Chapter 8.

Truth in Action

1. And when He had come down from the mountain, many crowds followed Him.

2. And behold, there came a leper [and] worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, if Thou willest, Thou canst make me clean.”

3. And stretching forth [His] hand, Jesus touched him, saying, “I am willing; be thou cleansed.” And straightway his leprosy was cleansed.

4. And Jesus says to him, “See thou tell no one; but go thy way, show thyself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses directed, for a testimony to them.”

5. And when Jesus had entered into Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, imploring Him,

6. And saying, “Lord, my boy is cast down in the house, sick of the palsy, frightfully tormented.”

7. And Jesus says to him, “I will come and cure him.”

8. And the centurion answering declared, “Lord, I am not worthy that Thou shouldst come in under my roof, but only say the word, and my boy shall be healed.

9. For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under myself; and I say to this [man], ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does [it].”

10. And when Jesus heard, He marveled, and said to those that followed, “Amen I say to you, I have not found so great a faith, no, not in Israel.

11. And I say to you that many shall come from the east and west, and shall recline with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of the heavens.

12. And the sons of the kingdom shall be cast out into the outer darkness, where there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

13. And Jesus said to the centurion, ‘Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, be it done to thee.” And his boy was healed in the same hour.

14. And Jesus, coming into the house of Peter, saw his mother-in-law cast down and with a fever.

15. And He touched her hand, and the fever left her; and she arose, and ministered to them.

16. And when the evening was come, they brought to Him many that were demon-possessed; and He cast out the spirits with a word, and He cured all that had an illness,

17. That it might be fulfilled what was declared by Isaiah the prophet, saying, “He took our weaknesses, and bore [our] diseases.”

18. And Jesus, seeing many crowds around Him, gave orders to depart to the other side.

19. And one of the scribes coming said to Him, “Teacher, I will follow Thee wherever Thou goest.”

20. And Jesus says unto him, “The foxes have holes, and the birds of the heaven [have] nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to recline the head.”

21. And another of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, permit me first to go and bury my father.”

22. But Jesus said to him, “Follow Me, and leave the dead to bury their dead.”

On the mountain, Jesus is the Divine truth-giver. In the next episode, however, and throughout the next series of events, He lives the very truth which He has been teaching. The Divine Preacher becomes the Divine Healer. Therefore we read, “When He had come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed Him, and behold, a leper came and worshiped Him saying, ‘Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.’ Then Jesus put out His hand and touched him, saying, ‘I am willing; be cleansed’” (8:1-3).

The leper who comes to Jesus, calling Him “Lord” and worshipping Him, represents that part of us that desires to have a religious life that is deeply spiritual, and alive. We recognize that false principles have harmed us, and that we have twisted the truth to defend our selfish interests and self-centered ambitions. Like the leper who comes to Jesus, we too come before God with an earnest desire for real religion, not just devotional ceremonies, pious practices, and pseudo-teachings that justify self-absorption. We want the truth; we want to be healed.

Understanding this basic human need for genuine truth and authentic religious experience, Jesus’ puts forth His hand and touches the leper, healing him instantly. Jesus’ compassionate gesture represents the cleansing effect of truth in each of our lives. ¹

So begins a series of divine healings. After completing the healing of the leper, Jesus is approached by a Roman centurion. Like the leper in the preceding episode, the centurion also addresses Him as “Lord”: “Lord,” he says, “my servant is lying at home paralyzed, dreadfully tormented” (8:6).

All diseases and sickness in the Word have their spiritual counterpart. Because leprosy is a disease which attacks the skin, and is sometimes relatively light, it represents a relatively external state of spiritual decay — a state brought on by the falsification of truth. But paralysis represents a much deeper and more dangerous spiritual condition. That’s because paralysis attacks the muscles, representing a state of internal paralysis. It is a state in which we may know the truth well, but cannot get ourselves to do it. In states of “spiritual paralysis” we may indeed acknowledge that God is the source of all life. We may know the truth (our “skin” is healthy) but we lack the ability to get the limbs of our body moving in agreement with our beliefs. In such states we need to call upon God to heal us of our paralysis — to get us moving.

