9174. 'And when a man borrows something from his companion' means truth from a different stock. This is clear from the meaning of 'borrowing' as receiving truth from a source other than self, thus from a different stock. The reason why 'borrowing' or 'asking of another' has this meaning is that in the spiritual world the only forms of good asked of others or imparted by others are ones that belong to intelligence and wisdom. Many other forms, it is true, are presented to view, indeed countless others; but these are appearances arising from those that belong to intelligence and wisdom. From this it is evident that 'borrowing' means being taught by another and so receiving truths or knowledge of truth and good from a source other than self. But this matter needs further explanation. A person is said to receive truths from self when he deduces them from the truths already present with him, at which time he combines these already present with those he deduces. But when he does this he entertains no other truths than those which are subject to and accord with the same good; for good is what arranges truths into order and links them together. Good is like the soul in a person, and truths are like those things with which the soul clothes itself and through which it acts. Just as every single thing in a person derives its life from his soul, as is well known, so the truths of faith receive theirs from the good of love to the Lord and love towards the neighbour. If that good does not compose a person's soul but the good of self-love or of love of the world, the person is not a human being but a wild animal. Furthermore in the next life he looks in the light of heaven like a wild animal, though in his own light, which becomes thick darkness when the light of heaven enters in, he looks like a human being. It should be borne in mind however that it is the Lord who arranges truths to accord with the good of a person's life.

[2] But a person is said to receive truths from another source when he is taught by another. If they are not subject to and do not accord with the good that governs him they are, it is true, stored in his memory among factual knowledge, yet they do not become his, that is, part of his belief, because they spring from a different stock. These truths are the subject in the present verse and the one that follows it.

[3] When 'borrowing' and 'lending' are mentioned in the Word, receiving instruction and giving it in a spirit of charity and affection are meant, as in Matthew,

Give to everyone asking from you, and from him desiring to receive a loan from you, do not turn away. Matthew 5:42.

Here it is evident that 'asking' was not used to mean asking, for the words are 'give to everyone asking'; neither were 'desiring a loan' and 'receiving it' so used. For if a person gave to everyone who asked, and also to everyone desiring to receive a loan, he would be deprived of all his goods. But since the Lord spoke from the Divine, 'asking' and 'desiring a loan', and 'giving' and 'receiving a loan', were used to mean the communicating of heavenly goods, that is, of cognitions or knowledge of good and truth. The nature of this communication is such that the more an angel stirred by charity and affection imparts them to another, the more the general good flows into him from heaven, that is, from the Lord, 6478. Thus an angel who gives to him who asks is not deprived of goods but enriched with them. The like applies when a person stirred by charity and affection does good to another. But real charity consists in giving to good people, and mistaken charity consists in giving to bad people the things they ask for and desire, 8120, as accords with these words in David,

The wicked borrows and does not repay, whereas the righteous shows mercy and gives. Psalms 37:21.

In Luke,

If you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what thanks do you have? Rather, love your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing from it; then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Highest. Luke 6:34-35.

[4] Here also 'lending' is used to mean being stirred by charity and affection to do good, thus to communicate the good things of heaven, and also to impart the good things of the world, yet to impart them with the good things of heaven in view. Charity and affection are present when good things are communicated without thought of reward, but charity and affection are absent when they are communicated with reward as the end in view, see 2373, 2400, 3816, 3956, 4943, 6388-6390, 6392, 6393, 6478, 8002. 'Loving enemies' and 'doing good' to bad people are aspects of charity and affection; but enemies are loved and good is done to them when they are given instruction and also when by suitable means they are corrected by them, 8121.

[5] The exercise of charity is also meant by 'lending' in Moses,

If you obey the voice of Jehovah and take care to do His commandments, you shall lend to many peoples, but you shall not borrow. Deuteronomy 28:1, 12.

'Lending to many peoples' means abounding in forms of good that belong to intelligence and wisdom and communicating them from that abundance, while 'not borrowing' means having no need of them from others, since all things are imparted to a person by the Lord. In David,

A good man who has mercy and lends will maintain his cause ¹ in judgement; for he will never be moved. Psalms 112:5-6.

'Having mercy and lending' is used to describe the state of those governed by real charity. A similar description occurs in Psalms 37:21, in addition to other places.

Poznámky pod čarou:

6393. 'And he will bend his shoulder to bear a burden' means that nevertheless he makes every effort. This is clear from the meaning of 'shoulder' as all power or every effort, dealt with in 1085, 4931-4937; and from the meaning of 'bearing a burden' as performing works so as to earn merit. Consequently 'bending the shoulder to bear a burden' means making every effort at performing works in order to earn merit. The reason this is described as 'bearing a burden' is that such people do good not out of an affection for good, thus not in freedom, but out of a selfish affection, which is servitude, 6390.

[2] With regard to those who desire a reward for the works they accomplish, it should also be recognized that they are never satisfied but become annoyed if their reward is not greater than that which everyone else receives; or if they see that others are more richly blessed than themselves, they are sad and complaining. Real blessedness is not considered by them to reside in inward things but in outward ones, that is to say, in their being pre-eminent, having dominion, and being served by angels, thus in their being superior to angels and so being the chief and great ones in heaven. But in actual fact heavenly blessedness does not consist in wishing to have dominion and to be served by others but in wishing to serve others and to be the least, as the Lord teaches,

James and John, the sons of Zebedee drew near, saying, Grant us to sit in Your glory, one on Your right hand and the other on Your left. Jesus said to them, You do not know what you ask. To sit at My right hand and at My left is not Mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared. You know that those who are reckoned to rule the gentiles lord it over them, and the great ones have authority over them. It must not be so among you; but whoever would be great among you must be your minister, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For the Son of Man did not come to be ministered to but to minister. Mark 10:35-45.

[3] And He teaches that heaven belongs to those who do good without recompense as their end in view, in Luke,

Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted. When you give a dinner or a supper, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your kinsmen or rich neighbours, lest perhaps also they invite you back in return, and you are repaid. But when you give a feast invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, for they have nothing with which to repay you. You will be repaid at the resurrection of the just. Luke 14:11-14.

'Repayment at the resurrection of the just' is the inner happiness that comes from doing good without thought of recompense, which people receive from the Lord when they perform useful services. And the more that those who love to serve without thought of repayment love to do good, the nobler are the services committed to their charge. Also, they are in actual fact greater and more powerful than others.

[4] Those who perform good works with a view to repayment also say, because of what they know from the Word, that they wish to be the least in heaven. But they think that by saying this they may become great, so that they still have the same end in view. But those who do good without thought of repayment really do not think about pre-eminence, only about being of service.

[5] See what has been stated and shown already about earning merit through works,

In the next life those who are merit-seekers appear to be splitting wood and cutting grass, 1110, 1111, 4943.

How those people are represented, 1774, 2027.

Those who have done good for selfish and worldly reasons receive no payment in the next life for that good, 1835.

Those who place merit in works interpret the Word literally to their own advantage and laugh with scorn at its inner content, 1774, 1877.

True charity is devoid of all merit-seeking, 2340, 2373, 2400, 3816.

Those who separate faith from charity consider the works they have done to be worthy of merit, 2373 (end).

Those who come into heaven throw off what is their own and any merit of their own, 4007 (end).

Most people believe, when they start to be reformed, that the good they do originates in themselves, and that through this good they are worthy of merit; but they throw off that belief as they undergo regeneration, 4174.