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Mateo 11

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1 At nangyari, na nang matapos nang masabi ni Jesus ang kaniyang mga utos sa kaniyang labingdalawang alagad, ay umalis siya roon upang magturo at mangaral sa mga bayan nila.

2 Nang marinig nga ni Juan sa bilangguan ang mga gawa ni Cristo, ay nagpasugo siya sa pamamagitan ng kaniyang mga alagad,

3 At sinabi sa kaniya, Ikaw baga yaong paririto, o hihintayin namin ang iba?

4 At sumagot si Jesus at sa kanila'y sinabi, Magsiparoon kayo at sabihin ninyo kay Juan ang mga bagay na inyong nangaririnig at nangakikita:

5 Ang mga bulag ay nangakakakita, ang mga pilay ay nangakalalakad, ang mga ketongin ay nangalilinis, at ang mga bingi ay nangakaririnig, at ang mga patay ay ibinabangon, at sa mga dukha ay ipinangangaral ang mabubuting balita.

6 At mapalad ang sinomang hindi makasumpong ng anomang katitisuran sa akin.

7 At samantalang ang mga ito'y nagsisiyaon ng kanilang lakad, ay nagpasimula si Jesus na magsalita sa mga karamihan tungkol kay Juan, Ano ang nilabas ninyo upang masdan sa ilang? isang tambo na inuuga ng hangin?

8 Datapuwa't ano ang nilabas ninyo upang makita? isang taong nararamtan ng mga damit na maseselan? Narito, ang mga nagsisipanamit ng maseselan ay nangasa mga bahay ng mga hari.

9 Datapuwa't ano ang nilabas ninyo? upang makita ang isang propeta? Oo, sinasabi ko sa inyo, at lalo pang higit kay sa isang propeta.

10 Ito yaong tungkol sa kaniya'y nasusulat, Narito, sinusugo ko ang aking sugo sa unahan ng iyong mukha, Na maghahanda ng iyong daan sa unahan mo.

11 Katotohanang sinasabi ko sa inyo, Sa gitna ng mga ipinanganganak ng mga babae ay walang lumitaw na isang dakila kay sa kay Juan Bautista: gayon man ang lalong maliit sa kaharian ng langit ay lalong dakila kay sa kaniya.

12 At mula sa mga araw ni Juan Bautista hanggang ngayon, ang kaharian ng langit ay nagbabata ng karahasan, at kinukuha nang sapilitan ng mga taong mararahas.

13 Sapagka't ang lahat ng mga propeta at ang kautusan hanggang kay Juan ay nagsipanghula.

14 At kung ibig ninyong tanggapin, ay siya'y si Elias na paririto.

15 Ang may mga pakinig upang ipakinig, ay makinig.

16 Datapuwa't sa ano ko itutulad ang lahing ito? Tulad sa mga batang nangakaupo sa mga pamilihan, na sinisigawan ang kanilang mga kasama.

17 At sinasabi, Tinutugtugan namin kayo ng plauta, at hindi kayo nagsisisayaw; nagsipanambitan kami, at hindi kayo nangahapis.

18 Sapagka't naparito si Juan na hindi kumakain o umiinom man, at sinasabi nila, Siya'y mayroong demonio.

19 Naparito ang Anak ng tao na kumakain at umiinom, at sinasabi nila, Narito, ang isang matakaw na tao at isang manginginom ng alak, isang kaibigan ng mga maniningil ng buwis at ng mga makasalanan! At ang karunungan ay inaaring-ganap ng kaniyang mga gawa.

20 Nang magkagayo'y kaniyang pinasimulang sumbatan ang mga bayan na pinaggagawan niya ng lalong marami sa kaniyang mga gawang makapangyarihan, sapagka't hindi sila nangagsisi.

21 Sa aba mo, Corazin! sa aba mo, Bethsaida! sapagka't kung sa Tiro at sa Sidon sana ginawa ang mga gawang makapangyarihan na ginawa sa inyo, malaon na dising nangagsisi na may mga damit na magaspang at abo.