The centurion’s request is an acknowledgment of Jesus’ power. It is to admit that every least movement of our body, from the flexing of our biceps to the blink of an eye, has its origin in God. Without His Divine Power, which sustains us at every moment, we are as helpless as a paralytic. But when we acknowledge the fundamental truth that all power to do good is from God alone, and ask God to grant us His power, we are immediately healed. Therefore we read, “And his servant was healed that same hour” (8:13).

As the series of miraculous healings continues, we come to a third healing. Jesus enters Peter’s house and sees Peter’s mother-in-law lying sick with a fever. In comparison with the relatively external skin disease of the leper, and the more internal sickness called paralysis, the “fever” which is here mentioned represents a much deeper and more serious spiritual condition. Throughout the Word, burning, raging fevers are associated with the heat of hell — the intense, burning desire to do as we wish, without regard for God or the neighbor. ² But as soon as Jesus touches the woman, she is healed. Not only is she healed, but she also does something that is not mentioned in the first two healings. We read, “Then she arose and served them” (8:15).

This third healing teaches the purpose of Jesus’ healing work, and is therefore the most significant in the series. Not only is it the deepest form of healing so far — the healing of our inmost drives, ambitions, and loves — but it also demonstrates what happens to us when there is a healing at this level. We desire to serve others. “Then she arose and served.” God heals us not just for our own salvation, but also so that we may serve others as well. ³

When these healings become known, great multitudes begin to follow Jesus. They are excited about His miraculous healings, and interested in the extraordinary nature of His work. Jesus knows, however, that fascination with miracles is short-lived and relatively external. More important is the truth He has come to teach — every external miracle is an example of a more internal truth. Therefore, He says, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head” (8:20). The term “Son of Man” refers to the divine truth that He has come to teach — truth that He knows will be difficult for people to receive. He is aware that it is easy to praise Him for His miraculous abilities, but when it comes to the more important task of understanding and receiving the truth, there is little interest. Therefore, this truth, which He calls “the Son of Man,” finds nowhere to lay its head. ⁴

This becomes evident in the next episode when one of the disciples says to Him, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father” (8:21). This is a seemingly mild and understandable request, but when seen more deeply it represents the desire to return to former states of self-love. In this case, the phrase “my father” represents the very worst of our hereditary inclinations to evil. ⁵

Using this as an opportunity to teach a more interior lesson, Jesus says to His disciple, “Follow Me, and let the dead bury the dead.”

Sometimes, if we are following someone in a crowd, taking a moment to “look back” can cause us to lose sight of the person we are following; as a result, we might easily lose that person in the crowd. Similarly, once we embark on the journey of regeneration, there is no looking back. There is only one direction — to follow wherever the Lord leads. Any attempt to turn back to former states, any desire to look back with affection to the way we were, is a sign that we are not yet disciples. It is an indication that, in our hearts, we have not yet truly received the Lord. Instead, we prefer to cling to old habits, attitudes, desires, and selfish ways of thinking — represented here by the desire to give “our father” a decent burial. “Let me first go and bury my father,” we say. Whenever this is the case with us, “the Son of Man” — the truth that Jesus teaches — has not been fully received; it has no place to lay its head.

In sacred scripture, the term “Father” when associated with God refers to the divine love which comes to us from God; it is compared to the love of a parent for a child. However, the term “father” can also have an opposite meaning. It can refer to our lower nature — the hereditary evils that are passed on from generation to generation. Therefore, Jesus says, “Follow Me.” It is an exhortation to rise above our lower nature (or “father”) and begin a new life. It is an invitation to commit our lives fully to following Jesus.

