and associates with sinners. When they observe Him, their selfishness prevents them from seeing Jesus’ goodness and charity. This is precisely what Jesus was referring to in the preceding episode, when He said to them, “When your eye is bad, your body is also full of darkness” (Luke 11:35). ¹⁶

This next episode epitomizes their uncharitable suspicions. When a certain Pharisee asks Jesus to dine with him, Jesus accepts the invitation and goes in to eat with the Pharisee. We then read that “The Pharisee marveled.” We pause here to consider what it might be that the Pharisee marvels at. Is it perhaps Jesus’ miracles? His wondrous healings? His power over the wind and the waves? Maybe it is His miraculous feeding of the multitudes, or the casting out of demons? The answer is none of the above. Returning to the unfinished sentence, we read, “He marveled that Jesus had not first washed before dinner” (Luke 11:38).

Jesus knows what the Pharisee is thinking, and He uses this as an opportunity to teach a timeless lesson: “Now you Pharisees make the outside of the cup and dish clean,” He says, “but your inward part is full of greed and wickedness. Foolish ones! Did not He who made the outside make the inside also?” (Luke 11:39)

The Pharisee places his focus on the fact that Jesus does not wash His hands before dinner. In fact, he “marvels” at this. But Jesus lets him know that washing hands is merely an external act, and that paying too much attention to externals can lead to ignoring what is much more important—our internal. For example, if the Pharisees were not so stingy, and gave alms more freely “all things would be clean” to them. But the Pharisees were not known for their charity. Instead, they prided themselves on “tithing mint and rue and all manner of herbs,” while they ignored the weightier, more important aspects of religion, “justice and the love of God” (Luke 11:42).

Jesus is not saying they should give up tithing, or exchange one practice for another. They should continue to tithe, but they should also practice justice in their dealings with people, and sincerity in their love towards God. As Jesus puts it, “These you ought to have done without leaving the others undone” (Luke 11:42) Jesus also chastises the Pharisees for their love of honor: “Woe to you Pharisees! For you love the best seats in the synagogues and greetings in marketplaces” (Luke 11:43).

It is clear to Jesus that the outward glory and honor they crave so much did nothing to conceal their corrupt inner nature. They are like rotting corpses in unmarked graves. People might walk past, even walk over those graves, not realizing what a thin veil separates them from the contamination and rottenness underfoot. “Woe to you scribes and Pharisees!” says Jesus. “For you are like graves which are not seen, and the men who walk over them are not aware of them” (Luke 11:44).

So far, Jesus has been hurling harsh invectives at the Pharisees, but says nothing about the lawyers. Accordingly, a lawyer speaks up saying, “Teacher, by saying these things, You insult us also” (Luke 11:45). This is true. The lawyers assist the Pharisees in helping them understand and interpret the law. Therefore, Jesus’ criticism of the Pharisees is also an insult to the lawyers.

But even though Jesus is an invited guest at this dinner, and is most certainly violating the code of hospitality, He does not apologize. This is because He is thinking from a higher code—a code that places love and justice above the superficial observances, purity codes, and ritualistic pieties that are instituted and enforced by the religious leaders, but have nothing to do with genuine spirituality.

He therefore returns to His diatribe, this time directing His comments to the lawyers “Woe to you also, you lawyers! For you load men with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers” (Luke 11:46). The image of the lawyers turning the blessings of the law into heavy burdens for the people to carry, without “lifting a finger” to help them, is powerful and poignant.

Jesus continues to castigate the lawyers, now accusing them and their fathers of murdering the prophets, and preventing people from enjoying the blessings of true religion. While the contemporary lawyers of Jesus’ day could not have physically murdered the prophets of old (they weren’t alive at the time) their failure to heed the warnings of the prophets nullified the force of their teachings. After all, the words of the prophets contained the key to knowledge. The lawyers had those teachings, but did not pass them on to the people—not, at least, in the spirit they were given. Jesus, therefore, pronounces one last woe: “Woe to you lawyers! For you have taken away the key of knowledge. You did not enter in yourselves, and those who were entering in you hindered” (Luke 11:52).

As might be expected, Jesus’ words do little to change the minds of the Pharisees and lawyers. But He does succeed at making them angrier and more determined to put an end to His relentless and incisive exposure of their true nature. Therefore, as this episode closes, we read that “the scribes and Pharisees began to assail Him vehemently, and to cross-examine Him about many things, lying in wait for Him, and seeking to catch Him in something He might say, that they might accuse Him” (Luke 11:54).

