5
Υποκριτα, εκβαλε πρωτον την δοκον εκ του οφθαλμου σου, και τοτε θελεις ιδει καθαρως δια να εκβαλης το ξυλαριον εκ του οφθαλμου του αδελφου σου.
Ματθαίος 7:5
Arcana Coelestia # 2360
2360. He calls them 'brothers' because it was from good that he made his appeal. This is clear from the meaning of 'brother', for 'brother' in the Word has the same meaning as 'neighbour', the reason being that everyone ought to love his neighbour as himself. Thus 'brothers' were called such out of love, or what amounts to the same, from good. The origin of naming and greeting the neighbour in this way lies in heaven where the Lord is Father of all and loves all as His children; and so love is spiritual conjunction. From this the whole of heaven resembles so to speak one family born from love and charity, 685, 917.
[2] All the children of Israel therefore, since they represented the Lord's heavenly kingdom, that is, the kingdom of love and charity, were among themselves called 'brothers' and also 'companions', though they were called 'companions' not from the good of love but from the truth of faith, as in Isaiah,
Every one helps his companion and says to his brother, Be firm. Isaiah 41:6.
In Jeremiah,
Thus shall you say, every one to his companion and every one to his brother, What has Jehovah answered? and what has Jehovah spoken? Jeremiah 23:35.
In David,
For my brothers' and my companions' sakes I will say. Peace be within you! Psalms 122:8.
In Moses,
He shall not press his companion and his brother, because Jehovah's release has been proclaimed. Deuteronomy 15:2-3.
In Isaiah,
I will confound Egypt with Egypt, and they will fight, every one against his brother, and every one against his companion. Isaiah 19:2.
In Jeremiah,
Take heed, every one, of his companion and put no trust in any brother, for every brother will supplant wholly, and every companion will utter slanders. Jeremiah 9:4.
[3] The fact that all belonging to that Church were called by the one name 'brothers' may be seen in Isaiah,
They will bring all your brothers from all nations as an offering to Jehovah, on horses, and in chariots, and in covered wagons, and on mules, and on dromedaries, to My holy mountain, Jerusalem. Isaiah 66:20.
People, like the Jews, who know nothing beyond the sense of the letter believe that none else are meant than the descendants of Jacob, and also that those descendants will be brought back to Jerusalem on horses, and in chariots, and in covered wagons, and on mules by those whom they call the gentiles. But the word 'brothers' is used to mean all who are governed by good, 'horses, chariots, and wagons' to mean the things that belong to truth and good, and 'Jerusalem' the Lord's kingdom.
[4] In Moses,
When there is a needy person among you, one of your brothers, within one of your gates, you shall not harden your heart nor shut your hand against your needy brother. Deuteronomy 15:7, 11.
In the same author,
From among your brothers shall you set a king over you; you may not place over you a foreigner, who is not your brother. And his heart shall not be lifted up above his brothers. Deuteronomy 17:15, 20.
In the same author,
Jehovah your God will raise up for you from the midst of you, from your brothers, a prophet like me; Him shall you obey. Deuteronomy 18:15, 18.
[5] From these quotations it is evident that the Jews and Israelites all called one another brothers, but allies they called companions. But because they discerned nothing beyond the historical and worldly descriptions of the Word they consequently believed that they called one another brothers because they were all children of one forefather, namely Abraham. They were not called brothers in the Word for this reason however but from the good which they represented. Furthermore 'Abraham' in the internal sense means nothing else than love itself, that is, the Lord, 1893, 1965, 1989, 2011, whose sons who therefore are brothers - are those who are governed by good, all those in fact who are called 'the neighbour', as the Lord teaches in Matthew,
One is your Master, Christ, and all you are brothers. Matthew 23:8.
[6] In the same gospel,
Whoever is angry with his brother without cause will be liable to judgement; whoever says to his brother, Raca! will be liable to the Sanhedrin. If you offer your gift on the altar and there remember that your brother-has something against you, leave the gift there before the altar, go away and first be reconciled to your brother. Matthew 5:22-24.
In the same gospel,
Why do you notice the speck which is in your brother's eye? How will you say to your brother, Let me cast the speck out of your eye? Matthew 7:2-4.
