Arcana Coelestia # 6376
6376. 'And the foal of his she-ass to the outstanding vine' means truth from the rational for the internal Church. This is clear from the meaning of 'the vine' as the spiritual Church, dealt with in 1069, 5113, so that 'the outstanding vine' means the internal Church (for the internal part of the Church is more outstanding than the external part of it); and from the meaning of 'the foal of a she-ass' as rational truth, dealt with in 2781. The external part of the Church is distinct and separate from the internal, in that it is located in the natural, thus in the external man, whereas the internal part is located in the rational, thus in the internal man. Members of the external Church are governed by truth, those of the internal Church by good. The former are motivated not so much by the good of charity as they are by the truth of faith, whereas the latter are motivated by the good of charity and from this by the truth of faith. Members of the internal Church are the ones meant by 'the outstanding vine', but members of the external Church are the ones meant by 'the vine'.
Matthew 21:33-44
33
"Hear another parable. There was a man who was a master of a household, who planted a vineyard, set a hedge about it, dug a winepress in it, built a tower, leased it out to farmers, and went into another country.
34
When the season for the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the farmers, to receive his fruit.
35
The farmers took his servants, beat one, killed another, and stoned another.
36
Again, he sent other servants more than the first: and they treated them the same way.
37
But afterward he sent to them his son, saying, 'They will respect my son.'
38
But the farmers, when they saw the son, said among themselves, 'This is the heir. Come, let's kill him, and seize his inheritance.'
39
So they took him, and threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him.
40
When therefore the lord of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those farmers?"
41
They told him, "He will miserably destroy those miserable men, and will lease out the vineyard to other farmers, who will give him the fruit in its season."
42
Jesus said to them, "Did you never read in the Scriptures, 'The stone which the builders rejected, the same was made the head of the corner. This was from the Lord. It is marvelous in our eyes?'
43
"Therefore I tell you, the Kingdom of God will be taken away from you, and will be given to a nation bringing forth its fruit.
44
He who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, but on whoever it will fall, it will scatter him as dust."