If we are to truly follow God, there must be no reversion to former states, no backsliding, no clinging to the past, no looking behind. In comparison with the new life we are about to begin, the past is gone; the false ideas we cherished, and the selfish delights we enjoyed are behind us now. And there is no need to give them a “decent burial.” As Jesus says, it’s time to follow Him and “let the dead bury the dead.”

Calming the Sea

23. And when He had stepped into a ship, His disciples followed Him.

24. And behold, there came to pass a great quaking in the sea, so that the ship was covered by the waves; but He was sleeping.

25. And His disciples coming, caused Him to arise, saying, “Lord, save us, we are perishing.”

26. And He says unto them, “Why are you frightened, [O you] of little faith?” Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm.

27. And the men marveled, saying, “What manner [of Man] is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him!”

The preceding episode ending with one of the disciples asking Jesus if he could go bury his father. But Jesus said, “Follow Me.” Apparently, Jesus’ advice was taken to heart because the very next verse begins with the words, “And when He [Jesus] entered a ship, His disciples followed Him” (8:23). As we shall see, the refrain, “Follow Me,” will be a consistent one throughout the gospels.

This time they are following Jesus to the seashore where Jesus takes them aboard a ship. In the language of sacred scripture, the words “boat” and “ship” symbolize our understanding of truth. Just as boats and ships carry us through the currents of life, our understanding of truth carries us along on our spiritual journey. In the world of commerce, ships and boats often contain valuable riches; similarly, the Word contains the treasures of spiritual wisdom — treasures that are so necessary on our voyage through life. ⁶

For the most part, as long as everything is going fine in our lives, and there are no serious storms, we are content with our understanding of truth. This is our boat, and as long as the sea is calm, we have no problems. Our voyage is smooth and pleasant.

But when the circumstances of life get rough and we are assaulted by the storms of life, when the waters rise, and the winds blow fiercely, our trust in the truth we have received begins to waver. Our “boat” begins to rock uncomfortably, and we begin to have doubts. During these times of emotional turbulence it seems as though God is unaware of our situation. And although He is very much with us — even in our boat — it seems as though He does not care about what is happening. In fact, it seems as though He is sleeping! ⁷

Meanwhile our boat (our belief system) seems to be covered with waves. Terrified, we wake Jesus, who appears to be asleep in the boat, and we cry out, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!” (8:25). As our boat continues to be lashed by the storm, it seems as though the truth that He has given us, and in which we have believed, is of no avail. Our boat seems to be sinking. But Jesus remains calm, even in the midst of the storm, saying, “Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?” (8:26).

Like the disciples who fear that their boat is sinking, there are times when we do not believe that divine truth can bear us through the storms of adversity. And yet the Lord is within the truth He has given us — even when we do not see immediate results. “I prayed,” we say, “but nothing happened,” “I treated my friend with every kindness, but he still cheated me,” “I have always been a good person, but this terrible thing happened to me anyway.” “Where was God when I needed Him most?” “Was He asleep?”

We know that God does not sleep: “He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep” (Psalm 121:4). Those who live according to what doctrine teaches and trust in divine truth, know that God is never asleep. He is continually awake and alert, the center of their faith, commanding the winds and the sea to be still. And so we read that “Jesus arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm” (8:26).

A belief system which places a proper understanding of God at its center cannot be shaken, and cannot sink, no matter what arises in our daily lives. But a faulty belief system — a belief system with “holes” in it — is not a reliable boat to convey us through difficult times. That is why the very first and inmost aspect of any belief system is a right idea of God. ⁸

A “right idea of God” includes the idea that God is omnipotent — that He has all power. In other words, there is a force in the universe that is greater than ourselves, greater than nature, greater than anything. Indeed, this force is rightly called our “Higher Power.” As human beings, each of us derives from God’s omnipotence the power to combat the evil and falsity that invade our lives — sometimes pouring in like waves crashing against a boat. It must be emphasized, however, that we need to have absolute trust in God’s power — the power of His truth to spiritually protect us at all times. Without this complete faith, we are like little rowboats that are pounded by the tempestuous waves of life. ⁹

In the miraculous calming of the storm, Jesus reveals His Divine Omnipotence. He has already demonstrated His power over the human body, healing leprosy, paralysis and fever. He now demonstrates His power over the forces of nature, calming the wind and the waves. The story powerfully illustrates the way in which God calms emotional turbulence in each of us, bringing about a sense of inner peace, stilling our minds and calming our spirits. We are reminded of what God said, in the psalms, through David: “Be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10).