In the same gospel,
If your brother sins against you, go and rebuke him, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. Matthew 18:15.
In the same gospel,
Peter came and said to Him, Lord, how many times shall my brother sin against me and I ought to forgive him? Matthew 18:21.
In the same gospel,
So also My heavenly Father will do to you if you from your hearts do not forgive - everyone his brother's trespasses. Matthew 18:35.
[7] From all this it is plain that all men everywhere, being the neighbour, are called brothers. They are called 'brothers' because everyone ought to love the neighbour as himself, so that they are called such from love or good. And because the Lord is Good itself and views everyone from good, and is Himself the Neighbour in the highest sense of all, He Himself refers to them as 'brothers', as in John,
Jesus said to Mary, Go to My brothers. John 20:17.
And in Matthew,
The king will answer them and say, Truly I say to you, insofar as you did it to one of the least of these My brothers you did it to Me. Matthew 25:40.
From this it is now clear that 'brother' is a term expressive of love.
Deuteronomy 14
1
You are the children of Yahweh your God: you shall not cut yourselves, nor make any baldness between your eyes for the dead.
2
For you are a holy people to Yahweh your God, and Yahweh has chosen you to be a people for his own possession, above all peoples who are on the face of the earth.
3
You shall not eat any abominable thing.
4
These are the animals which you may eat: the ox, the sheep, and the goat,
5
the hart, and the gazelle, and the roebuck, and the wild goat, and the ibex, and the antelope, and the chamois.
6
Every animal that parts the hoof, and has the hoof cloven in two, [and] chews the cud, among the animals, that may you eat.
7
Nevertheless these you shall not eat of them that chew the cud, or of those who have the hoof cloven: the camel, and the hare, and the rabbit; because they chew the cud but don't part the hoof, they are unclean to you.
8
The pig, because it has a split hoof but doesn't chew the cud, is unclean to you: of their flesh you shall not eat, and their carcasses you shall not touch.
9
These you may eat of all that are in the waters: whatever has fins and scales may you eat;
10
and whatever doesn't have fins and scales you shall not eat; it is unclean to you.
11
Of all clean birds you may eat.
12
But these are they of which you shall not eat: the eagle, and the vulture, and the osprey,
13
and the red kite, and the falcon, and the kite after its kind,
14
and every raven after its kind,
15
and the ostrich, and the owl, and the seagull, and the hawk after its kind,
16
the little owl, and the great owl, and the horned owl,
17
and the pelican, and the vulture, and the cormorant,
18
and the stork, and the heron after its kind, and the hoopoe, and the bat.
19
All winged creeping things are unclean to you: they shall not be eaten.
20
Of all clean birds you may eat.
21
You shall not eat of anything that dies of itself: you may give it to the foreigner living among you who is within your gates, that he may eat it; or you may sell it to a foreigner: for you are a holy people to Yahweh your God. You shall not boil a young goat in its mother's milk.
22
You shall surely tithe all the increase of your seed, that which comes forth from the field year by year.
23
You shall eat before Yahweh your God, in the place which he shall choose, to cause his name to dwell there, the tithe of your grain, of your new wine, and of your oil, and the firstborn of your herd and of your flock; that you may learn to fear Yahweh your God always.
24
If the way is too long for you, so that you are not able to carry it, because the place is too far from you, which Yahweh your God shall choose, to set his name there, when Yahweh your God shall bless you;
25
then you shall turn it into money, and bind up the money in your hand, and shall go to the place which Yahweh your God shall choose:
26
and you shall bestow the money for whatever your soul desires, for cattle, or for sheep, or for wine, or for strong drink, or for whatever your soul asks of you; and you shall eat there before Yahweh your God, and you shall rejoice, you and your household.
27
The Levite who is within your gates, you shall not forsake him; for he has no portion nor inheritance with you.
28
At the end of every three years you shall bring forth all the tithe of your increase in the same year, and shall lay it up within your gates:
29
and the Levite, because he has no portion nor inheritance with you, and the foreigner living among you, and the fatherless, and the widow, who are within your gates, shall come, and shall eat and be satisfied; that Yahweh your God may bless you in all the work of your hand which you do.
