9209. 'If you lend silver to [My] people, to the needy one with you' means giving instruction to those who have no knowledge of truth and still have a desire to learn it. This is clear from the meaning of 'silver' as truth, dealt with in 1551, 2048, 2954, 5658, 6112, 6914, 6917, 7999, 8932; from the meaning of 'lending' as communicating the good things of heaven in a spirit of charity and affection, dealt with in 9174, thus giving instruction; from the meaning of 'people' as those in possession of truths, in this instance those with no knowledge of truth since the people referred to are 'needy' (for the use of the word 'people' to mean those in possession of truths, see 1259, 1260, 2928, 3295, 3581, 7207); and from the meaning of 'the needy one' as those who have no knowledge of truth and still have a desire to learn it. For they are people in spiritual need and should be given instruction.

[2] The Word talks frequently about aiding the poor and needy. People in possession of external truths who have not yet been brought to internal truths believe that anyone at all in need of any kind of help should be aided, especially beggars who call themselves the poorest of all. Those who give such aid in a spirit of obedience, because they are commanded to act in that way, do well; for through that outward action they are brought to the inward aspect of charity and mercy. The inward aspect of charity and mercy consists in seeing clearly who exactly they are who should receive aid, what their character is, and in what way each is to be given it. Those who are brought eventually to the inward aspect of charity and mercy know that the inward aspect consists in desiring the welfare of and aiding the internal man, thus with gifts such as are beneficial to spiritual life, and that the outward aspect consists in aiding the external man, thus with gifts such as are beneficial to bodily life. But care must nevertheless always be taken to ensure that when aid is given to the external man, it is at the same time beneficial to the internal; for no one who aids the external but harms the internal is exercising charity. Therefore when one kind of aid is offered, the other must be kept in sight.

[3] The outward aspect of charity is what the external or literal sense of the Word describes when it says that aid should be given to the poor and needy, but the inward aspect of charity is what the internal or spiritual sense of the Word describes. For in the spiritual sense the internal man who is in a state of poverty and need and should be aided is meant, because in that sense 'the poor and needy' is used to mean those who lack good and have no knowledge of truth, and still have a desire for them. How these people are to be helped the letter of the Word also teaches, especially the Word taught by the Lord Himself when He was in the world. At that time the Lord revealed such things as have to do with the internal man, as is evident throughout the Gospels. Nevertheless He spoke in such a way that every detail had at the same time an inner meaning, intended for angels and at the same time for those in the internal Church. For the inner meaning contains such things as the authentic teachings of the Church present.

[4] Let what the Lord said to the disciples sent by John the Baptist to ask whether He was the One who must come serve to exemplify this,

Go and report to John the things you have seen and heard, that the blind see, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the poor have the gospel preached to them. Luke 7:20, 22.

These words were spoken for the external man and at the same time for the internal man. For the external man they declared that such miracles were being performed, for the internal man that the Church is being established among the kind of people who in a spiritual sense are blind, lame, lepers, deaf, and poor, thus among gentiles who have no knowledge of good or truth, and still have a desire for them. For 'the blind' describes those who have no knowledge of truth, 6990; 'the lame' those who are governed by good, but not genuine good because they have no knowledge of truth, 4302; 'lepers' those who are unclean, and still have a desire to be made clean; and 'the deaf' those without any belief in truth because they have no perception of it.

[5] But 'the poor' describes those who do not possess the Word and so know nothing about the Lord, and still have a desire to receive instruction, which is why it says that the gospel is preached to them. By 'the poor and needy' are meant in the internal sense those outside the Church who have no knowledge of truth because they do not possess the Word, but nevertheless have a desire to receive instruction, and who by virtue of what they do know are governed still by a little good; also those within the Church who for one reason or another are ignorant of truth, but are still moved by some good to desire it. All this is clear from places in which 'the poor and needy' are mentioned in the Word, as in David,

I am needy and poor; make haste to me, O God! [You are] my help and my deliverer, O Jehovah. Psalms 70:5.

These words were spoken by David who was not poor and needy, from which it is evident that spiritual poverty and need were meant. Similar words occur elsewhere,

I am needy and poor, O Lord; remember me. [You are] my help and my deliverer. Psalms 40:17.

In the same author,

The king will judge Your people in righteousness, and Your needy ones in judgement. ¹ The mountains will bring peace to the people, and the hills, in righteousness. He will judge the needy ones of the people, save the children of the poor, and break in pieces the oppressor. Psalms 72:2-4.

'Needy ones' here are those who are in spiritual need and for that reason are hungry, that is, they have a desire to receive instruction in truths.

