37
Озвуть ся тодї до него праведні, кажучи: Господи, коли ми бачили тебе голодного, та й накормили? або і жадного, та й напоїли?
Метью 25:37
Arcana Coelestia # 4169
4169. Thy sheep and thy she-goats have not cast their young. That this signifies its state as to good and the good of truth, is evident from the signification of a “sheep,” as being good (concerning which in what follows); and from the signification of a “she-goat,” as being the good of truth (see n. 3995, 4006). By “good” simply so called is meant the good of the will; but by the “good of truth” is meant the good of the understanding. The good of the will is to do good from good; but the good of the understanding is to do good from truth. To those who do good from truth these two appear to be one and the same thing; but yet they differ much from each other; for to do good from good is to do it from the perception of good, and the perception of good exists solely with the celestial; whereas to do good from truth is to do it from memory-knowledge and the consequent understanding; but without the perception that it is so; and only because we have been so instructed by others, or by our own intellectual faculty have of ourselves arrived at the conclusion in question. This may indeed be a fallacious truth, but still if it has good as its end, that which the man does from this truth becomes as good.
[2] That “sheep” signify goods, may be seen from many passages in the Word, of which the following only shall be adduced.
In Isaiah:
He was afflicted, and He opened not His mouth; He is led as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers, and He opened not His mouth (Isaiah 53:7); concerning the Lord, where He is compared to a sheep, not from truth, but from good.
In Matthew:
Jesus said to the twelve whom He sent out, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not; but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel (Matthew 10:5-6
the “Gentiles to whom they should not go,” denote those who are in evils. (That the “Gentiles” denote evils may be seen above, n. 1259, 1260, 1849.) The “cities of the Samaritans” denote those who are in falsities; “sheep,” those who are in goods.
[3] In John:
Jesus after His resurrection said to Peter, Feed My lambs; the second time He said, Feed My sheep; and the third time, Feed My sheep (John 21:15-17);
“lambs” here denote those who are in innocence; “sheep” as first mentioned, those who are in good from good; and “sheep” as last mentioned, those who are in good from truth.
In Matthew:
When the Son of man shall come in His glory, He shall set the sheep on His right hand, and the goats on His left; and He shall say unto them on His right hand, Come ye blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was a hungered, and ye gave Me to eat; I was thirsty, and ye gave Me to drink; I was a stranger, and ye took Me in; I was naked, and ye clothed Me; I was sick, and ye visited Me; I was in prison, and ye came unto Me. Inasmuch as ye did it unto one of the least of these My brethren, ye did it unto Me (Matthew 25:31-40).
That “sheep” here denote goods (that is, those who are in good) is very evident. All kinds of the goods of charity are here contained in the internal sense, as of the Lord’s Divine mercy will be shown elsewhere. By “he-goats” are specifically signified those who are in faith and in no charity.
[4] In like manner in Ezekiel:
As for you, O My flock, saith the Lord Jehovih, behold I judge between cattle and cattle, between the rams of the sheep, and the he-goats (Ezekiel 34:17).
That the “he-goats” are specifically those who are in the faith of no charity, may be seen from the signification of “he-goats,” as being in a good sense those who are in the truth of faith, and thence in some charity; but in the opposite sense, those who are in the faith of no charity, and who reason concerning salvation from the starting point that faith saves. The same appears also from what the Lord says concerning the goats in Matthew, as cited above. But they who are in no truth of faith, and at the same time in no good of charity, are carried away into hell without such a judgment, that is, without any conviction that they are in falsity.
Matthew 11
1
It happened that when Jesus had finished directing his twelve disciples, he departed from there to teach and preach in their cities.
2
Now when John heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples
3
and said to him, "Are you he who comes, or should we look for another?"
4
Jesus answered them, "Go and tell John the things which you hear and see:
5
the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them.
6
Blessed is he who finds no occasion for stumbling in me."
7
As these went their way, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John, "What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind?
8
But what did you go out to see? A man in soft clothing? Behold, those who wear soft clothing are in king's houses.
9
But why did you go out? To see a prophet? Yes, I tell you, and much more than a prophet.
10
For this is he, of whom it is written, 'Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way before you.'
11
Most certainly I tell you, among those who are born of women there has not arisen anyone greater than John the Baptizer; yet he who is least in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than he.
12
From the days of John the Baptizer until now, the Kingdom of Heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.
13
For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.
14
If you are willing to receive it, this is Elijah, who is to come.
15
He who has ears to hear, let him hear.
16
"But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces, who call to their companions
17
and say, 'We played the flute for you, and you didn't dance. We mourned for you, and you didn't lament.'
18
For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, 'He has a demon.'
19
The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Behold, a gluttonous man and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!' But wisdom is justified by her children."
20
Then he began to denounce the cities in which most of his mighty works had been done, because they didn't repent.
21
"Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works had been done in Tyre and Sidon which were done in you, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.
22
But I tell you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you.
23
You, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, you will go down to Hades. For if the mighty works had been done in Sodom which were done in you, it would have remained until this day.
24
But I tell you that it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom, on the day of judgment, than for you."
25
At that time, Jesus answered, "I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you hid these things from the wise and understanding, and revealed them to infants.
26
Yes, Father, for so it was well-pleasing in your sight.
27
All things have been delivered to me by my Father. No one knows the Son, except the Father; neither does anyone know the Father, except the Son, and he to whom the Son desires to reveal him.
28
"Come to me, all you who labor and are heavily burdened, and I will give you rest.
29
Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart; and you will find rest for your souls.
30
For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."