22 Nguni't sinasabi ko sa inyo na higit na mapagpapaumanhinan ang Tiro at Sidon sa araw ng paghuhukom, kay sa inyo.

23 At ikaw, Capernaum, magpapakataas ka baga hanggang sa langit? ibababa ka hanggang sa Hades: sapagka't kung sa Sodoma sana ginawa ang mga makapangyarihang gawang sa iyo'y ginawa, ay nanatili sana siya hanggang sa araw na ito.

24 Datapuwa't sinasabi ko sa inyo na higit na mapagpapaumanhinan ang lupa ng Sodoma sa araw ng paghuhukom, kay sa iyo.

25 Nang panahong yaon ay sumagot si Jesus at sinabi, Ako'y nagpapasalamat sa iyo, Oh Ama, Panginoon ng langit at ng lupa, na iyong inilihim ang mga bagay na ito sa mga pantas at matatalino, at ipinahayag mo sa mga sanggol:

26 Oo nga, Ama, sapagka't gayon ang nakalugod sa iyong paningin.

27 Ang lahat ng mga bagay ay ibinigay sa akin ng aking Ama: at sinoma'y hindi nakakakilala sa Anak kundi ang Ama; at sinoma'y hindi nakakakilala sa Ama, kundi ang Anak, at yaong ibiging pagpahayagan ng Anak.

28 Magsiparito sa akin, kayong lahat na nangapapagal at nangabibigatang lubha, at kayo'y aking papagpapahingahin.

29 Pasanin ninyo ang aking pamatok, at magaral kayo sa akin; sapagka't ako'y maamo at mapagpakumbabang puso: at masusumpungan ninyo ang kapahingahan ng inyong mga kaluluwa.

30 Sapagka't malambot ang aking pamatok, at magaan ang aking pasan.

   

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Exploring the Meaning of Matthew 11

От Ray and Star Silverman

Saint John the Baptist in Prison Sends His Disciples to Question Jesus

Chapter 11.


The Persecutions Begin


1. And it came to pass when Jesus had finished instructing His twelve disciples, He passed on thence to teach and to preach in their cities.

2. And John, hearing in the prison the works of the Christ [and] sending two of his disciples,

3. Says to Him, “Art Thou He that comest, or should we expect another?”

4. And Jesus answering said to them, “Go, report to John what you hear and see:

5. The blind receive their sight and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel announced to them.

6. And happy is [he], whoever shall not be offended in Me.”

7. And as they went, Jesus began to say to the crowds concerning John: “What did you come out into the wilderness to observe? A reed shaken by the wind?

8. But what did you come out to see? A man clothed in soft garments? Behold, they that wear soft things are in kings’ houses.

9. But what did you come out to see? A prophet? yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet.

10. For this is [he] about whom it is written, ‘Behold, I send My messenger before Thy face, who shall make ready Thy way before Thee.’

11. Amen I say to you, There has not arisen among those that are born of women a greater than John the Baptist; but the least in the kingdom of the heavens is greater than he.

12. And from the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of the heavens presses, and they who press seize upon it.

13. For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John,

14. And if you will to accept [it], he is Elijah who was going to come.

15. He that has ears to hear, let him hear.

16. But to what shall I liken this generation? It is like little boys sitting in the markets, and summoning their fellows,

17. And saying, ‘We have piped to you, and you have not danced; we have lamented to you, and you have not wailed.’

18. For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’

19. The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Behold, a man, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners!’ And wisdom has been justified by her children.”

20. Then He began to reproach the cities in which most of His [works of] power were done, because they did not repent.

21. “Woe to thee, Chorazin! Woe to thee, Bethsaida! Because if the [works of] power had been done in Tyre and Sidon that were done in you, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.

22. But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment, than for you.

23. And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted up to heaven, shalt be thrust down even to hell; for if the [works of] power which have been done in thee had been done in Sodom, it would have remained even to this day.