When Jesus concluded His Sermon on the Mount, the crowd marveled, asking “Who is this man who speaks with such authority?” This time it is the disciples turn to marvel and wonder who Jesus is. For they said to each other, “What manner of man is this that even the winds and the sea obey Him?” The question of Jesus’ identity is becoming increasingly significant.

Casting out Demons

28. And when He had come to the other side of the country of the Gergesenes, two met Him who were demon-possessed, coming out of the sepulchers, exceedingly fierce, so that no one was able to pass through that way.

29. And behold, they cried out, saying, “What [is there] to us and to Thee, Jesus, Son of God? Art Thou come hither before the time to torment us?”

30. And there was, a distance from them, a herd of many swine feeding.

31. And the demons implored Him, saying, “If Thou cast us out, permit us to go away into the herd of swine.”

32. And He said to them, “Go.” And when they came out, they went away into the herd of swine; and behold, all the herd of swine rushed down a cliff into the sea, and died in the waters.

33. And they that fed them fled, and went away into the city, and reported all [things], and the [matter] of the demon-possessed.

34. And behold, all the city came out to meet Jesus; and seeing Him, they implored [Him] that He would pass on away from their borders.

When Jesus concluded the Sermon on the Mount, the people were astonished at His teaching, for He taught as one having authority, and not as the scribes. But it was clear that His ministry was not just about teaching. He also came to heal. In the healing of the leper, the paralytic, and the woman with a fever, Jesus displayed His power to cure illness. But in the calming of the sea, He displayed another kind of power — the power to control the wind and the waves. So far, all of these miracles show that Jesus has power in the natural world.

In the very next episode, however, Jesus meets two demon-possessed men. This time He will demonstrate that His omnipotence extends beyond the natural world. He will show that He has power in the spiritual world as well.

The episode begins in the country of the Gadarenes where Jesus is met by two demon-possessed men. The men do not speak to Jesus directly, but rather the demons within them do, saying, “If You cast us out, permit us to go away into the herd of swine” (8:31). Jesus responds with one word — a simple command: “Go” (8:32). Immediately, upon hearing Jesus’ command, the demons come out of the men and enter a group of pigs. The pigs, now possessed by insane spirits, race down a steep hill, and plunge into the sea where they perish in the waters.

In the Word, every literal story contains a spiritual lesson. In this case, the casting out of the swine from the demon-possessed man pictures the way God casts filthy thoughts and impure feelings out of our minds, delivers us from evil, and restores us to sanity. Those thoughts and desires are driven out of our present awareness, tossed down a steep hill, and plunged into the depths of the sea — far removed from our consciousness.

Miraculous healings display one level of Jesus’ power. Calming the wind and the sea display another. The people are amazed, and they follow Him, wondering what manner of man He is (8:27). But in this next episode, when He exhibits His power over evil spirits, the reaction of the people is different. They are bewildered and frightened. They do not know what to make of this man. To make matters worse, they are greatly disturbed by the loss of their swine. Therefore they beg Him “to depart from their region” (8:34).

As long as we cherish filthy thoughts and greedy inclinations, so obviously depicted here by the swine, we wish God to be elsewhere; we beg Him to “depart.” Like the Gadarenes, we might not be proud of our secret sins and swinish desires, but we are often reluctant to give them up. Similarly, the Gadarenes didn’t appreciate it when Jesus drove away their herd of swine. And so, “They implored Him to travel out of their borders” (8:34). ¹⁰

They preferred to keep their pigs.

