Bible

 

แมทธิว 13

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1 ในวันนั้นพระเยซูก็เสด็จจากเรือนไปประทับที่ชายทะเลสาบ

2 มีคนพากันมาหาพระองค์มากนัก พระองค์จึงเสด็จลงไปประทับในเรือ และบรรดาคนเหล่านั้นก็ยืนอยู่บนฝั่ง

3 แล้วพระองค์ก็ตรัสกับเขาหลายประการเป็นคำอุปมาว่า "ดูเถิด มีผู้หว่านคนหนึ่งออกไปหว่านพืช

4 และเมื่อเขาหว่าน เมล็ดพืชก็ตกตามหนทางบ้าง แล้วนกก็มากินเสีย

5 บ้างก็ตกในที่ซึ่งมีพื้นหิน มีเนื้อดินแต่น้อย จึงงอกขึ้นโดยเร็วเพราะดินไม่ลึก

6 แต่เมื่อแดดจัดแดดก็แผดเผา เพราะรากไม่มีจึงเหี่ยวไป

7 บ้างก็ตกกลางต้นหนาม ต้นหนามก็งอกขึ้นปกคลุมเสีย

8 บ้างก็ตกที่ดินดี แล้วเกิดผล ร้อยเท่าบ้าง หกสิบเท่าบ้าง สามสิบเท่าบ้าง

9 ใครมีหูจงฟังเถิด"

10 ฝ่ายพวกสาวกจึงมาทูลพระองค์ว่า "เหตุไฉนพระองค์ตรัสกับเขาเป็นคำอุปมา"

11 พระองค์ตรัสตอบเขาว่า "เพราะว่าข้อความลึกลับของอาณาจักรแห่งสวรรค์ทรงโปรดให้ท่านทั้งหลายรู้ได้ แต่คนเหล่านั้นไม่โปรดให้รู้

12 ด้วยว่าผู้ใดมีอยู่แล้ว จะเพิ่มเติมให้คนนั้นมีเหลือเฟือ แต่ผู้ที่ไม่มีนั้น แม้ว่าซึ่งเขามีอยู่จะต้องเอาไปจากเขา

13 เหตุฉะนั้น เราจึงกล่าวแก่เขาเป็นคำอุปมา เพราะว่าถึงเขาเห็นก็เหมือนไม่เห็น ถึงได้ยินก็เหมือนไม่ได้ยินและไม่เข้าใจ

14 ความเป็นอยู่ของเขาก็สำเร็จตามคำพยากรณ์ของอิสยาห์ที่ว่า `พวกเจ้าจะได้ยินก็จริง แต่จะไม่เข้าใจ จะดูก็จริง แต่จะไม่สังเกต

15 เพราะว่าชนชาตินี้กลายเป็นคนมีใจเฉื่อยชา หูก็ตึง และตาเขาเขาก็ปิด เกรงว่าในเวลาใดเขาจะเห็นด้วยตาของเขา และได้ยินด้วยหูของเขา และเข้าใจด้วยจิตใจของเขา และจะหันกลับมา และเราจะได้รักษาเขาให้หาย'

16 แต่ตาของท่านทั้งหลายก็เป็นสุขเพราะได้เห็น และหูของท่านก็เป็นสุขเพราะได้ยิน

17 เราบอกความจริงแก่ท่านทั้งหลายว่า ศาสดาพยากรณ์และผู้ชอบธรรมเป็นอันมากได้ปรารถนาจะเห็นซึ่งท่านทั้งหลายเห็นอยู่นี้ แต่เขามิเคยได้เห็น และอยากจะได้ยินซึ่งท่านทั้งหลายได้ยิน แต่เขาก็มิเคยได้ยิน

18 เหตุฉะนั้น ท่านทั้งหลายจงฟังคำอุปมาว่าด้วยผู้หว่านพืชนั้น

19 เมื่อผู้ใดได้ยินพระวจนะแห่งอาณาจักรแต่ไม่เข้าใจ มารร้ายก็มาฉวยเอาพืชซึ่งหว่านในใจเขานั้นไปเสีย นั่นแหละได้แก่ผู้ซึ่งรับเมล็ดริมหนทาง

20 และผู้ที่รับเมล็ดซึ่งตกในที่ดินซึ่งมีพื้นหินนั้น ได้แก่บุคคลที่ได้ยินพระวจนะ แล้วก็รับทันทีด้วยความปรีดี

21 แต่ไม่มีรากในตัวเองจึงทนอยู่ชั่วคราว และเมื่อเกิดการยากลำบากหรือการข่มเหงต่างๆเพราะพระวจนะนั้น ต่อมาเขาก็เลิกเสีย

22 ผู้ที่รับเมล็ดซึ่งตกกลางหนามนั้น ได้แก่บุคคลที่ได้ฟังพระวจนะ แล้วความกังวลตามธรรมดาโลก และการล่อลวงแห่งทรัพย์สมบัติก็รัดพระวจนะนั้นเสีย และเขาจึงไม่เกิดผล

23 ส่วนผู้ที่รับเมล็ดซึ่งตกในดินดีนั้น ได้แก่บุคคลที่ได้ยินพระวจนะและเข้าใจ คนนั้นก็เกิดผลร้อยเท่าบ้าง หกสิบเท่าบ้าง สามสิบเท่าบ้าง"

24 พระองค์ตรัสคำอุปมาอีกข้อหนึ่งให้เขาทั้งหลายฟังว่า "อาณาจักรแห่งสวรรค์เปรียบเหมือนชายคนหนึ่งได้หว่านพืชดีในนาของตน

25 แต่เมื่อคนทั้งหลายนอนหลับอยู่ ศัตรูของคนนั้นมาหว่านข้าวละมานปนกับข้าวสาลีนั้นไว้ แล้วก็หลบไป

26 ครั้นต้นข้าวนั้นงอกขึ้นออกรวงแล้ว ข้าวละมานก็ปรากฏขึ้นด้วย

27 ผู้รับใช้แห่งเจ้าบ้านจึงมาแจ้งแก่นายว่า `นายเจ้าข้า ท่านได้หว่านพืชดีในนาของท่านมิใช่หรือ แต่มีข้าวละมานมาจากไหน'