24. But I say to you that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee.”


In the previous episode the disciples were organized, instructed, and sent forth. Because each disciple represents a spiritual principle that is central to our spiritual life, it is necessary that the “disciples in us” (core spiritual principles) be well-organized. 1 This pictures the way our good affections and true thoughts — though initially scattered — are organized, put into shape, and readied for action. It is a spiritual law, however, that every forward step in our spiritual development will be met by an equal and opposing assault. In this way, the Lord maintains a continuous state of equilibrium, thereby protecting and preserving our spiritual freedom. 2

This is precisely what is represented in the next episode when we discover that John the Baptist has been imprisoned. The counter-attacks have begun. Because John the Baptist followed Jesus, and publicly proclaimed that the kingdom of heaven is at hand, he was persecuted and put in prison.

This however, is merely the external story. More interiorly, the counter-attacks take place within each of us — in our minds. When we are persecuted, when we feel discouraged and upset, we begin to doubt whether following the Lord is the right thing to do. We doubt His divinity. We doubt the authority of His words. We doubt that the kingdom of heaven is really at hand.

Even John the Baptist, one of Jesus’ staunchest supporters, is beginning to have his doubts. Although he is confined in prison, John is able to send a message to Jesus saying, “Are you the Coming One, or do we look for another?” (11:3). Jesus does not respond directly. Instead He tells John’s messengers to go back and report what has been happening: “The blind receive their sight and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them” (11:5). 3

It’s important to keep in mind that John the Baptist represents the literal teachings of the Word. 4 In John’s day, the Word of God had been twisted and profaned until it became useless for anything more than confirming whatever the religious establishment wanted the people to believe. The clear literal teachings were deemed less significant than the rigorous traditions taught and enforced by the reigning religious leaders. All this is represented by John’s being in prison, and this is what Jesus is referring to when He says, “The kingdom of heaven suffers violence and the violent take it by force” (11:12).

The human race was rapidly descending into the darkest night it would ever know, as indicated by the epidemic of demonic possession. Even though Jesus was doing mighty works, many still refused to believe. A Day of Judgment seemed to be drawing near. And so He warned them: “And you, Capernaum, who are exalted in heaven, will be brought down to hell; for if the mighty works that were done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day” (11:23). Jesus had indeed done mighty works such that even the evil people of Sodom might have repented and believed. God had come into the world through Jesus Christ, but some had grown so accustomed to the darkness that they rejected the light — even when it was in their very midst.

Jesus continues to warn them of the impending doom and destruction. “But I say to you that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for you” (11:24). Those who refuse to believe, and who reject the light, represent those parts of us that are unwilling to change, even when there is enough light to do so.


“My yoke is easy”


25. At that time Jesus answering said, “I profess Thee, Father, Lord of the heaven and of the earth, because Thou hast hidden these things from the wise and intelligent, and hast revealed them to infants.

26. Yes, Father; for so it was [for] good pleasure before Thee.

27. All things are delivered up to Me by My Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father; neither knows anyone the Father, except the Son, and [he] to whomever the Son intends to reveal [Him].

28. Come to Me, all [ye] who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest.

29. Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am meek and humble in heart; and you shall find rest for your souls.

30. For My yoke [is] easy, and My burden is light.”


In the midst of these dire warnings, Jesus continues to provide hope and comfort. As this episode closes, He speaks with the tenderness and compassion of the Father within Him: “All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son, and he to whom the Son wills to reveal Him” (11:27). In other words, all things come forth from Divine love (the Father). Because of the increasing darkness in the world, people are no longer aware that this kind of love even exists. But Jesus is now bringing it forth to view, and will manifest it to others — to those whom “the Son wills to reveal Him.”

Although it appears that only some will be chosen to receive this love, the invitation is given to everyone. No longer speaking in terms of a separation between Father and Son, Jesus now speaks most tenderly, like a loving father speaking to tired children. “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden,” He says, “and I will give you rest” (11:28). It is to be noted that Jesus does not say, “The Father will give you rest.” Instead, He says, “I will give you rest.” This is a beautiful message of comfort, a promise that in Jesus we shall not only find physical rest, but, more importantly, spiritual rest — that is, rest for our souls: “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (11:30).