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962. And there came a great ¹ and noxious sore, signifies evil works therein and consequent falsifications of the Word. This is evident from the signification of a "sore," as being works that are done from man, thus that are from what is his own [proprium] and that are evil (of which presently); and as "great" ¹ is predicated of good, and in the contrary sense of evil, and "noxious" of what is falsified, therefore "a great ¹ and noxious sore" signifies evil works, and consequent falsifications of truth. "Sores" signify works from what is one's own [proprium], and thus evils, because from what is man's own nothing but evil can be produced. For what is man's own is that into which he is born, and which he afterwards carries into effect by means of his life. And as what is his own is thus from very birth composed of mere evils, man must be as it were created anew, that is, regenerated, that he may be in good and thus be received into heaven. When he is being regenerated the evils that are from his own are removed, and goods are implanted in their place, and this is effected by means of truths. That evil works and falsifications of truths are with those who acknowledge faith alone in doctrine, and confirm it in life is meant by what follows, namely, that "a great ¹ and noxious sore is on the men who have the mark of the beast and who adore his image."

[2] That "sores" signify works that are from one's own can be seen from the Word where sores and wounds, also diseases of various kinds, as leprosies, fevers, ulcers, emerods, and many others, are mentioned. All of these correspond to the cupidities that arise from evil loves, and thus signify them. Moreover, what sores or wounds signify can be seen from the following passages. In Isaiah:

From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; wound, and bruise, and the fresh blow, they have not been pressed out nor bound up nor softened with oil. Your land is a solitude, your cities are burned with fire (Isaiah 1:6, 7).

This describes that there is no good and consequently no truth in the church, but evil and falsity therefrom. "From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness" signifies that both natural and spiritual things which are the interiors of man and of his will have been destroyed. "Wound and bruise and fresh blow" signify the evils of the will, and the falsities of the thought therefrom continually increasing. Evils of the will are also evil works. "Not bound up nor softened with oil" signifies not amended by repentance and tempered by good. "Your land is a solitude, your cities are burned with fire" signifies that the church has been devastated as to all truth, and its doctrinals have been destroyed by a life according to the cupidities that spring from an evil love.

[3] In Hosea:

Ephraim saw his disease, and Judah his wound; and Ephraim went to the Assyrian, and sent to king Jareb, and he was not able to heal you, neither shall he cure you of your wound (Hosea 5:13).

"Ephraim" signifies the church as to the understanding of truth, here as to the understanding of falsity; and "Judah" signifies the will of good, but here the will of evil; the "Assyrian" and "king Jareb" signify the rational perverted as to good and truth. This makes clear the signification of these words in the series, namely, that man is unable from self-intelligence to amend the falsities that spring from the evils of the will, "wound" meaning the evil of the will, which also is the evil of the life.

[4] In David:

Mine iniquities have passed over my head. My wounds have putrefied, they have wasted away because of my foolishness (Psalms 38:4, 5).

Here, too, "wounds" stand for evils of the will, which are evil works, these are said "to putrefy and to waste away because of foolishness" when it is the delight of the will and of the thought therefrom to do them.

[5] In Isaiah:

In the day that Jehovah shall bind up the breach of His people, and shall heal the wound of their blow (Isaiah 30:26).

"The breach of the people" signifies the falsity of doctrine; and "the wound of their blow" the evil of life; the reformation of doctrine by means of truths is signified by "Jehovah shall bind up the breach of His people;" and reformation of the life by means of truths is signified by "He shall heal the wound of their blow."

[6] In Luke:

The Samaritan bound up the wounds of the man disabled by robbers, and poured into them oil and wine (Luke 10:33, 34).