This episode ends where it began—with the scribes and Pharisees “lying in wait for Him, and seeking to catch Him.” Whether it is a matter of His eating with unwashed hands, or saying something that contradicted their understanding of the law, they are ready to accuse and ready to condemn Him. They are ready for anything except to learn from Him. As a result, they are very far from understanding Jesus’ warning, given at the end of the previous episode: “Take heed that the light which is in you is not darkness” (Luke 11:35). ¹⁷

Footnotes:

706. Verse 1. And a great sign was seen in heaven, signifies Divine attestation respecting the coming church and the reception of its doctrine, and by whom it will be assaulted. This is evident from the signification of "a great sign in heaven," as being Divine manifestation and attestation; that it has reference to the church and the reception of its doctrine, and also to assault upon it, is evident from what follows, for the "woman" means the church, her "son a male" doctrine, and "the dragon and his angels" and afterwards "the beasts," mean those who will assault the church and its doctrine. This vision is called "a great sign" because a "sign" means Divine manifestation respecting things to come, and attestation, here respecting the coming church and its doctrine, and also the assault upon it by those who are meant by "the dragon" and "the beasts." This is called a "sign," because it manifests and attests. "Sign" and "wonder" are mentioned in many passages in the Word, "sign" meaning that which indicates, witnesses, and persuades respecting the subject of inquiry, and "wonder" meaning that which stirs up, strikes dumb, and fills with amazement; thus a sign moves the understanding and faith, but a wonder the will and its affection, for the will and its affection are what are stirred up, stricken dumb, and filled with amazement, while the understanding and its faith are what are persuaded and moved by indications and proofs.

[2] That there is a difference between a sign and a wonder is evident from the fact that the Jews, although they had seen so many wonders performed by the Lord, still sought signs from Him; and also from the fact that the prodigies wrought in Egypt and in the wilderness are sometimes called "signs" and sometimes "wonders," and sometimes both. It is further evident from this, that in every particular of the Word there is a marriage of truth and good, and thus also of the understanding and will, for truth is of the understanding and good of the will, consequently "signs" there have reference to things pertaining to truth, and to faith and the understanding, and "wonders" to the things pertaining to good, and to affection and the will. Thence is clear the meaning of "signs" and of "wonders," where they are both mentioned in the Word, as in the following passages. In Moses:

I will harden Pharaoh's heart, that I may multiply My signs and My wonders in the land of Egypt (Exodus 7:3).

In the same:

Jehovah gave signs and wonders great and evil upon Egypt, upon Pharaoh, and upon all his men ¹ (Deuteronomy 6:22).

In the same:

Hath Jehovah tried to come to take to Him a nation out of the midst of a nation, by wonders, by signs, and by prodigies? (Deuteronomy 4:34)

In David:

They remembered not the day in which Jehovah set His signs in Egypt, and His prodigies in the field of Zoan (Psalms 78:42, 43).

In the same:

They set among them the words of their ² signs and wonders in the land of Ham (Psalms 105:27).

In the same:

He sent signs and wonders into the midst of thee, O Egypt, upon Pharaoh and all his servants (Psalms 135:9).

In Jeremiah:

Who hast set signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, and even to this day, both in Israel and in men, and hast led forth Thy people Israel out of the land of Egypt by signs and by wonders (Jeremiah 32:20, 21).

This shows that the prodigies wrought in Egypt, and afterwards among the sons of Israel, are called "signs and wonders," "signs" because they attested and persuaded, and "wonders" because they stirred up and filled with amazement; yet they agree in this, that the things that stir up and fill with amazement also attest and persuade, as those things that stir up the will also persuade the understanding, or as those things that move the affection also move the thought by persuading. Likewise in the Gospels:

In the consummation of the age there shall arise false Christs and false prophets, they shall show great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect (Matthew 24:24; Mark 13:22).

Here "great signs and wonders" have a like signification, namely, that they will attest and persuade, and that they will strike dumb and fill with amazement, which will cause a strong persuasion. Who are meant by "false Christs and false prophets," and who by "the elect," may be seen above (n. 624, 684).

[3] In Moses:

If there shall arise in the midst of thee a prophet or a dreamer of dreams who shall give thee a sign or a wonder, and if the sign or the wonder come to pass whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, thou shalt not obey (Deuteronomy 13:1-3).