28 นายก็ตอบพวกเขาว่า `นี้เป็นการกระทำของศัตรู' พวกผู้รับใช้จึงถามนายว่า `ท่านปรารถนาจะให้พวกเราไปถอนและเก็บข้าวละมานหรือ'

29 แต่นายตอบว่า `อย่าเลย เกลือกว่าเมื่อกำลังถอนข้าวละมานจะถอนข้าวสาลีด้วย

30 ให้ทั้งสองจำเริญไปด้วยกันจนถึงฤดูเกี่ยว และในเวลาเกี่ยวนั้นเราจะสั่งผู้เกี่ยวว่า "จงเก็บข้าวละมานก่อนมัดเป็นฟ่อนเผาไฟเสีย แต่ข้าวสาลีนั้นจงเก็บไว้ในยุ้งฉางของเรา"'"

31 พระองค์ยังตรัสคำอุปมาอีกข้อหนึ่งให้เขาฟังว่า "อาณาจักรแห่งสวรรค์เปรียบเหมือนเมล็ดพันธุ์ผักกาดเมล็ดหนึ่ง ซึ่งชายคนหนึ่งเอาไปเพาะลงในไร่ของตน

32 เมล็ดนั้นเล็กกว่าเมล็ดทั้งปวง แต่เมื่องอกขึ้นแล้วก็ใหญ่กว่าผักอื่น และจำเริญเป็นต้นไม้จนนกในอากาศมาทำรังอาศัยอยู่ตามกิ่งก้านของต้นนั้นได้"

33 พระองค์ยังตรัสคำอุปมาให้เขาฟังอีกข้อหนึ่งว่า "อาณาจักรแห่งสวรรค์เปรียบเหมือนเชื้อ ซึ่งผู้หญิงคนหนึ่งเอามาเจือลงในแป้งสามถัง จนแป้งนั้นฟูขึ้นทั้งหมด"

34 ข้อความเหล่านี้ทั้งสิ้น พระเยซูตรัสกับหมู่ชนเป็นคำอุปมา และนอกจากคำอุปมา พระองค์มิได้ตรัสกับเขาเลย

35 ทั้งนี้เพื่อจะให้สำเร็จตามพระวจนะที่ตรัสโดยศาสดาพยากรณ์ว่า `เราจะอ้าปากกล่าวคำอุปมา เราจะกล่าวข้อความซึ่งปิดซ่อนไว้ตั้งแต่เดิมสร้างโลก'

36 แล้วพระเยซูจึงทรงให้คนเหล่านั้นจากไปและเสด็จเข้าไปในเรือน พวกสาวกของพระองค์ก็มาเฝ้าพระองค์ทูลว่า "ขอพระองค์ทรงโปรดอธิบายให้พวกข้าพระองค์เข้าใจคำอุปมาที่ว่าด้วยข้าวละมานในนานั้น"

37 พระองค์ตรัสตอบเขาว่า "ผู้หว่านเมล็ดพืชดีนั้นได้แก่บุตรมนุษย์

38 นานั้นได้แก่โลก ส่วนเมล็ดพืชดีได้แก่พลเมืองแห่งอาณาจักร แต่ข้าวละมานได้แก่พลเมืองของมารร้าย

39 ศัตรูผู้หว่านข้าวละมานได้แก่พญามาร ฤดูเกี่ยวได้แก่การสิ้นสุดของโลกนี้ และผู้เกี่ยวนั้นได้แก่พวกทูตสวรรค์

40 เหตุฉะนั้น เขาเก็บข้าวละมานเผาไฟเสียอย่างไร ในการสิ้นสุดของโลกนี้ก็จะเป็นอย่างนั้น

41 บุตรมนุษย์จะใช้พวกทูตสวรรค์ของท่านออกไปเก็บกวาดทุกสิ่งที่ทำให้หลงผิด และบรรดาผู้ที่ทำความชั่วช้าไปจากอาณาจักรของท่าน

42 และจะทิ้งลงในเตาไฟอันลุกโพลง ที่นั่นจะมีการร้องไห้ขบเขี้ยวเคี้ยวฟัน

43 คราวนั้นผู้ชอบธรรมจะส่องแสงอยู่ในอาณาจักรพระบิดาของเขาดุจดวงอาทิตย์ ใครมีหูจงฟังเถิด

44 อีกประการหนึ่ง อาณาจักรแห่งสวรรค์เปรียบเหมือนขุมทรัพย์ซ่อนไว้ในทุ่งนา เมื่อมีผู้ใดพบแล้วก็กลับซ่อนเสียอีก และเพราะความปรีดีจึงไปขายสรรพสิ่งซึ่งเขามีอยู่ แล้วไปซื้อทุ่งนานั้น

45 อีกประการหนึ่ง อาณาจักรแห่งสวรรค์เปรียบเหมือนพ่อค้าที่ไปหาไข่มุกอย่างดี

46 ซึ่งเมื่อได้พบไข่มุกเม็ดหนึ่งมีค่ามาก ก็ไปขายสิ่งสารพัดซึ่งเขามีอยู่ ไปซื้อไข่มุกนั้น

47 อีกประการหนึ่ง อาณาจักรแห่งสวรรค์เปรียบเหมือนอวนที่ลากอยู่ในทะเล ติดปลารวมทุกชนิด

48 ซึ่งเมื่อเต็มแล้วเขาก็ลากขึ้นฝั่งนั่งเลือกเอาแต่ที่ดีใส่ตะกร้า แต่ที่ไม่ดีนั้นก็ทิ้งเสีย

49 ในการสิ้นสุดของโลกก็จะเป็นอย่างนั้นแหละ พวกทูตสวรรค์จะออกมาแยกคนชั่วออกจากคนชอบธรรม

50 แล้วจะทิ้งลงในเตาไฟอันลุกโพลง ที่นั่นจะมีการร้องไห้ขบเขี้ยวเคี้ยวฟัน"