This signifies that by means of truths from good, those who are in the good of charity will to amend the evils that spring from falsities; "robbers" mean those who have infused falsities from which come evils, in particular the Jews; "wounds" mean those evils; "oil" means the good of love; and "wine" the truth of the Word and of doctrine. (But this may be seen explained above, n. 376, 444)

[7] In Luke:

Lazarus, full of sores, who was cast forth at the vestibule of the rich man (Luke 16:20, 21),

signifies the nations that were in falsities from ignorance of truth, and thus were not in goods. From this he is said to have been "fall of sores;" "the rich man" at whose vestibule he was cast forth means the Jewish nation, which could have been in the truths from the Word that it possessed.

[8] That "a boil breaking forth" was one of the plagues in Egypt is evident in Moses:

Jehovah said unto Moses and unto Aaron, Take to you handfuls of ashes of the furnace, and let Moses scatter it towards heaven before the eyes of Pharaoh; and it shall become dust upon all the land of Egypt. And they took ashes of the furnace, and Moses scattered it towards heaven, and it became a boil of pustules breaking forth on man and beast; and the magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boil, because the boil was upon the magicians and upon all the Egyptians (Exodus 9:8-11).

"Pharaoh and the Egyptians" signify the natural man obsessed by evils and falsities of every kind, and the natural man's striving after dominion over the spiritual; the spiritual man is here signified by the sons of Israel. The miracles in Egypt, which were so many plagues, also called diseases, signify so many evils and falsities infesting, devastating, and destroying the church which is with spiritual men. "The ashes of the furnace" which Moses scattered towards heaven signify the falsities of lusts that are stirred up; "the dust in the land of Egypt" signifies damnation; "the boil breaking forth in pustules" signifies the filthy things of the will with blasphemies. (But this may be seen explained in detail in the Arcana Coelestia 7516-7532.)

[9] So, too, these words in Moses have a like signification:

Jehovah shall smite thee with the boil of Egypt and with emerods, and with scab and the itch, so that thou canst not be healed, with which thou shalt become mad from the sight of their eyes. Jehovah shall smite thee with an evil boil upon the knees and upon the thighs, of which thou canst not be healed (Deuteronomy 28:27, 34-36).

The plagues here mentioned signify evils and falsities of various kinds arising from the filthy loves of the natural man, for they correspond thereto. For sores and wounds exist from injury to flesh and blood, and evils and falsities from injury to the Divine good and the Divine truth; and flesh corresponds to good, and thus signifies it in the Word, and blood to truth, and thus signifies it.

[10] As "leprosy" signifies the profanation of truth, and the profanation of truth is various, is light or grievous, interior or exterior, and is according to the quality of the truth profaned, so too its effects are various, and these are signified by the appearances in leprosy, which were:

Tumors, suppurating tumors, white pustules, reddenings, abscesses, burnings, tetter, scall (Leviticus 13 to the end). The Jewish nation was afflicted with such things from correspondence because of their profanations of the Word, not only in their flesh, but also in their garments, houses, and vessels.

(Continuation respecting the Second Commandment)

[11] As the Divine truth or the Word is meant by "the name of God," and the profanation of it means a denial of its holiness, and thus contempt, rejection, and blasphemy, it follows that the name of God is interiorly profaned by a life contrary to the commandments of the Decalogue. For there is profanation that is interior and not exterior, and there is profanation that is interior and at the same time exterior, and there can be also a kind of profanation that is exterior and not at the same time interior. Interior profanation is produced by the life, exterior by the speech. Interior profanation, which is produced by the life, becomes exterior also, or of the speech, after death. For then everyone thinks and wills, and so far as it can be permitted, speaks and acts, according to his life; thus not as he did in the world. In the world, for the world's sake and to gain reputation, man is wont to speak and act otherwise than as he thinks and wills from his life. This is why it has been said that there is profanation that is interior and not at the same time exterior. There can also be a kind of profanation that is exterior and not at the same time interior. It can come from the style of the Word, which is not at all the style of the world, and for this reason it may be to some extent despised from ignorance of its interior sanctity.

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