Here a "prophet" and a "dreamer of dreams," also "sign" and "wonder" are mentioned, because a "sign" has reference to a prophet, and a "wonder" to a dreamer of dreams, because a "prophet" means one who teaches truths, and in the abstract sense the doctrine of truth, and a "dreamer" means one who stirs up to doing, and in the abstract sense the stirring up from which a thing is done; this, too, pertains to a "wonder," and the former to a "sign;" for prophets were instructed by a living voice from the Lord, and "dreamers" by representatives exciting to doing, which flowed into the affection of the dreamer, and from that into the sight of the thought, for when a man dreams his natural understanding is laid asleep and his spiritual sight is opened, which draws its all from the affection. But in this passage the sight that draws its all from an evil affection is meant, for it treats of prophets who teach falsities and who dream vain things, for "other gods" mean the falsities and vain things that such heard and saw.

[4] That "signs" signify attestations which indicate and persuade to the belief that a thing is so, is evident from the following passages. In Moses:

If they will not believe thee nor hear the voice of the first sign, yet they will believe the voice of the latter sign. And if they will not believe these two signs nor hear thy voice, thou shalt take of the waters of the river and they shall become blood (Exodus 4:8, 9).

This is said of the wonders wrought by Moses, when the Lord appeared to him in the bush, which are called "signs" because they were to attest and persuade that Moses was sent to lead them out of Egypt; this is why it is three times said "that they may believe," and also "that they may hear his voice."

[5] In the same:

Jehovah said unto Moses, How long will the people not believe in Me for all the signs which I have done in the midst of them? All the men that have seen My glory and the signs which I wrought in Egypt and in the wilderness, they shall not see the land (Numbers 14:11, 22, 23).

These miracles, too, are called "signs," because mention is made of believing; for as has been said, miracles are called "signs" because they persuade and induce faith; and as signs did not induce faith with those who were unwilling on account of fear to enter into the land of Canaan, therefore it is said of them that "they should not see the land." "Signs" have a like signification in Exodus 4:17; and Jeremiah 10:1, 2.

[6] In the Gospels:

The Scribes and Pharisees said, Master, we would see a sign from Thee. But He answering, said, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign, but no sign shall be given to it but the sign of Jonah the prophet; for as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the whale, so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the belly ³ of the earth (Matthew 12:38-40; Luke 11:16, 29, 30).

A "sign" plainly means attestation that they may be persuaded and believe that the Lord was the Messiah and the Son of God who was to come, for the miracles that the Lord wrought in abundance, and that they saw, were no signs to them, because miracles, as has been said above, are signs only with the good. "Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the whale," and this was taken for a "sign," because it signified the burial and resurrection of the Lord, thus the complete glorification of His Human, "three days and three nights" also signifying completeness.

[7] In Matthew:

The Pharisees and the Sadducees, tempting, asked Jesus to show them a sign from heaven. He answering, said to them, When it is evening ye say, It will be fair weather, for the heaven is red. And in the morning, There will be storm today, for the heaven is red and gloomy. Ye hypocrites, ye know how to discern the face of heaven, but not the signs of the times. A wicked and adulterous nation requireth a sign, but no sign shall be given unto it but the sign of the prophet Jonah (Matthew 16:1-4).

Here, too, the "sign" asked from heaven means attestation that they might be persuaded and might believe that the Lord was the Son of God, although miracles were wrought that they did not call signs. The Lord then spoke of evening and of morning because "evening and morning" signifies the Lord's coming; here it means when the church with the Jews was laid waste, who then had "fair weather," because they had no knowledge of the Lord, and lived securely in falsities from evil; this is the "evening;" but when they knew Him, and because of falsities from evils in which they were denied and assaulted Him, this is signified by "the morning when there is a storm." This is why the Lord said, "Ye hypocrites, ye know how to discern the face of heaven, but not the signs of the times," that is, the Lord's coming; and because they were "a wicked and adulterous nation," that is, one that adulterated the Word, He said that "no sign should be given unto them."

[8] So again in Mark:

The Pharisees began to dispute with Jesus, seeking of Him a sign from heaven; and He, sighing in His spirit, said, Why doth this generation seek a sign? Verily I say unto you, There shall no sign be given unto this generation (Mark 8:11, 12).