51 พระเยซูตรัสกับเขาว่า "ข้อความเหล่านี้ท่านทั้งหลายเข้าใจแล้วหรือ" เขาทูลตอบพระองค์ว่า "เข้าใจ พระเจ้าข้า"

52 ฝ่ายพระองค์ตรัสกับเขาว่า "เพราะฉะนั้นพวกธรรมาจารย์ทุกคนที่ได้เรียนรู้ถึงอาณาจักรแห่งสวรรค์แล้ว ก็เป็นเหมือนเจ้าของบ้านที่เอาทั้งของใหม่และของเก่าออกจากคลังของตน"

53 ต่อมาเมื่อพระเยซูได้ตรัสคำอุปมาเหล่านี้เสร็จแล้ว พระองค์ก็เสด็จไปจากที่นั่น

54 เมื่อพระองค์เสด็จมาถึงตำบลบ้านของพระองค์แล้ว พระองค์ก็สั่งสอนในธรรมศาลาของเขา จนคนทั้งหลายประหลาดใจแล้วพูดกันว่า "คนนี้มีสติปัญญาและการอิทธิฤทธิ์อย่างนี้มาจากไหน

55 คนนี้เป็นลูกช่างไม้มิใช่หรือ มารดาของเขาชื่อมารีย์มิใช่หรือ และน้องชายของเขาชื่อยากอบ โยเสส ซีโมน และยูดาสมิใช่หรือ

56 และน้องสาวก็อยู่กับเรามิใช่หรือ เขาได้สิ่งทั้งปวงเหล่านี้มาจากไหน"

57 เขาทั้งหลายจึงหมางใจในพระองค์ ฝ่ายพระเยซูตรัสกับเขาว่า "ศาสดาพยากรณ์จะไม่ขาดความนับถือ เว้นแต่ในบ้านเมืองของตน และในครัวเรือนของตน"

58 พระองค์จึงมิได้ทรงกระทำการอิทธิฤทธิ์มากที่นั่น เพราะเขาไม่มีความเชื่อ

   


Many thanks to Philip Pope for the permission to use his 2003 translation of the English King James Version Bible into Thai. Here's a link to the mission's website: www.thaipope.org

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Exploring the Meaning of Matthew 13

Napsal(a) Ray and Star Silverman

The Sower, by Vincent van Gogh

Chapter 13.


Parables of Regeneration


1. And in that same day, Jesus, going out from the house, sat by the sea.

2. And many crowds gathered together to Him, so that stepping into a ship, He sat; and all the crowds stood on the shore.


This episode begins with the words, “On the same day” (Matthew 13:1). It is still the Sabbath, and Jesus is still active; this time, however, instead of healing the multitudes, He is preaching to them: “And great multitudes were gathered together to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat: and the whole multitude stood on the shore” (Matthew 13:2).

The previous episode, spiritually seen, was about the importance of regeneration. In this next episode, Jesus tells seven parables which describe the process He has called “the sign of the prophet Jonah.” The seven parables describe the only true miracle we should seek — the miracle of regeneration. This is a miracle that we can both understand and be a part of, for this is the miracle whereby we are changed from natural beings into spiritual beings.

Jesus reveals the details of this miracle in seven seamlessly connected parables about this process. 1


The Sower: The First Parable of Regeneration


3. And He spoke to them many [things] in parables, saying, “Behold, there went out a sower to sow;

4. And in his sowing, some [seeds] indeed fell along the way, and the birds came, and devoured them.

5. And other [seeds] fell on rocky [places], where it had not much earth, and straightway it sprang up, on account of not having depth of earth;

6. And when the sun rose, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away.

7. And others fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up, and choked them.

8. But others fell on the good earth, and gave fruit, indeed some a hundred, and some sixty, and some thirty.

9. He that has ears to hear, let him hear.”

10. And the disciples coming, said to Him, “Why speakest Thou to them in parables?”

11. And He answering said to them, “Because to you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of the heavens; but to them it is not given.

12. For whoever has, to him shall be given, and he shall have abundance; but whoever has not, even what he has shall be taken away from him.

13. On this account I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, neither do they understand.

14. And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah, who says, ‘By hearing you shall hear and shall not understand, and looking you shall look and shall not see.

15. For the heart of this people has become gross, and with [their] ears they hear heavily, and their eyes have they closed, lest [at any time] they should see with the eyes, and hear with the ears, and understand with the heart, and be converted, and I should heal them.’

16. But happy [are] your eyes, because they see, and your ears, because they hear.

17. For amen I say to you that many prophets and just [men] have longed to see what you look upon, and have not seen, and to hear what you hear, and have not heard.

18. Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower.

19. When anyone hears the Word of the kingdom, and understands not, the wicked [one] comes, and seizes upon what was sown in his heart; this is he that was sown along the way.

20. And that which was sown upon rocky [places] is he that hears the Word, and straightway with joy receives it.

21. And he has not root in himself, but is temporary; and when affliction or persecution comes because of the Word, he is straightway caused to stumble.

22. And that which is sown among thorns is he that hears the Word; and the anxieties of this age, and the deceitfulness of riches choke the Word, and it becomes unfruitful.

23. And that sown upon the good earth is he that hears the Word, and understands, who also bears fruit, and does, indeed some a hundred, and some sixty, and some thirty.”


The regeneration process begins in the same way that life begins: a seed is sown in fertile ground. As Jesus says, “Behold, a sower went out to sow” (Matthew 13:1). The sower who goes forth to sow is God, and the seeds that He scatters are the truths of His Word. Now sometimes these seeds fall by the wayside and birds devour them before they can take root. This is what happens when people have no understanding of the Word. Even the seeds that would tend to take root are snatched away quickly by the “birds” — our flights of imaginative fantasy in which we invent distorted, self-serving notions of what the Word is really teaching.

