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‘Ši tauta artinasi prie manęs savo lūpomis ir gerbia mane savo liežuviu, bet jos širdis toli nuo manęs.
Matas 15:8
Arcana Coelestia # 10131
10131. 'And this is what you shall offer on the altar' means that which has regard in general to reception of the Lord in heaven and in the Church. This is clear from the meaning of 'this is what you shall offer on the altar' as that which has regard in general to reception of the Lord in the heavens; for 'the altar' means what is Divine and the Lord's in the heavens, 10129, thus also the reception of Him, while 'this you shall offer on it' means that which has regard in general [to the reception]. For the words that come next refer to the burnt offerings of lambs that were to be presented daily, and these offerings represent in general that which has regard to reception of the Lord. By 'lambs' the good of innocence is meant, and the good of innocence is the one and only thing that receives the Lord. For without the good of innocence there can be no love to the Lord, nor can there be any charity towards the neighbour or any faith that has life within it; in general there can be no good that has what is Divine within it, see the places referred to in 10021. This is why 'this you shall offer on the altar' means that which has regard in general to reception of the Lord in heaven and in the Church. When the word 'heaven' is used the Church should also be understood, since the Lord's heaven on earth is the Church, and each individual person in whom the Church exists has heaven as well within him; for the Lord is within him, and where the Lord is, so is heaven. Furthermore the Church makes one with heaven, for they are linked together inseparably and are dependent each on the other. The Word is what joins them together; the Word has the Lord within it, and the Lord is the Word, John 1:1ff.
John 10:7-16
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Jesus therefore said to them again, "Most certainly, I tell you, I am the sheep's door.
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All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep didn't listen to them.
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I am the door. If anyone enters in by me, he will be saved, and will go in and go out, and will find pasture.
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The thief only comes to steal, kill, and destroy. I came that they may have life, and may have it abundantly.
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I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
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He who is a hired hand, and not a shepherd, who doesn't own the sheep, sees the wolf coming, leaves the sheep, and flees. The wolf snatches the sheep, and scatters them.
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The hired hand flees because he is a hired hand, and doesn't care for the sheep.
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I am the good shepherd. I know my own, and I'm known by my own;
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even as the Father knows me, and I know the Father. I lay down my life for the sheep.
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I have other sheep, which are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will hear my voice. They will become one flock with one shepherd.
