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.

Fußnoten:

3704. 'And the God of Isaac' means the Lord's Divine Human. This is clear from the representation of 'Isaac' as the Lord's Divine Rational; and since it is in the Rational that the Human has its beginnings, 2194, and so is that from which and through which the Human has its being, 'the God of Isaac' therefore means here the Lord's Divine Human. Since every single thing in heaven, every single thing with man, and indeed every single thing in the whole natural order has reference to good and truth the Lord's Divine too is therefore distinguished into Divine Good and Divine Truth - the Lord's Divine Good being called 'the Father', and His Divine Truth 'the Son'. Yet the Lord's Divine is nothing else than Good, indeed it is Good itself; but Divine Truth is the Lord's Divine Good as it presents itself visually in heaven, that is, to angels. In this it is like the sun. Essentially the sun is nothing else than fire; but the light which one sees coming from it is not in the sun but flowing from it. For the Lord as regards Divine Good is represented by the sun, and also in the next life He is the Sun for the whole of heaven, see 1053, 1521, 1529-1531, 2495, 3636, 3643, and the Lord as regards Divine Truth is represented by the light, and also in the next life He is the Light for the whole of heaven, 1053, 1521, 1529, 1530, 2776, 3138, 3195, 3222, 3223, 3339, 3341, 3636, 3643.

[2] So essentially the Lord is nothing else than Divine Good, and this applies to both essentials - to the Divine itself and to the Divine Human. Divine Truth however does not exist within Divine Good but flows from it, for as stated above, Divine Truth is the Divine Good presenting itself visually in heaven. Now because Divine Good presents itself as Divine Truth, therefore the Lord's Divine is distinguished, to enable man to grasp it mentally, into Divine Good and Divine Truth, Divine Good being called in the Word 'the Father' and Divine Truth 'the Son'. This is the arcanum that lies behind the Lord Himself on so many occasions speaking of His Father as though He were separate from and so to speak One other than Himself, and yet at other times speaking of His being one with Himself. The fact that in the internal sense 'father' means good, and in the highest sense the Lord as regards Divine Good, has been shown just above in 3703, and the fact that 'son' means truth while 'the Son of God' and 'the Son of Man' mean the Lord as regards Divine Truth, in 1729, 1733, 2159, 2803, 2813. The matter is also clear from all those places where the Lord uses the name Father and calls Himself the Son.

[3] Not only in the Old Testament Word is the Lord called Jehovah - see 1343, 1736, 2921 - but He is also referred to there as 'Father', as is clear from the following places: In Isaiah,

To us a Boy is born, to us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder, and His name will be called, Wonderful, Counsellor, God, Hero, Father of Eternity, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6.

From this it is quite evident that 'the Boy born to us and me Son given to us' is the Lord, and so it is He who is called 'the Father of Eternity'. In Jeremiah,

I will be a Father to Israel, and Ephraim will be my firstborn. Jeremiah 31:9.

This refers to the Lord, who, being the God of Israel and me Holy One of Israel, see 3305, is here 'a Father to Israel'. In Malachi,

Have we not all one Father? Has not one God created us? Malachi 2:10.

'Creating' here in the internal sense stands for regenerating, as it also does elsewhere in the Word, see 16, 88, 472. And since me Lord alone is Regenerator and Redeemer it is He who is here called 'Father' and 'God', as also in Isaiah,

You are our Father, for Abraham does not know us and Israel does not acknowledge us. You, O Jehovah, are our Father, our Redeemer; from eternity is Your name. Isaiah 63:16.

[4] In the same prophet,

I will clothe him with your robe and strengthen him with your girdle, and will commit your dominion into his hand, so that he may be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to the house of Judah. And I will place the key of the house of David on his shoulder; and he will open and none will shut, and he will shut and none will open. And I will fasten him like a peg in a sure place, so that he may be the throne of his father's glory, and on him they may hang all the glory of his father's house, of sons and grandsons, every small vessel - from the vessels of bowls even to all the vessels of stringed instruments. Isaiah 22:21-24.

From this it is quite evident that it is the Lord who in the internal sense here is represented and meant, and who is called 'a father to me inhabitants of Jerusalem and to the house of Judah'. For He is the one 'on whose shoulder the key of the house of David is placed, who opens and none shuts, and who shuts and none opens' - see the Preface to Chapter 22. And to Him belongs 'the throne of His Father's glory', and on Him all holy things are based and from Him they are derived. Those holy things are here called 'vessels' celestial ones being called 'vessels of bowls', and spiritual ones 'vessels of stringed instruments'.

