3063. 'And deal mercifully' means an influx of love. This is clear from the consideration that the essence of mercy is love. Love itself is converted into mercy and becomes mercy when anyone in need of help is regarded with love or charity. Consequently mercy is the expression of love towards those who are needy and wretched. But here in the internal sense 'mercy' is used to mean love and 'dealing mercifully' an influx of love, since it was an influx from the Lord's Divine itself into His Divine Human. In fact it was by means of Divine love that is the Lord's that He made His Human Divine, for love is the very being (esse) of life, while Divine love exists in none but the Lord. See what has been stated already about the Lord's love in the following places:

The Lord's life was a love towards the whole human race, 2253, and from that love He did battle, 1690, 1789, 1812, 1813, 1820.

It surpasses all understanding, 1799, 2077.

The Lord is Divine love itself, 2077, 2500, 2572.

Jehovah is love, 1735.

Nothing apart from love has life, 1589.

Anyone who possesses mutual love possesses the Lord's life, 1799, 1802, 1803.

Love and charity are the celestial itself, 1419, 1824.

1419. 'And I will make your name great' means glory. This becomes clear without explanation. In the external sense 'making a name' and 'glory' mean something worldly, but in the internal sense something heavenly. This heavenly feature does not consist in seeking to be the greatest but, by serving all others, to be the least, as the Lord Himself has stated in Matthew,

It shall not be so among you, but whoever has the wish to become great among you must be your minister, and whoever has the wish to become first must be your servant, even as the Son of Man came not to be ministered to but to minister, and to give His life ¹ as a redemption for many. Matthew 20:26-28; Mark 10:43-45.

This heavenly or celestial entity of love does not wish to exist for itself but for all, thus to impart all that is its own to others. It is in this that heavenly love essentially consists. Since the Lord is love itself, that is, the very essence and life of everyone's love in heaven, He wishes to impart to the human race everything that is His, which is what He meant when He spoke about the Son of Man coming to give His life as a redemption for many. From this it is clear that 'name' and 'glory' mean something altogether different in the internal sense from what they do in the external sense. All in heaven therefore who desire to become great and the greatest are cast out, for such desire is contrary to the essence and life of heavenly love which come from the Lord. For that reason also nothing is more contrary to heavenly love than self-love. For these matters, see what has been mentioned from experience in 450, 452, 952.

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