And then there are the seeds that fall on stony places. Though there is little depth of earth, these seeds take root and spring up quickly. But when the sun comes out, they easily get scorched and wither away. These are compared to those times when we initially understand the Word, and are excited about our new insights. But when trials and temptations come, we cannot bear the heat. We have not taken these new teachings to heart. And so, lacking depth of root, we are not able to endure the heat of our trials. Our faith dries up and withers away.

Other seeds fall among thorns. When the thorns grow up, the new plant is smothered and choked. This represents the times when we get caught up in the cares of the world and the accumulation of riches. These materialistic concerns pile up until we are totally pre-occupied with earthly life, caring little for heaven. The cares of the world have choked out the possibility of our beginning a new life.

However, there are some seeds that fall on good ground. These represent what happens when we hear the Word, understand it, and do it. These are the seeds that “fell into good ground and brought forth fruit” (Matthew 13:8).

Often regarded as ‘the parable of all parables,” this simple story is about the first step in the regeneration process. The “Sower,” who is the Lord plants seeds of goodness and truth in us. Do we take care of this seed, nurturing and cultivating it? Do we regularly water it with truth? Do we regularly expose it to the warm sunlight of loving acts of kindness? And, most importantly, have we received it in the good ground of a humble heart? If so, we have taken the first step on the journey of our spiritual development.


Wheat and Tares: The Second Parable of Regeneration


24. Another parable He set before them, saying, “The kingdom of the heavens is likened to a man sowing good seed in his field.

25. And while the men slept, his enemy came, and sowed tares in the midst of the wheat, and went [his way].

26. And when the blade sprouted, and bore fruit, then appeared also the tares.

27. And the servants of the householder, coming, said to him, ‘Lord, didst thou not sow good seed in thy field? whence then has it the tares?’

28. But he declared to them, ‘A man, an enemy, has done this.’ And the servants said to him,’Willest thou then that we go and collect them?’

29. But he declared, ‘No, lest while you collect the tares, you root up the wheat together with them.

30. Let both grow together even to the harvest, and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, First collect the tares, and bind them into bundles to burn them up; but gather the wheat into my barn.’”


Jesus then proceeds to relate a second parable. While the first parable in the series emphasizes the sowing of good seed by God, this second parable emphasizes the sowing of evil seed by the enemy. Good seeds produce wheat that will be gathered together and put into barns; evil seeds will produce tares that will be gathered together and burnt (Matthew 13:24-30). We should note that Jesus does not immediately explain this parable. At the simplest level, the well-disposed among the multitudes might take it to mean that people receive both good seeds and evil seeds — good ideas and bad ideas. They might also take it to mean that good ideas will lead to good results; bad ideas will lead to bad results.

This would be enough for those who were not yet capable of greater understanding, but the disciples want to know more. “Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field,” they say (Matthew 13:36). And so Jesus proceeds to tell them, “He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man” (Matthew 13:37). By this time there can be no confusion in the minds of the disciples. He has been with them long enough, and spoken often enough about “the Son of Man,” that they know He is referring to Himself. Jesus has already said, “The Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head” (Matthew 8:20); “The Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins” (Matthew 9:6); “The Son of Man came eating and drinking and they say look a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners” (Matthew 11:19); and then, most tellingly, “The Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath” (Matthew 12:8).

To the disciples, then, it is quite clear that “He who sows the good seed” is Jesus the Divine Preacher. It is Jesus Himself who sows the seeds of truth in people’s hearts. He then adds, “The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the wicked one. The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels. Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age” (Matthew 13:38-40).

Jesus now refers to “The Son of Man” again: “The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those that practice lawlessness, and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 13:41-42). It should be noted that greater and greater power is attributed to the Son of Man throughout this gospel. At first He has “nowhere to lay His head”; then He has “power on earth to forgive sins,” and now, in this episode, He has power even over the angels: “The Son of Man will send out His angels.” This is another dramatic step forward as Jesus gradually unveils His true nature.

In the same way that Jesus gradually reveals His Divine identity, He also gradually opens the inner meaning of His Word. At this more interior level, Jesus unveils wonderful truths about the process of regeneration — truths that are essential if we are to undergo the inevitable combats of temptation and be regenerated.

As we take a closer look at this process, the first thing to be noted is that God alone sows the good seed — heavenly truths. But false ideas that spring from our own inherited evils and selfish interests immediately invade our mind. This is the “enemy” who sows tares among the wheat. We are now in “spiritual equilibrium,” a state in which we can choose between heavenly emotions and true thoughts on one side, and self-centered concerns and false thoughts on the other.

It is also interesting to note that the enemy planted tares (evil desires and false thoughts) “while they slept.” This is another reminder to remain spiritually alert and to allow no openings for the enemy to enter. It is a call to reflect on what might cause us to “fall asleep” to the presence of the Lord in our life and to increase our vigilance keeping the tares out of our garden.


The Mustard Seed: The Third Parable of Regeneration


31. Another parable set He before them, saying, “The kingdom of the heavens is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man taking, sowed in his field,

32. Which indeed is the least of all seeds; but when it is grown, it is greater than [the] herb, and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the heaven come, and nest in its branches.”


The next parable in the series speaks of the third step in the regenerative process. Jesus says, “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field, which indeed is the least of all seeds; but when it is grown it is greater than the herbs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches” (Matthew 13:31-32). In this parable Jesus gives a beautiful picture of how good seed proliferates, producing more and more seeds. Good ideas generate more good ideas. A little bit of truth can go a long way.

In this context, the mustard seed represents the small amount of goodness and truth in each of us as we begin the process of spiritual development. It is considered “small” because we still believe that the good things we think and do are from ourselves. Initially, God allows us to think in this way because it produces an affection for learning truth and doing good — even though it may be for self-serving purposes. We enjoy the feelings of merit associated with learning what is true and doing what is good. We believe that we are both wise and good, and we like it when people notice. This is simply how it is in the early stages of regeneration. It is a normal and natural part of the process. 2

As more good is done and more truth is acquired, the tree continues to grow taller and taller. Gradually the person is touched by higher and higher truths as well as more interior affections: “The birds of the heavens nest in its branches” (Matthew 13:32). 3

All this represents the proliferation and multiplication of truth and goodness as we continue to evolve spiritually. We are rising higher and higher on the tree that was once just a tiny mustard seed. And yet, we still cling to the belief that these higher truths and more interior affections originate within us. There is still something of self-love and personal glory that must be identified and removed. This leads to the next step in the regeneration process.


