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Matthew 11

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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."

   

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Arcana Coelestia # 6053

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6053. INFLUX AND THE INTERACTION OF THE SOUL WITH THE BODY

No one can have any knowledge at all or even be able to think about the influx of the soul into the body, or about the interaction of them, unless he knows what the soul is and also something about the nature of the soul. If nothing is known about what the soul is, nothing at all can be said about its inflow and interaction; for how can anyone think about two parts communicating with each other when there is complete lack of knowledge about the nature of one of them? The lack of knowledge, particularly in the learned world, about the whole nature of the soul may be seen from the fact that some people think it is something ethereal, others something flame-like or fiery, others something existing purely on the level of thought, others a general life-force, and others some natural force. Still greater lack of knowledge about what the soul may be is demonstrated by the varying places in the body to which people assign it. Some assign it to the heart, others to the brain - some to its fibres, others to the corpora striata, others to its ventricles, and others to its tiny glands. Others assign it to every part of the body, but these people's conception is of a vitality like that common to everything that has life in it. From this it is evident that people know nothing at all about the soul. This is the reason why the ideas they have peddled around regarding the soul are all guesswork. And since for this reason they cannot have any idea of what the soul is, very many cannot do other than suppose that it is no more than vitality that is dissipated when the body dies. This now explains why the learned have less belief than the simple in a life after death; and because they have no belief in it they cannot have any belief in anything belonging to that life, that is, in the celestial and spiritual realities constituting faith and love. This is also evident from the Lord's words in Matthew,

You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to young children. Matthew 11:15.

And again,

Those who see do not see, and those who hear do not hear, nor do they understand. Matthew 13:13.

For the simple do not think at all about the soul in the way that the learned do but believe that they will be alive after death. Concealed within their simple faith, though they are not conscious of it, is the belief that they will live there as people, seeing the angels, talking to them, and being filled with joy.

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