That a "sign" here signifies attestation by which they might plainly know, acknowledge, and believe, that the Lord was the Messiah and Son of God whom they expected from the predictions in the prophets, is evident from this, that "sighing in spirit, He said, Why doth this generation seek a sign? Verily I say unto you, There shall no sign be given unto this generation;" and this was because if this had been plainly revealed or told them from heaven, and if thus persuaded they had acknowledged and believed it, they would nevertheless have rejected it afterwards, and to reject after acknowledgment and faith is to profane, and the lot of profaners in hell is the worst of all.

[9] That for this reason plain attestation was not given them from heaven is evident from these words in John:

He hath blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts lest they should see with their eyes and understand with their heart, and should turn themselves, and I should heal them (John 12:40).

"To turn themselves and be healed" means here to profane, which is done when truths and goods are acknowledged, especially when the Lord is acknowledged and afterwards denied; so would it have been if the Jews had turned themselves and been healed by a sign. "To see with the eyes and understand with the heart" signifies to receive in the understanding and will, or in faith and love. From this it is clear that a "sign" signifies a plain testification. (On the lot of profaners see The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem, n.172.)

[10] In John:

The disciples ⁴ said unto Jesus, What doest Thou for a sign, that we may see and believe Thee, what workest Thou? Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, as it is written, He gave them bread out of heaven to eat. Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not the bread out of heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread out of heaven; for the bread of God is He who cometh down out of heaven and giveth life unto the world (John 6:30-33).

Here also the disciples ⁴ desired a sign; that this signifies attestation that they might believe is clear from their saying, "That we may see and believe, what workest Thou?" They then spoke of "manna," and the Lord answered respecting "bread from heaven," because "bread" signifies all good and truth that nourishes the soul, and in the highest sense the Lord Himself, from whom is everything of doctrine and everything of spiritual nourishment, whereby he gave attestation that they might see and believe. Nevertheless attestation, that is, a sign from heaven, was given to the three disciples, Peter, James, and John, as can be seen from the Lord's transfiguration, for they then saw His glory, and heard a voice out of heaven saying, "This is My beloved Son, hear ye Him" (Mark 9:7; Luke 9:35; Matthew 17:5).

[11] In John:

When Jesus cast out of the temple them that sold therein, the Jews said, What sign showest Thou, that Thou doest these things? Jesus answered and said to them, Destroy this temple, yet in three days I will raise it up (John 2:16, 18, 19).

Here evidently "to show a sign" signifies to give attestation by something wonderful, or by a voice out of heaven. But because such an attestation would have damned rather than saved them, as has been said just above, He answered them concerning "the temple," by which He meant His body, that this should be destroyed, that is, should die, and should rise again glorified on the third day. This too is what the Lord meant by "the sign of Jonah in the belly of the whale three days and three nights." (That "temple" in the highest sense signifies the Lord's body, see John 2:21.)

[12] In Luke:

The angels said to the shepherds, There is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord; and this is a sign unto you, ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes lying in a manger (Luke 2:11, 12, 16).

Since a "sign" means attestation that they might believe that the Savior of the world was born, it is said that "they should find Him lying in a manger wrapped in swaddling clothes;" but that this was an attestation no one can know until it is known what is meant by a "manger" and by "swaddling clothes." "A manger" means the doctrine of truth from the Word, because "horses" signify the understanding of the Word (as can be seen from what has been shown above, n. 355, 364, and in the small work on The White Horse 2-4); and thus a manger, as a feeding place for horses, signifies the doctrine of truth from the Word. It is said in the seventh verse of the same chapter that this was done "because there was no place in the inn," an "inn" signifying a place of instruction. (This is the signification of "inn" also in Luke 10:34; 22:11; Mark 14:14; and elsewhere.)

Because this was the state with the Jews, who were then in mere falsities, through the adulteration of the Word, this was signified by "there was no place in the inn;" for if it had pleased the Lord He might have been born in a most splendid palace, and have been laid in a bed adorned with precious stones; but He would thus have been with such as were in no doctrine of truth, and there would have been no heavenly representation. He is also said to have been "wrapped in swaddling clothes," because "swaddling clothes" signify first truths, which are truths of innocence, and which are also truths of the Divine love; for "nakedness," in reference to a babe, signifies deprivation of truth. From this it is clear why it was said by the angels, "This is a sign unto you, ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes lying in a manger."