[5] Since kings and priests represented the Lord - 'kings' through their kingship representing the Lord as regards Divine Truth, and 'priests' the Lord as regards Divine Good, 3670 - priests were therefore called 'fathers', as may be seen in the Book of Judges,

Micah said to the Levite, Stay with me, and be to me a father and a priest. Judges 17:10.

The children of Dan spoke to the same man in a similar way,

Keep quiet, put your hand over your mouth, and come with us, and be to us a father and a priest. Judges 18:19.

Even kings called them the same, in the second Book of Kings,

The king of Israel said to Elisha, My father, shall I smite them? He said, You shall not smite them. 2 Kings 6:21-22.

And King Joash's words to Elisha when the latter was dying,

King Joash wept before him and said, My father, my father! The chariot of Israel and its riders! 2 Kings 13:14.

Kings called a priest 'father' because 'kings' represented the Lord as regards Divine Truth, 'priests' as regards Divine Good, and also because truth in relationship to good is as son to father, for truth stems from good.

[6] This matter is very well known in the next life, and for this reason those in heaven call no one other than the Lord 'Father', and by 'Father' mentioned in the Gospels they perceive no one other than Him, see 15, 1729. All young children there, when being introduced to the good that flows from love and to the truth partnering that love, are taught to acknowledge the Lord alone as Father. And newcomers to heaven also are taught with utmost care that God is one; and if they have been from within the Church they are taught that the whole of the Trinity resides in the Lord - for almost everybody from the Christian world possesses the idea of three Gods, even though with the lips they used to declare that there is only one God. For once the idea of three has entered in, and each one of these is called God and is also distinguished from the other so far as attributes and functions are concerned, and are even worshipped individually, it is no longer humanly possible to think of one God. Consequently there is in the heart a worship of three Gods but on the lips that of only one.

[7] The truth that the whole of the Trinity resides in the Lord is well known in the Christian world, and yet among Christians in the next life little thought takes place regarding the Lord. Indeed His Humanity is to many people a stumbling-block, for they distinguish the Human from the Divine and do not believe that it is Divine. A person will declare himself to be righteous and so made pure and almost sanctified; but to the idea that the Lord has been glorified, that is, His Human has been made Divine, they do not give any thought. But in fact He was conceived from Jehovah Himself, and in any case nobody can be made righteous, let alone be sanctified, except from the Divine, and especially from the Lord's Divine Human, which is represented and meant in the Holy Supper, where it is explicitly stated that the bread is His body and the wine His blood.

[8] The truth that the Lord is one with the Father and that He has existed from eternity, rules over all, and so is Divine Good itself and Divine Truth itself, is quite clear from the Word:

The Lord is One with the Father In John,

Nobody has ever seen God; the only begotten Son who is in the bosom of the Father, [He has made Him known.] John 1:18.

In the same gospel,

The Jews sought to kill Jesus because He had called God His Father, making Himself equal to God. Jesus answered and said, Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son cannot do anything by Himself except what He will have seen the Father doing, for that which He does the Son also does likewise. For as the Father raises the dead and quickens them, so also does the Son quicken whom He will. For the Father does not judge anyone, but has given all judgement to the Son, so that all may honour the Son even as they honour the Father. He who does not honour the Son does not honour the Father who sent Him. As the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son also to have life in Himself. The Father who sent Me has Himself borne witness to Me. You have never heard His voice nor seen His shape. Search the Scriptures; it is they that bear witness to Me. John 5:18-39.

'The Father' is used here, as has been stated, to mean the Divine Good and 'the Son' the Divine Truth, both being within the Lord. From Divine Good, which is 'the Father', nothing but what is Divine is able to proceed or come forth, and that which proceeds or comes forth is Divine Truth, which is 'the Son'.

[9] In the same gospel,

Everyone who has heard from the Father and has learned comes to Me. No one has seen the Father except Him who is with the Father, He has seen the Father. John 6:44-48.

In the same gospel,

They said to Him, Where is your Father? Jesus answered, You know neither Me nor My Father; if you knew Me you would know My Father also. John 8:18-19.

In the same gospel,

I and the Father are one. Even though you do not believe Me, believe the works, that you may know and believe that the Father is in Me, and I in the Father. John 10:30, 38.

In the same gospel,

Jesus said, He who believes in Me believes not in Me but in Him who sent Me; and he who sees Me sees Him who sent Me. I have come as light into the world in order that everyone who believes in Me may not remain in darkness. John 12:44-46.