Leavened Bread: The Fourth Parable of Regeneration


33. Another parable spoke He to them: “The kingdom of the heavens is like leaven, which a woman taking hid in three satas of meal, till the whole was leavened.”

34. All these things Jesus spoke to the crowds in parables; and without a parable spoke He not unto them,

35. That it might be fulfilled what was declared by the prophet, saying, “I will open my mouth in parables; I will pour forth things which have been hidden from the founding of the world.”

36. Then leaving the crowds, Jesus came into the house, and His disciples came to Him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field.”

37. And He answering them, said unto them, “He that sows the good seed is the Son of Man;

38. And the field is the world; and the good seed, they are the sons of the kingdom; and the tares are the sons of the wicked;

39. And the enemy that sows them is the Devil; and the harvest is the consummation of the age; and the reapers are the angels.

40. Therefore just as the tares are collected and burnt up by the fire, so shall it be in the consummation of this age.

41. The Son of Man shall send out His angels, and they shall collect out of His kingdom all offenses, and those that do iniquity,

42. And shall cast them into the furnace of the fire, where there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

43. Then shall the just give forth brightness as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He that has ears to hear, let him hear.”


Jesus now gives the fourth parable in the series, saying that “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till it was all leavened” (Matthew 13:33). The people listening to Jesus do not understood everything that He means by this brief parable, but they probably get the general idea — that heaven is a place where things keep on getting better and better. Just as good ideas generate more good ideas, good things continue to expand like warm bread rising.

At a more interior level, the parable of the leavened bread speaks about the necessity and inevitability of temptation for all those who are willing to be regenerated. The truth that we have acquired (parables of the sower, wheat and tares, and mustard seed) must be tried in the fires of temptation in order to learn that without God we can do nothing. This is the fourth step in the process of our spiritual development.

In this context, “leaven” represents false ideas which attack the true ideas that are with us from God. As these false ideas collide with true ones, a fermentation process begins, representative of the temptation combats we now undergo. In the process of fermentation, the activated yeast causes unpleasant gases to be released. This, in turn, causes the bread to rise. Eventually the gases are driven off, leaving a beautiful, delicious loaf of leavened bread, ready to be eaten. The yeast remains in the loaf, but it gradually becomes less and less active. Meanwhile, it has served an important purpose.

Similarly, the struggles of temptation bring us to the point where we see and understand that we can do nothing that is truly good from ourselves. Self-interest, self-concern and self-will all must be driven off, like unpleasant gases, leaving behind only the desire to do good because it is good, without any need for praise, recognition or recompense. This is because we are beginning to understand that all good is from God, and nothing from ourselves. This is the purpose of temptation, to reduce us to such sanity that we honestly believe we merit nothing. 4 The ego concerns that have been driving us, especially the need to be acknowledged, recognized, esteemed or rewarded for what we do become less and less active, like yeast in risen bread.

When we come into this state, we are ready to serve others without thought of reward. This is the beginning of a new state of life. The mustard seed becoming a tree whose branches are filled with birds is an image of the proliferation and multiplication of truth in our life — a necessary and important stage in our regeneration. But in the parable of the leavened bread, as the bread rises and becomes fuller and fuller, we see an image of growing goodness as the life of charity and useful service becomes our essential focus. Like bread, which nourishes and supports life, we become life-givers to others.

Most importantly, we acknowledge that the highest thoughts we think, the inmost affections we feel, and the benevolent acts of service we perform all have their origin in God. Because we understand that God is working through us, we have no desire to seek credit for our “good works.” We are like “a risen loaf of bread” — warm, nutritious, and ready to provide nourishment for others.


Treasure Hidden in a Field: The Fifth Parable of Regeneration


44. “Again, the kingdom of the heavens is like treasure hidden in the field, which a man finding, he hides, and from the joy of it goes and sells all that he has, and buys that field.”


In this new state of life we search the Word for truths that will help us serve others more fully. As we search the Word, with love in our hearts and the uses of life in mind, we find hidden treasures: “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field” (Matthew 13:44).

It should be noted that the man in the parable purchases the whole field: “For joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.”

This is what happens to us when the Word comes alive, and we see it for the rare and wonderful treasure that it is. We are no longer satisfied with a small portion of the field. Our hunger for truth increases in direct proportion to our desire to be a useful human being. As a result, we love to learn more and more; we desire a greater and greater understanding of the whole field — not just a part of it. And in so doing we keep discovering new treasures — wonderful truths that will assist us in the process of regeneration, truths that will help us love God more completely, and serve others more fully.


The Pearl of Great Price: The Sixth Parable of Regeneration


45. “Again, the kingdom of the heavens is like a man, a merchant, seeking goodly pearls;

46. Who, finding one very precious pearl, went away, [and] sold all that he had, and bought it.”


As we continue to search the Word, we find the greatest of all treasures; it is the one pearl, exceedingly precious, called “the pearl of great price. As it is written, “And when he had found one pearl of great price, he went and sold all that he had and bought it” (Matthew 13:45).