[13] In the Gospels:

The disciples said to Jesus, What shall be the sign of Thy coming and of the consummation of the age? (Matthew 24:3; Mark 13:4; Luke 21:7)

"The coming of the Lord and the consummation of the age" signifies the beginning of the New Church and the end of the former church, "the coming of the Lord" the beginning of the New Church, and "the consummation of the age" the end of the old church, therefore in these chapters the Lord instructs His disciples respecting the successive vastation of the former church, and at its end the establishment of the New Church; but He instructs and teaches them by mere correspondences, which cannot be unfolded and made known except by means of the spiritual sense; and because the Lord spoke by correspondences, all of these were signs and thus attestations. Moreover, the Lord calls them "signs."

As in Luke:

And there shall be fearful things, great signs from heaven. There shall be signs in the sun, moon, and stars, and upon the earth distress of nations in desperation, the sea and the waves roaring (Luke 21:11, 21:25).

In Matthew:

And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man; and then shall all the tribes of the earth lament, and they shall see the Son of man coming In the clouds of heaven with power and glory (Matthew 24:30).

The signification in the spiritual sense of these and the other things contained in the twenty-fourth chapter of Matthew have been explained in the Arcana Coelestia, and of "the appearing of the sign of the Son of man in the clouds of heaven" in the work on Heaven and Hell 1), therefore further explanation is unnecessary.

[14] In Mark:

Jesus said unto the disciples, These signs shall follow them that believe, In My name shall they cast out demons; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the infirm and they shall be well. And they went forth and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them by signs following (Mark 16:17, 18, 20).

These were miracles, yet still they are called "signs" because they were attestations of the Divine power of the Lord who wrought them; therefore it is said, "The Lord working with them by those signs." If these had been applied to the evil they would have been called "wonders," for with the evil such things only fill with amazement and strike the mind, and still do not persuade to belief; but with the good it is otherwise, for with them the same things are attestations that persuade to belief, and therefore they are called "signs," and it is said "these signs shall follow them that believe." But how these signs can persuade to belief shall be briefly told. These miraculous signs, as that "they should cast out demons," "should speak with new tongues," "should take up serpents," "if they drank any deadly thing it should not hurt them," and "they should become well by the laying on of hands," were in their essence and in their origin spiritual, from which these flowed forth and came forth as effects; for they were correspondences that derived their all from the spiritual world by influx from the Lord. For instance, that "they should cast out demons in the name of the Lord" derived its effect from this, that the name of the Lord understood spiritually means everything of doctrine out of the Word from the Lord, and that "demons" mean falsities of every kind, and these are thus cast out, that is, taken away, by the doctrine out of the Word from the Lord; that "they should speak with new tongues" derives its effect from this, that "new tongues" mean doctrinals for the New Church; "they should take up serpents" was because "serpents" signify the hells in respect to malice, and thus they would be safe from infestation by it; "they would not be hurt if they drank any deadly thing" meant that they would not be contaminated by the malice of the hells; and "the infirm would become well by the laying on of hands" meant to be healed of spiritual diseases, which are called iniquities and sins, by communication and conjunction with heaven, thus with the Lord; the laying on of the hands of the disciples corresponding to communication and conjunction with the Lord, and thus to the removal of iniquities by His Divine power.

[15] In Isaiah:

Jehovah said unto Ahaz, Ask thee a sign of Jehovah, direct it into the deep, or lift it up on high. The Lord giveth you a sign, Behold, a virgin shall conceive and shall bear a son, and shall call His name God-with-us (Isaiah 7:11, 14).

This was said to Ahaz king of Judah, because the king of Syria and the king of Israel made war against him, even to Jerusalem, and they also had on their side the tribe of Ephraim, and yet they did not prevail, for the reason that "the king of Syria" here represented the external or natural of the church, "the king of Israel" its internal or spiritual, and "Ephraim" its intellectual; but here these three, the natural, the spiritual, and the intellectual, perverted, and these wished to attack the doctrine of truth, signified by "the king of Judah" and by "Jerusalem," wherefore they did not succeed. Nevertheless, in order that Ahaz might be assured of the frustration of their attempt he was told "to ask a sign," that is, an attestation that he might be assured, and the choice was granted him whether it should be from heaven or from hell; this was signified by "direct it into the deep, or lift it up on high," for the king was evil. But because "Jerusalem," which signifies the doctrine of truth from the Word, was not to be destroyed by such before the Lord's coming, there was given him, as an attestation of this, a miraculous sign, namely, that "a virgin shall conceive and shall bear a son, whose name shall be God-with-us." That this church would subsequently be destroyed is indicated further on in the same chapter.