[6] In the same author,

Let all my bones say, O Jehovah, who is like You, delivering the needy from him who is too strong for him, and the needy and poor from those who despoil him? Psalms 35:10.

'Bones' are factual knowledge of truth, 8005. 'The needy' here stands for those with little truth, and 'the poor' for those with little good, who are molested by evils and falsities. Because of such molestation 'the needy' in the original language are also 'the afflicted'; for 'being afflicted' means being molested by falsities, 9196. Similarly in the same author,

The wicked lies in wait ² to catch the needy; he catches the needy and draws him into his net. Psalms 10:9.

In Isaiah,

Is not this the fast, to break bread for the hungry, and to bring into the house needy outcasts? Isaiah 58:6-7.

In the same prophet,

Jehovah has comforted His people, and will have mercy on His needy ones. Isaiah 49:13.

In Zephaniah,

I will leave in your midst a needy and lean people, who hope in the name of Jehovah. Zephaniah 3:12.

In these places 'the needy' are those who have no knowledge of truth and desire to receive instruction.

Poznámky pod čarou:

4007. 'Every one that had white in it' means that which has truth in it. This is clear from the meaning of 'white' as truth, but strictly speaking as the Lord's Righteousness and Merit, and from this the Lord's righteousness and merit as these exist with man, dealt with in 3301, 3993. 'White' has that meaning because the light of heaven which radiates from the Lord, a light which is the source of splendour and brightness, means truth. Anything therefore on which that light falls and is made splendid and bright is that which is called the Lord's righteousness and merit existing with man. Those who acknowledge this, the Lord's righteousness, and who from good take it to themselves and reject their own, are specifically the ones meant by 'the righteous' whom the Lord refers to, in Matthew,

The righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Matthew 13:43.

[2] The fact that that which is 'white', being splendid and bright, has this meaning is also evident from other places in the Word, as in Moses,

His eyes will be redder than wine, and his teeth whiter than milk. Genesis 49:12.

This refers to Judah, who represents the Lord as regards the Divinity of His Love, and in the internal sense the celestial kingdom, and so the celestial man, see 3881. 'Eyes redder than wine' means Divine Wisdom, and 'teeth whiter than milk' means Righteousness. In David,

You will purify me with hyssop and I shall be clean; You will wash me, and I shall become whiter than snow. Psalms 51:7.

'Washing and becoming whiter than snow' stands for being purified from sins by means of receiving and putting on the Lord's righteousness. In John,

In the midst of the seven lampstands one like the Son of Man. His head and hair were white, like white wool, like snow; and his eyes were like a flame of fire. Revelation 1:13-14.

[3] In the same book,

You have a few names in Sardis, who have not soiled their garments, and they will walk with Me in white, for they are worthy. He who conquers will be clad in white garments. Revelation 3:4-5.

In the same book,

I counsel you to buy from Me gold purified in fire, that you may be rich, and white garments to clothe you. Revelation 3:18.

In the same book,

To each soul under the altar were given white robes. Revelation 6:9, 11.

In the same book,

I saw, standing before the throne and before the Lamb those clothed in white robes. One of the elders said to me, These clothed in white robes - who are they, and where have they come from? I said to him, Sir, you know. He said to me, These are they who are coming out of the great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and have made their robes white in the blood of the Lamb. Revelation 7:9, 13-14.

In the same book,

The angels were clothed in linen, white and splendid, and were girded around their breasts with golden girdles. Revelation 15:6.

In the same book,

I saw, and behold, a white horse, and he who sat on it had a bow; to him a crown was given. Revelation 6:2.

And elsewhere,

After this I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. His armies in heaven were following Him on white horses and were clothed in linen white and clean. Revelation 19:11, 14.

[4] In all these places 'white' means the truth of faith; 'white garments' and 'white robes' have no other meaning. But the truth of faith does not exist with any who believe that they have faith of themselves and so believe that they are wise of themselves. Rather, it exists with those who believe that their faith and wisdom come from the Lord, for faith and wisdom are imparted to them because they do not ascribe any truth or good at all to themselves. Even less do they believe that they possess any merit through the truths and goods residing with them, and less still any righteousness, but only by ascribing these to the Lord, and so everything to His grace and mercy. This is what 'putting on white garments' means, and also what 'being made white in the blood of the Lamb' means. There are two things which all who enter heaven cast aside, namely their proprium and consequent confidence, and merit that is their own or self-righteousness. Then they assume a heavenly proprium which comes from the Lord, and the Lord's merit or righteousness. And to the extent that these are so assumed those persons advance further into heaven. These two things specifically are meant by 'red' and by 'white'; 'red' means the good of love and is present with those people at that time, 'white' the truth of faith.