The pearl of great price is a true knowledge of God, and the beginning point for a true understanding God’s Word. When the true nature of God is known, every story, every parable — even every jot in God’s Word — takes on new meaning, revealing the infinite love and tender mercy of God. This precious pearl is the revelation of God’s true nature — a Divinely Human God who cares for each and every person as a loving parent cares for a child. This knowledge is the most precious knowledge we could ever discover. Therefore, among all the treasures to be found in the Lord’s Word, this is the most valuable truth of all. That’s why it’s called the “pearl of great price.” 5

There are, of course, many pearls of wisdom in the Lord’s Word. There are many “treasures in the field.” But the pearl of great price is the greatest treasure of all because it shows us the inner beauty of every other pearl. Guided by a proper understanding of God, we learn how to “dig up” precious treasures that had lain hidden in the good ground of the literal sense of the Word; we come to see the wonders contained within every story. Just as the twelve gates to heaven are made of a single substance — pearl — a true knowledge of God is the gateway to an understanding of all other truths in the Word. As our understanding grows, we see how all the other pearls are connected, how they are perfectly arranged, and how every pearl has its own special place in God’s Word. Just as the soul orders and arranges the many organs, systems, and cells of the body, a right understanding of God’s true nature reveals the perfect order of the Word. 6

The way we see God becomes, therefore, a touchstone, not only for the way we see the Word, but also for the way we see life. The tendency to see God as angry and vengeful can too easily lead into justifying our own angry vengeful behavior. The tendency to see God as rigid and unforgiving unless we appease His wrath with sacrifices, can too easily lead to justifying our own tendencies to be demanding and unforgiving — unless we are appeased with smooth words and ego-pleasing acts. 7

However, once we have a true understanding of God’s nature, we will no longer be led astray by teachings that lead us to believe that God is angry, or wrathful, and unforgiving, demanding a sacrifice in order for us to get back into His good graces. This is the kind of wrong thinking that led the ancient Israelites into the belief that God’s wrath could only be appeased through a human sacrifice. The idea that an infinitely loving God could be angry, or even look upon His children with disfavor, is unacceptable to human reason. This is because God is goodness itself, love itself, mercy itself, and forgiveness itself. It is not in His nature to look at any of His children with anger, or even with a furrowed brow. All He asks is that we keep His commandments, believing that He gives us the power to do so. In doing this, we open the way to receive the heavenly blessings that He makes available to us at all times, and in every moment. 8

The pearl of great price, then, is a true understanding of God and of God’s love for us. It is the realization that our life is directly from the Lord who loves us with an unimaginable love. Not only is our life directly from the Lord; the Lord is our life. Without the Lord in our life — specifically the goodness and truth that we receive from Him — we would have no life at all. Although our hearts would continue to beat and our lungs would continue to breathe, we would be spiritually dead.

Therefore, knowledge about God, and more specifically, knowledge about how God has manifested His love for us through Jesus, is surely the “pearl of great price.” Once we gain this priceless knowledge, we are filled with gratitude. Like the merchant in the parable, we become perfectly willing sell all that we have; we become perfectly willing to surrender all selfish desires, and, in exchange, receive the fullness of God’s life and all the blessings it contains. 9


The Dragnet: The Seventh Parable of Regeneration


47. “Again, the kingdom of the heavens is like a seine cast into the sea, and gathering of every kind;

48. Which, when it was full, they brought [it] up to the shore, and sitting down, collected the good into vessels, and cast out the bad.

49. So shall it be in the consummation of the age; the angels shall come forth, and shall separate the wicked from the midst of the just,

50. And shall cast them into the furnace of the fire, where there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

51. Jesus says to them, “Have you understood all these things?” They say unto Him, “Yes, Lord.”

52. And He says unto them, “On account of this, every scribe instructed for the kingdom of the heavens is like a man, and a householder, who puts forth out of his treasure [things] new and old.”


This brings us to the final parable in this series. Jesus says, “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was cast into the sea and gathered some of every kind, which when it was full, they drew to shore; and they sat down and gathered the good into vessels, but threw the bad away. So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from the just, and cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 13:47-50). 10

In this seventh and final parable, the “dragnet cast into the sea” describes what happens within each of us after death. Most of us are a mixture of good and evil, truth and falsity, noble aspirations and selfish desires. All this is described by the dragnet which is cast into the sea and brought to shore, filled with “some of every kind.” However, if our heart is in the right place, and if we sincerely desire to learn what is true and do what is right, our false beliefs and misguided desires can do us no permanent harm. God’s gentle leading does not end at death.

Instead, we continue on, fully human, but without material bodies. Depending on the decisions we made while on earth, we continue to learn, grow, and become the finest version of ourselves. Angel instructors guide and teach us as we continue to be prepared for heaven. They help us to gradually discard the false ideas and vain ambitions that we held onto (because we didn’t know any better). And they teach us new truths that we can use as vessels to receive God’s goodness as we continue to learn more about heavenly life.

Eventually, there will be a final separation of that which is good in us from that which is evil. At that point, evil and false things will be separated and removed far from our consciousness, while all that which is good and true in us will become a part of our essential nature. This is the final stage in the process of spiritual development. It is a process that begins on earth and continues throughout all eternity. While we will never be regenerated to the point where we can say, “Now, I am perfect,” we continue to move closer and closer to perfection forever. 11

As Jesus concludes this series of parables, He says to His disciples, “Have you understood all these things?” (Matthew 13:47). At this point, their simple, sincere response is sufficient. They say, “Yes, Lord.” Jesus does not question their response or examine them on their understanding. Instead, He speaks to them as though they are now well-instructed scribes, saying, “Every scribe instructed about the kingdom of heaven is like a man, and a householder who puts forth out of his treasure things new and old” (Matthew 13:52).

Biblical scholars mostly agree that this refers to the Hebrew scriptures (“old”) and the teachings of Jesus (“new”). But it could also refer to the letter of sacred scripture (“old”) and the spirit of sacred scripture which is continually new as the Lord reveals increasingly more interior truths. When the new and the old are seen as one, these teachings contain incredible power — power given to guide, protect, and bless us as we continue to grow and evolve forever. 12


“Where did this Man get this wisdom?”


53. And it came to pass, when Jesus had finished these parables, He passed thence.

54. And coming into His own country, He taught them in their synagogue, so that they wondered, and said, “Whence has this [Man] this wisdom, and [these] powers?

55. Is not this the carpenter’s son? Is not His mother called Mary? And His brothers, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas?

56. And His sisters, are they not all with us? whence then has this [Man] all these things?”

57. And they were offended in Him; but Jesus said unto them, “A prophet is not without honor, except in his own country, and in his own house.”