[16] In the same:

This shall be a sign to thee from with Jehovah, behold, I will bring back the shadow of the steps which is gone down on the steps of Ahaz before the sun, ten steps backward, that the sun may return ten steps on the steps which it has gone down (Isaiah 38:7-8).

This sign was given to King Hezekiah as an attestation that the Lord would defend him and Jerusalem from the king of Assyria (as is said in the sixth verse of that chapter), Isaiah 38:6 that king signifying the perverted rational destroying all things of the church; therefore this sign represented also a New Church that was to be established by the Lord, but here that the time would be protracted beyond that indicated to Ahaz just above; "bringing back the shadow that had gone down on the steps of Ahaz before the sun" signifies a drawing back of the time before this should be done, "steps of Ahaz" signifying a time, here even until the coming of the Lord, and the "shadow" signifying the progress of time from the rising to the setting; that the shadow "should be drawn backwards ten degrees" signifies the prolongation of the time for many years still, "ten" signifying many, and the "sun" which should go back signifying the Lord's coming.

But this shall be further illustrated. The Lord's coming took place when the Jewish Church was at an end, that is, when there was no good or truth left in it; this is meant by "when iniquity was consummated," also by "the fullness of times," in which the Lord was to come. The entire period of the duration of the Jewish Church was represented by "the steps of Ahaz," its beginning by the first step there, which is when the sun is in its rising, and its end by the last when it is at its setting. This makes evident that by "the drawing back of the shadow" from the setting towards the rising means the prolongation of the time. This should take place "in the steps of Ahaz," because Ahaz was a wicked king, and profaned the holy things of the church, consequently if his successors had done the same, the end of that church would have quickly come; but as Hezekiah was an upright king the time was prolonged, for on that account the iniquity of that nation was not so soon to reach its consummation, that is, its end.

[17] In the same:

Say to King Hezekiah, This shall be the sign unto thee, Ye shall eat this year that which springeth up of itself, and in the second year that which groweth of its own accord; but in the third year sow ye, reap, and plant vineyards, and eat the fruit thereof (Isaiah 37:30).

This was said to King Hezekiah when Sennacherib, king of Assyria, made war against him, and spoke proudly of himself and insolently of God and of Israel; in consequence of which also one hundred and eighty ⁵ thousand were smitten in his camp, and he was himself killed by his sons. This was done because "Assyria" signifies the rational, and "the king of Assyria" the like, and "Judea" the celestial of the church, and "its king" the spiritual of the church; but here "the king of Assyria" signifies the perverted rational, which destroys by false reasonings all the celestial and spiritual things of the church, which are its goods and truths. And as "Judea and its king" signify the celestial and spiritual of the church which will be from the Lord when He comes into the world, therefore these things are said by which is described the regeneration of those who will be of that church. So the sign that the first year "they shall eat that which springeth up of itself" signifies celestial good that the Lord will implant in them; "in the second year that which groweth of its own accord," signifies the truth of that good which shall come from it; "to sow, to reap, to plant vineyards, and to eat the fruit thereof," signifies all the goods and truths that flow forth therefrom, "to sow and reap" signifying the implantation of good and its reception; "to plant vineyards" the implantation of truth and its reception; and "to eat the fruits thereof" the enjoyment of good and joyous things therefrom which the regenerate man has. These things are called "a sign" because they are attestations of a celestial church with those who are meant in the spiritual sense by "Judah," whose regeneration is effected by the Lord by the implantation of celestial good, afterwards by the implantation of spiritual good, which in its essence is the truth of celestial good, and finally by multiplication and fructification in the natural man.

[18] In the same:

Thus said Jehovah, the Holy One of Israel and his Former, They have asked Me signs respecting My sons, and respecting the work of My hands they command Me. I have raised him up in righteousness, and I will make straight all his ways. He shall build My city, and he shall send forth My captivity, not for price nor reward (Isaiah 45:11, 13).