As Jesus reveals His oneness with the divinity within Him, there is a growing softness and tenderness in His words. More and more, we see the Divine love of the Father manifested in the Divine wisdom of the Son, and we begin to sense that in some way they are One. In Jesus we do not see the stern, angry, punitive idea of a God who is to be feared. Instead, we see a God who can be loved, a compassionate, forgiving Father who says to each of us, “Come unto Me . . . and you will find rest for your souls, for My yoke is easy and my burden light” (11:30).

Бележки под линия:

1Apocalypse Explained 411: “All the Lord’s disciples together represented the church; and each one of them some central principle of the church; ‘Peter’ represents the truth of the church [faith], ‘James’ it’s good, and ‘John’ good in act, that is, works; the rest of the disciples represent the truths and goods that are derived from these central principles.”

2Apocalypse Explained 349[2]: “A person is kept in the freedom of choosing, that is, of receiving good and truth from the Lord or of receiving evil and falsity from hell. This is done for the sake of a person’s reformation. Being kept between heaven and hell, and thence in spiritual equilibrium, is freedom.”

3Arcana Coelestia 9209[4] “Those called ‘blind’ are in ignorance of truth ; ‘lame,’ those who are in good, but on account of their ignorance of truth, not in genuine good; ‘leprous,’ those who are unclean and yet long to be made clean; ‘deaf,’ those who are not in the faith of truth, because not in the perception of it; and ‘poor,’ those who have not the Word, and thus know nothing of the Lord, and yet long to be instructed. Consequently, it is said that ‘to these the gospel shall be preached.’”

4. See footnote at Matthew 3:1 which explains the representation of John the Baptist.

От "Съчиненията на Сведенборг

 

Arcana Coelestia #8932

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8932. 'You shall not make [to be] with Me gods of silver and gods of gold' means that they are to avoid completely things which to outward appearances look like truths and forms of good but inwardly are falsities and evils. This is clear from the meaning of 'making gods' as worshipping, since someone who makes gods for himself does so in order to worship them; from the meaning of 'silver' as truth, and therefore in the contrary sense as falsity, and from the meaning of 'gold' as good, and therefore in the contrary sense as evil, both dealt with in 113, 1551, 1552, 2954, 5658, 6914, 6917, 7999. The reason why these are things which to outward appearances look like truths and forms of good, but inwardly are falsities and evils, is that the words 'making them with Me', that is, with Jehovah God, are used. Actual Divine Truth and Goodness reside on an inner level; they reside on an outer level as well, but then they are embodied in types or representative images. For the outward things composing a type or image stand for and represent inner realities. Outward things are falsities and evils when, separated from inner realities, they are held to be holy and are worshipped; and yet they still look like truths and forms of good because they represent those realities. These things are meant by 'making [to be] with Jehovah God gods of silver and gods of gold'.

[2] This commandment follows immediately after the Ten Commandments because the Israelite and Jewish people were the sort that held outward things separated from inward realities to be holy and worshipped them as being altogether Divine, 3479, 3769, 4281, 4293, 4307, 4314, 4316, 4433, 4680, 4825, 4832, 4844, 4847, 4865, 4903, 6304, 6832, 8814, 8819. To gain more definite knowledge of what those things are which look to outward appearances like truths and forms of good but inwardly are falsities and evils, and what those things are like, take as examples all the ritual practices of the Jewish Church, such as sacrifices, burning incense, washings, and many other practices. Outwardly they were truths and forms of good, not in themselves but because they were types or images that stood for and represented inward truths and forms of good, which are aspects of love to the Lord and faith in Him. When the outward objects belonging to such practices were held to be holy, and especially when they were worshipped, as they were by the Jews and Israelites when they became idolaters and used them in the worship of strange gods, they no longer had any connection with the truths and forms of good which they stood for and represented, because inwardly they were falsities and evils.