58. And He did not many [works of] power there, because of their unbelief.


When Jesus gave the seven parables of regeneration, He spoke to a receptive audience. But in the next episode things change. He goes home to Nazareth to confront an audience that is far less receptive. In fact, they are doubtful, skeptical, even hostile.

The scene is a synagogue in His own country. He has entered the synagogue in an attempt to instruct them, but they are not open to His teaching. They see nothing of His divinity and cannot imagine that His wisdom and power comes from heaven. Instead,

they say, “Where did this man get this wisdom and these mighty works”? (Matthew 13:54). Their question is not posed from a state of respectful awe. Rather, it is said contemptuously, for we read that they are “offended” (Matthew 13:57). They still see Him as the carpenter’s son, the son of Mary, and one of five brothers.

The contrast between the receptivity of the disciples, with their simple, “Yes, Lord,” and the rejection at Nazareth is striking. In a previous episode, Jesus told the religious leaders that “a prophet greater than Jonah” is in their midst, as well as a man of wisdom “greater than Solomon” (Matthew 12:42). Though Jesus is indeed a prophet greater than Jonah, He also understands that “a prophet is not without honor except in his own country and in his own house” (Matthew 13:57). And because of this “He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief” (Matthew 13:58).

The story of Jesus’ rejection in Nazareth speaks to each of us about the subtle ways that we too may reject Him. In our early reading of God’s Word, the literal stories may delight us in a childlike way, but we may never go any further than regarding them as stories for children. We do not see that each and every story of the Word is a parable that can be opened to eternity, and that the Word of God is a field filled with hidden treasures. We may simply regard it as a book for children, delightful perhaps, but not Divine. This is to regard it merely as a book about a “carpenter’s son” and to see Jesus as merely the son of Mary. The tendency to explain away the holiness of the Word leaves us in a position where we can derive little inspiration from its teachings or from Jesus’ message. And so, God can do no mighty works in us because of our unbelief. 13

Poznámky pod čarou:

1The New Jerusalem and its Heavenly Doctrine 203: “All regeneration is effected by the Lord, through the truths of faith, and a life according to them.”

2Arcana Coelestia 4145[2]: “Every person who is being regenerated is first in mediate good, in order that it may serve for introducing genuine goods and truths; but after it has served this use, this good is separated, and the person is brought to good which flows in more directly. Thus, the person who is being regenerated is perfected by degrees. For example: a person who is being regenerated believes at first that the good which is thought and done is from oneself, and therefore is deserving of merit. This is because the person does not yet know, or comprehend, that good can flow in from some other source, nor that it can be otherwise than that a person should be recompensed, because it has been done from oneself. Unless at first a person believed this, the person would never do any good. But by this means people are initiated not only into the affection of doing what is good, but also into knowledge concerning good and also into knowledge concerning merit. When people are led in this manner into the affection of doing good, they then begin to think differently and to believe differently. Namely, they begin to think and believe that good flows in from the Lord, and that by the good which they do from their own they merit nothing. At last when they are in the affection of willing and doing what is good, they altogether reject self-merit, and even have an aversion for it, and are affected with good from good. When a person is in this state, good flows in directly.”

3. Most translations say, “birds of the air” or “birds of the sky,” but Swedenborg translates this as “birds of the heavens” because of the correspondence with higher thoughts. The Greek word translated as “air” or “sky” is οὐρανοῦ (ouranou) which can be translated as “air,” “sky,” or “heaven.” Birds that fly high above the earth, often have keener sight and broader vision. Because of their “bird’s-eye vision,” they often correspond to the human capacity for higher thoughts. See Arcana Coelestia 5149[3]: “By ‘birds’ are meant things of the understanding such as thoughts, ideas, reasonings, principles, consequently truths or falsities…. ‘The birds of the heavens’ that dwelt in the branches of the tree signify truths.”

4Arcana Coelestia 2273[2]: “The temptations in which people overcome are attended with a belief that all others are more worthy than themselves, and that one is infernal rather than heavenly; for while in temptations such ideas are presented to a person. If after temptations people come into thoughts contrary to these . . . similar temptations must be undergone, and sometimes more grievous ones, until people are reduced to such sanity that they believe they have merited nothing.”

5True Christian Religion 184: “The Divine Trinity is like the pearl of great price; but when it is divided into Persons, it is like a pearl divided into three parts, which is thereby completely and irretrievably ruined.” See also True Christian Religion 163: “These three, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, are three essential components of one God. They are one the way our soul, our body, and the things we do are one.”

6Apocalypse Revealed 916: “The knowledge of the Lord is the universal of all things of doctrine and thence of all things of the church; from it all worship derives its life and soul, for the Lord is the all in all of heaven and the church, and thence in all things of worship. The reason why the acknowledgment and knowledge of the Lord conjoins into one all the knowledges of truth and good from the Word, is because there is a connection of all spiritual truths, and if you will believe it, their connection is like the connection of all the members, viscera, and organs of the body. Wherefore as the soul contains all these in their order and connection …the ‘one precious pearl’ is the acknowledgment and knowledge of the Lord.”

7True Christian Religion 163: “A right idea of God is in the church like the sanctuary and altar in the temple, and like the crown on the head and scepter in the hand of a king, sitting upon his throne. On this doctrine depends the whole body of theology, like a chain upon its first link; and, if you will believe it, one’s place in heaven is according to one’s idea of God, for it is a kind of touchstone by which gold and silver, that is, the nature of good and truth in a person, are tested.”

8True Christian Religion 56: “As God wills only what is good, He can do nothing but what is good…. [Therefore] it can be seen how deluded those are who think, and still more those who believe, and still more those who teach, that God can damn anyone, curse anyone, send anyone to hell, predestine any soul to eternal death, avenge wrongs, be angry, or punish. He cannot even turn Himself away from man, nor look upon him with a stern countenance. These and like things are contrary to His essence; and what is contrary to His essence is contrary to His very Self.”

9Apocalypse Explained 1044[3]: “The ‘one precious pearl’ means the knowledge respecting the Lord and His Divine. The words, ‘He sold all that he had and bought it’ signify to reject what is one’s own [proprium] in order to receive life from the Lord.”