'The Father sent Him' means in the internal sense that He proceeds from the Father. This is so in this and other places where the Lord says that the Father sent Him. 'Light' means Divine Truth, see above.

[10] In the same gospel,

I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but by Me. If you know Me you know My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him. Philip said to Him, Lord, show us the Father. Jesus said, Have I been with you so long, and yet you do not know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father. So why do you say, Show us the Father? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak from Myself, the Father who dwells in Me, He does the works. Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me. Whatever you ask in My name I will do it, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. John 14:6-11, 13.

In the same gospel,

He who has My commandments and does them, he it is who loves Me; but he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will manifest Myself to him. If anyone loves Me he will keep My word, and My father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. John 14:21, 23.

[11] Those governed by Divine Truth are meant by the ones who 'have His commandments and do them', while those governed by Divine Good are meant by the ones who 'love Him'. This is why it is said that 'he will be loved by the Father', and 'We will come to him and make Our home with him', that is to say, Divine Good and Divine Truth will come and dwell in him. It is also the reason why the following is said in the same chapter,

On that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me. John 14:20.

And elsewhere in the same gospel,

Holy Father, keep them in Your name, that they may be one as We are one. John 17:11.

From these places it is clear that the Lord talks of the Father by virtue of the Divine Good that is His, and of the Son by virtue of the Divine Truth which springs from the Divine Good. And so they are not two but one. The Lord spoke in this fashion however in order that the Word might be received both on earth and in heaven, and also because prior to His glorification the Lord was Divine truth that sprang from Divine Good, but once He had been glorified He was as to both Essences Divine Good itself in which all Divine Good and Divine Truth have their origin.

[12] The Lord has existed from Eternity

This becomes clear from the fact that it was the Lord who spoke through the prophets, and that both for this reason and the fact that Divine Truth came from Him He was called the Word, which is spoken of in John,

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the Only Begotten from the Father. John 1:1-4, 14.

'The Word' stands for all truth in heaven and on earth which comes from the Divine.

[13] His existence from eternity is explicitly taught by Him elsewhere in John,

John said, This was He who though coming after me was before me, for He was before me. Among you stands one whom you do not know. He it is who is to come after me, who was before me. John 1:15, 26-27, 30.

In the same gospel,

What if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where He was before? John 6:62.

In the same gospel,

Jesus said, Truly, truly, I say to you, Before Abraham was, I am. John 8:58.

In the same gospel,

He knew that He had come from God and was going to God. John 13:3.

In the same gospel,

The Father Himself loves you because you have loved Me and have believed that I came from God. I came from the Father and have come into the world; again I am leaving the world and am going to the Father. John 16:27-28.

In the same gospel,

I have glorified You on earth; I have accomplished the work which You gave Me to do. Now therefore, Father, glorify Me in Your Own Self with the glory I had with You before the world was, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me, because You loved Me before the foundation of the world. John 17:4-5, 24.

In Isaiah,

To us a Boy is born, to us a Son is given; and His name will be called Wonderful Counsellor, God, Hero, Father of Eternity, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6.

[14] The Lord rules over All

This is clear in Matthew,

All things have been delivered to Me by My Father. Matthew 11:27.

In the same gospel, Jesus said to the disciples, All power in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Matthew 28:18.

In John,

The Father has given all things into the hand of the Son. He who believes in the Son has eternal life. John 3:35-36.

The Father does not judge anyone, but has given all judgement to the Son. John 5:22.

In the same gospel,

Jesus knew that the Father had given all things into His hands. John 13:3.

In the same gospel, All that the Father has is Mine. John 16:15.

In the same gospel,

Jesus said, Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You, as You have given Him power over all flesh. John 17:1-2.

In the same gospel,

All Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine, and I am glorified in them. I am no longer in the world, for I am coming to You. John 17:10-11.

In Luke,

All things have been delivered to Me by My Father. Luke 10:22.

[15] From all these places it is clear that it is Divine Good which is called 'the Father' and Divine Truth 'the Son', and that the Lord governs every single thing in all creation from Divine Good by means of Divine Truth. This being so, manifestly so from the Word, it is astounding that people in the Christian world know and teach that the whole of the Trinity resides in the Lord, and yet they do not, as those in heaven do, acknowledge and adore the Lord alone, and so one God. The truth that the Holy Spirit, who also is worshipped as God distinct and separate from Father and Son, is the holiness of the spirit - or the holiness that proceeds from the Lord through spirits or angels, that is, from His Divine Good through the Divine Truth - will in the Lord's Divine mercy be made plain elsewhere.