This also treats of the Lord's coming and of the establishment of a church by Him. The Lord is meant by "Jehovah, the Holy One of Israel, and his Former," who is called "the Holy One of Israel" from Divine truth, and his "Former" from the establishment of the church by means of truth; and "Israel" means the church; therefore "His sons, respecting whom they asked signs," mean those who are in truths from the Lord, and "the work of His hands" means their formation, and the establishment of a church among them. "I have raised him up in righteousness, and I will make straight all His ways" signifies that Divine good and Divine truth are the Lord's, for "righteousness" is predicated in the Word of good, and "ways" signify truths that lead, here Divine truths, because they are predicated of the Lord; "he shall build My city, and he shall send forth My captivity" signifies that He will restore the doctrine of truth, and that He will deliver those who are in falsities from ignorance, "city" signifying the doctrine of truth, and "captivity" the falsities of ignorance in which the Gentiles were, and through which they were in spiritual captivity; "not for price nor reward" signifies freely given from Divine love.

[19] In the same:

Let them declare to you ⁶ the things that shall happen, declare ye the former things, that we may set our heart and may know the latter end of them; or make us to hear things to come, declare to us a sign for the future, that we may know that ye are gods (Isaiah 41:22, 23).

That to tell things past and to come belongs to the Lord alone, and not to any man or any spirit, is expressed by "declare a sign for the future, that we may know that ye are gods;" this concludes what precedes, therefore "to declare a sign" means to testify by persuading to believe.

[20] In Ezekiel:

Take to thee a pan of iron, and set it for a wall of iron between thee and the city; and thou shalt set thy faces against it, that it may be for a siege, and thou shalt lay siege to it; this shall be a sign to the house of Israel (Ezekiel 4:3).

These and the rest of the things in this chapter are representatives of the state of the church with the Jewish nation, signifying that they had no truth that was not falsified and adulterated, which in itself is falsity. Such truth is signified by "the pan of iron" that he should set for a wall between him and the city; and because this, like iron, is hard, shutting out and not admitting any genuine truth, it is said, "that it may be for a siege, and thou shalt lay siege to it;" that this sign should be a witness that the church is such is signified by "this shall be a sign to the house of Israel," "sign" meaning an attestation, and "house of Israel" the church.

[21] In David:

The adversary hath destroyed all things in the sanctuary; the adversaries have roared in the midst of Thy feast; they have set up their own signs for signs. We see not our signs; there is no more a prophet (Psalms 74:3, 4, 9).

"The adversary hath destroyed all things in the sanctuary" signifies that evil has destroyed the holy things of the church; "the adversaries have roared in the midst of Thy feast" signifies that falsities have destroyed all things of worship; "they have set up their own signs for signs" signifies that they have given attestation and persuaded by every means; "we see not our signs" signifies that no attestations of truth were accepted in the church; "there is no more a prophet" signifies no doctrine of truth.

[22] In the same:

Jehovah make a sign with me for good, that they that hate me may see and be ashamed, because Thou, O Jehovah, hast helped me and comforted me (Psalms 86:17).

"To make a sign for good" signifies attestation that Jehovah will help and comfort him, as follows, for this is the good for which Jehovah makes a sign; and because a sign is an attestation of this it is said "that they that hate me may see and be ashamed."

[23] In the same:

God who setteth fast the mountains by His power is girded with might; He maketh the tumult of the seas to cease, the tumult of its waves and the noise of the peoples, that the dwellers in the uttermost parts may fear because of Thy signs (Psalms 65:6-8).

This describes the Lord's Divine power through attestations that cause belief; but attestations that are signs are not that "He setteth fast the mountains, maketh the tumult of the seas and of its waves, and the noise of the people to cease," for these are not such signs as convince those who ascribe all things to nature; but the things meant in the spiritual sense, in which sense heaven and the church are treated of, are the signs that give attestation of the Lord's Divine power, for in that sense, the "mountains" that God setteth fast by His power mean the higher heavens, because the angels of those heavens dwell upon mountains; and in the abstract sense love to the Lord and charity towards the neighbor are meant; these are what the Lord "girded with might, setteth fast by His power," that is, makes them to stand fast forever; that "mountains" have such a signification may be seen above n. 405; "the tumult of the seas" and "the tumult of the waves" mean the disputations and reasonings of those who are beneath the heavens, and who are natural and sensual; that "seas" signify the things of the natural man, thus those who are natural, therefore their tumults and waves signify disputations and reasonings, may be seen also above n. 342. "The noise of the peoples" mean contradictions from falsities, for "peoples" signify those who are in truths, and in the contrary sense those who are in falsities (See above, n. 175, 331, 625). "That the dwellers in the uttermost parts may fear because of Thy signs" signifies holy worship from faith in regard to Divine power with those who are in the ultimates of heaven and the church; that "to fear" means to worship the Lord from charity and faith may be seen above n. 696; and that "dwellers in the uttermost parts" mean those who are in the ultimates of heaven and the church, and are in the faith of charity there, is evident, since "the uttermost parts" mean the ultimates of heaven and the church. From this it is clear that "signs" here signify attestations respecting the Lord's Divine power.