[3] The situation was the same with all other things that were types or representative images of heavenly and Divine realities among that people. For as soon as outward things which represented inner realities were used in the worship of other gods they became idols worshipped by them or 'gods of silver and gold which they made [to be] with Jehovah God'. For then those things looked to outward appearances like truths and forms of good, but inwardly they were falsities and evils.

[4] In general 'gods of silver and gold' are all the falsities and derivative evils in worship which are made to look like truth and good through wrong usages and misinterpretations of the Word, and at the same time through reasonings that are the product of self-intelligence. Such things are meant by 'gods of silver and gold' in the following places: In Isaiah,

On that day a person will cast away his idols of silver and his idols of gold which they made for themselves to bow down to, to the moles and bats, to go into the clefts 1 of the rocks and into the fissures of the crags. Isaiah 2:20-21.

'Moles and bats' stands for those who are in darkness, that is, are steeped in falsities and derivative evils.

[5] In the same prophet,

On that day a man will cast aside his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which your hands have made for you - a sin. Isaiah 31:7.

'Which your hands have made' stands for things which are the product of self-intelligence. In the same prophet,

The craftsman casts a graven image, and a goldsmith overlays it with gold and casts silver chains for it. Isaiah 40:19.

'Graven images' are things which are products of the proprium or self, 8869. 'Overlaying with gold' stands for making things look to outward appearances like forms of good, 'casting silver chains' stands for making them seem to hang together as if linked to one another with truths, good being meant by 'gold' and truth by 'silver', see the paragraphs referred to above.

[6] Similarly in Jeremiah,

The customs 2 of the nations are vanity. Since indeed one cuts out wood from the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, he decorates it with silver and gold; they make it firm with pegs and hammers, so that it is not unsteady. Jeremiah 10:3-4.

In Hosea,

The Ephraimites sin more and more, and make for themselves a molten image from silver, idols by their own intelligence, completely the work of craftsmen. Hosea 13:2.

'Ephraim' stands for the Church's understanding, 5354, 6222, 6234, 6238, 6267; 'a molten image made from silver' stands for falsity that looks like truth, which is why it says 'by their own intelligence'; and 'completely the work of craftsmen' stands for the fact that it is all brought about through reasonings which are a product of the proprium or self.

[7] In Habakkuk,

Woe to him who says to a piece of wood, Awake! or to a dumb stone, Wake up, this will teach! Behold, this is bound in gold and silver, but there is no spirit in the midst of it. Habakkuk 2:19.

'A piece of wood' stands for evil, 'a stone' for falsity. 'Bound in gold and silver' stands for applications used to give the appearance of what is good and true. In Daniel,

Belshazzar said, when he had properly tasted the wine, that they were to bring the vessels of gold and silver which his father Nebuchadnezzar had brought from the temple that [had been] in Jerusalem, in order that the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines might drink from them. And they would drink wine, and praise the gods of gold and silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone. Daniel 5:2-4, 23.

'The vessels of gold and silver from the temple of Jerusalem' represented the forms of good and the truths which belonged to the Church and to the Lord's kingdom; 'drinking wine from them' meant desecrating them by means of evils and falsities, which are 'the gods of gold and silver'.

[8] In David,

Their idols are silver and gold, the work of human hands They have a mouth, but they do not speak; they have eyes but do not see. Psalms 115:4-5; 135:15-16.

'Silver and gold, which are idols' stands for falsities and evils; 'the work of human hands' stands for the fact that they are the product of self-intelligence. In Moses,

You shall burn the graven images of the gods of the nations with fire; you shall not covet the silver and the gold that are on them, so that you take them to yourself; for it is an abomination to Jehovah your God. Therefore you shall not bring an abomination into your house, lest you become 3 an accursed thing like it; you shall utterly abhor it. Deuteronomy 7:25-26.

'Silver and gold on graven images' stands for falsities and evils which are worshipped as truths and forms of good because they have been made to look like these.

Бележки под линия:

1. Reading scissuras (clefts) for fissuras (fissures)

2. literally, statutes

3. Reading fias (you become) for fiat (it becomes)

  
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Thanks to the Swedenborg Society for the permission to use this translation.