10. Jesus is speaking in “the language of parable.” The phrase “fiery furnace” refers to the fiery heat of self-centeredness; the phrase “gnashing of teeth” refers to the inordinate need to be right, and the violent arguments that follow. See Heaven and Hell 573: “Since hellfire means all the craving to do evil that flows from love for oneself, that same fire also means the kind of torment that occurs in the hells. This is because the impulses that arise from that love are urges to wound people who do not offer respect and deference and reverence. To the extent that rage takes charge, and the hatred and vengefulness that come from rage, people are driven to attack others viciously. When this impulse is inherent in everyone in a community where there are no external restraints, no fears of the law or of loss of reputation or position or profit or life, everyone attacks everyone else out of sheer malice…. These acts of savagery and torture are what are meant by hellfire, because they are the results of their obsessions”

11. For a full and comprehensive description of this stage, see Heaven and Hell, Part II: “The World of Spirits and Man’s State after Death,” 429-535. In this section of the book Swedenborg describes the World of Spirits as a temporary abode between heaven and hell. It is here where good people have the opportunity to rid themselves of the false notions that prevented them from being all they could be. Because they are good, they love truth and are therefore easily prepared for heaven by angel instructors. Evil people, on the other hand, refuse all instruction, believing that they already know what’s best. They eventually put aside their hypocritical masks and become who they truly are, taking their places in a world where everyone else thinks they know what is best — a world filled with argumentation and strife. In biblical language, this incessant disagreement and discord is called “wailing and gnashing of teeth.” It’s not a punishment; it’s just what some choose as a way of life.

12. DeVerbo 20: “All the holiness of the Word is in its literal sense, and there is no holiness in the spiritual sense without the literal sense. This would be like a house without a foundation … like a human body with no skin … like wine with no vessel to hold it…. All the power of Divine truth lies in the literal sense of the Word; the spiritual sense without the literal sense has no power, but the literal sense containing the spiritual sense has power.”

13. When Swedenborg interviewed some devils from hell, he asked them what they thought about the Ten Commandments. Here is a portion of that conversation, from Conjugial Love 521[5]: “After that I turned the conversation to more serious matters, and I asked whether they ever considered that adultery is a sin. ‘What is sin?’ they replied. ‘We do not know what it is.’ I asked whether they ever remembered that adultery is against the sixth commandment of the Decalogue. They replied, ‘What is the Decalogue? Is it not the catechism? What does that children’s booklet have to do with men like us?’”

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Arcana Coelestia # 5149

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5149. 'And the birds were eating them out of the basket, from upon my head' means that falsity originating in evil would consume it. This is clear from the meaning of 'the birds' as intellectual concepts and also thoughts, and consequently the things which flow from them - in the genuine sense truths of every kind, and in the contrary sense falsities - dealt with in 40, 745, 776, 778, 866, 988, 7219; from the meaning of eating' as consuming (in the original language the verb to eat also denotes to consume); and from the meaning of 'the basket' as the will part of the mind, dealt with in 5144, 5146, in this case evil coming from the will part since the basket has holes in it, 5145. From this it follows that 'the birds were eating them out of the basket, from upon his head' means that falsity originating in evil would consume it.

[2] Falsity has two different origins, doctrine and evil. Falsity originating in doctrine does not consume any form of good, for a person can have such falsity in his mind and yet desire what is good, which is why people taught any kind of doctrine, including gentiles, can be saved. But falsity originating in evil is falsity which does consume good. Evil itself is opposed to good; yet it does not by itself consume any good but relies on falsity to do so. For falsity attacks the truths which are the defenders of good, those truths being so to speak the ramparts behind which good resides. Falsity is used to attack those ramparts, and once this has been done, good is given over to destruction.

[3] Anyone unacquainted with the fact that 'birds' means intellectual concepts will inevitably suppose that when mentioned in the Word the expression 'birds' is either used to mean birds literally or else is used, as in everyday speech, in a figurative sense. Except from the internal sense no one can know that 'birds' means things belonging to the understanding, such as thoughts, ideas, reasonings, basic assumptions, and consequently truths or falsities, as in Luke,

The kingdom of God is like a grain of mustard seed, which someone took and sowed in his garden, and it grew and became a big tree so that the birds of the air dwelt in its branches. Luke 13:19.

'The birds of the air' here stands for truths.

[4] In Ezekiel,

It will turn into a noble cedar, and under it will dwell every bird of every sort; 1 in the shade of its branches they will dwell. Ezekiel 17:23.

'Bird of every sort' stands for truths of every kind. In the same prophet,

Asshur was a cedar in Lebanon. In its branches all the birds of the air made their nests, and under its branches every beast of the field brought forth, and in its shadow dwelt all great nations. Ezekiel 31:3, 6.

'The birds of the air' stands in a similar way for truths.

[5] In the same prophet,

Upon its ruin will dwell every bird of the air, and on its branches will be every wild animal of the field. Ezekiel 31:13.

'Bird of the air' stands for falsities. In Daniel,

Nebuchadnezzar saw in a dream. Behold, a tree in the midst of the earth; under it the beasts of the field had shade, and in its branches dwelt the birds of the air. Daniel 4:10, 12, 14, 21.

Here also 'the birds of the air' stands for falsities.

[6] In Jeremiah,

I looked, and behold, there was no man; and every bird of the air had flown away. Jeremiah 4:25.

'No man' stands for no good, 4287, 'the birds of the air which had flown away' for the fact that truths had been dispersed. In the same prophet,

From bird of the air even to beast they have flown away, they have gone away. Jeremiah 9:10.

Here the meaning is the same. In Matthew,

A sower went out to sow; and some fell on the pathway, and the birds came and devoured it. Matthew 13:3-4.

Here 'the birds of the air' stands for reasonings, and also for falsities. The same meaning may be seen in many other places.

Poznámky pod čarou:

1. literally, of every wing

  
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Thanks to the Swedenborg Society for the permission to use this translation.