[24] In Jeremiah:

This shall be the sign unto you that I will visit upon you in this place, that ye may know that My words shall stand against you for evil. Behold, I give the king of Egypt into the hand of his adversaries and into the hand of them that seek his soul (Jeremiah 44:29, 30).

This treats of those of the church who have become natural, who are meant by those who sojourned in Egypt and returned therefrom. That such would be destroyed by evils and falsities is meant by "He will give the king of Egypt into the hand of his adversaries and into the hand of them that seek his soul," "adversaries" here meaning those who are in evils, and "them that seek the soul" those who are in falsities, thus in an abstract sense evils and falsities (that "Egypt" means the natural man see above, n. 654.

This is called a "sign," because it is an attestation that this will be done; therefore it is added, "that ye may know that my words shall stand against you for evil."

[25] That a "sign" means attestation of certainty is evident from the following passages. In Isaiah:

Hezekiah said, What is the sign that I am to go up into the house of Jehovah? (Isaiah 38:22)

In the book of Judges:

Gideon said to the angel of Jehovah, Show me a sign that it is thou that speakest to me; and the sign was, that when he touched with the staff the flesh and unleavened bread which Gideon had offered, a fire went up out of the rock and consumed them (Judges 6:17, 21).

In the first book of Samuel:

This shall be the sign unto thee that shall come upon thy two sons, in one day they shall die, both of them (1 Samuel 2:34).

If the Philistines say, Come up unto us, then will we go up, for Jehovah hath given them into our hand; this shall be the sign unto us (1 Samuel 14:10).

Nearly the same is signified by:

The signs of the covenant (Genesis 9:13; 17:11; Ezekiel 20:12, 20; and elsewhere);

namely, attestations respecting conjunction.

[26] Attestations are signified also by "signs" wrought by the evil that appeared like miracles, as in the following passages. In Isaiah:

Jehovah maketh void the signs of the liars, He rendereth the diviners mad, He turneth wise men backward, and maketh their knowledge stupid (Isaiah 44:25).

In Jeremiah:

Jehovah hath said, Learn not the way of the nations, and be not dismayed at the signs of the heavens; for the nations are dismayed at them. The statutes of the nations ⁷ are vanity (Jeremiah 10:2, 3).

In Revelation:

The beast coming up out of the earth did great signs, so that he even maketh fire to come down from heaven unto the earth before men, and seduceth them that worship ⁸ upon the earth, because of the signs that were given him to do (Revelation 13:13, 14).

They are the spirits of demons doing signs to go forth unto the kings of the earth, to gather them together unto the war of that great day (Revelation 16:14).

And again:

The beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that did signs before him, by which he seduced them that had received the mark of the beast (Revelation 19:20).

But what is meant by "signs upon the hand and in the forehead" may be seen above n. 427. Again, the "signs" that were set upon mountains to gather the people together to war, to battle, and so on, signified indications to do the things commanded. As in Isaiah:

It shall be in that day that the root of Jesse, which standeth for an ensign of the peoples, the nations shall seek, and his rest shall be glory. When he shall lift up an ensign to the nations, and shall gather together the outcasts of Israel and the dispersed of Judah from the four winds of the earth (Isaiah 11:10-12).

In Jeremiah:

Set thee up signs, place for thee columns, set thine heart to the highway, the way thou mayest go (Jeremiah 31:21).

In the same:

Declare ye among the nations, and make to be heard, and lift up an ensign; Babylon is taken (Jeremiah 50:2).

Lift up an ensign against the walls of Babylon, keep the watch, set the watchmen. Lift up an ensign in the land, sound the trumpet among the nations (Jeremiah 51:12, 27);

and elsewhere, especially in the historical parts of the Word. From all these passages quoted from the Word it is clear that "a great sign seen in heaven" signifies Divine manifestation and attestation (as also in the third verse of this chapter, an (Revelation 12:3) d afterwards in chap. Revelation 15:1).

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