(Un comentario sobre Juan 21:15-25)

En la primera parte de este capítulo, siete discípulos del Señor habían vuelto a casa, a Galilea. Habían ido a pescar, habían visto a Jesús en la orilla, habían seguido sus instrucciones de pescar a la derecha de la barca, habían arrastrado a la orilla una red cargada con 153 peces y... al comenzar la segunda mitad del capítulo, acaban de terminar de romper el ayuno con Él. Ahora están descansando.

Jesús le dice a Pedro: "¿Me amas?" y Pedro, quizá un poco asustado por la pregunta, pensando que la respuesta es obvia, responde "sí", y Jesús le responde: "Apacienta mis corderos". Dos veces más se repite esta secuencia, pero con algunos cambios. Luego, después de esta inusual conversación, el Señor les cuenta a todos una pequeña parábola sobre ser joven y más tarde ser viejo. Entonces el Señor le dice a Pedro que le siga, y éste, aparentemente celoso, le pregunta qué debe hacer Juan. El Señor reprende suavemente los celos de Pedro diciendo: "Si éste se queda hasta que yo venga, ¿qué os importa?", pero luego le dice a Juan que también le siga.

Finalmente, el evangelio de Juan, y de hecho la colección de los cuatro evangelios, se cierra con una explicación de Juan de que él es el escritor de este evangelio.

Veamos ahora con más detalle la conversación, la parábola y el brote de celos.

Sólo dos de los siete discípulos, Pedro y Juan, son mencionados en esta parte del relato. Pedro representa la fe, o la verdad, pero la verdad sobre las cosas espirituales que realmente creemos que vienen de Dios. Juan representa el bien, o el amor al prójimo. El primero reside en la parte del entendimiento de la mente y el segundo en la parte de la voluntad de la mente.

Al decirle a Pedro que apaciente a sus ovejas, el Señor está diciendo que seguirle significa predicar las verdades que todos los discípulos conocen ahora sobre el Señor, su venida y sobre cómo debe llevarse una vida, para ser un seguidor del Señor en una nueva iglesia. En la conversación el Señor es directo e incisivo. "Simón, hijo de Jonás, ¿me quieres más que éstos?" Creo que a Pedro le está preguntando si ama al Señor, a Jesús, más que a sus compañeros galileos, aunque es ambiguo, podría significar "¿me amas más que estos otros seis?". Cuando Pedro responde la primera vez dice "Señor tú sabes que te amo".

Con esta primera de las tres preguntas de sondeo, el Señor responde "Apacienta mis corderos", mientras que después la respuesta es "Apacienta mis ovejas". Tanto las ovejas como los corderos representan a las personas que aman hacer el bien, pero mientras las ovejas significan los que aman hacer el bien por el prójimo, los corderos significan los que hacen el bien por el Señor. El primero es el bien espiritual, y el segundo es más elevado, y se llama bien celestial. Pero las personas que desean hacer el bien al principio no saben lo que es bueno; necesitan aprenderlo de la Palabra y ser enseñados. Por eso se le dice a Pedro que "los alimente", es decir, que la verdad debe indicar cómo se debe hacer el bien. Para hacer cosas buenas, es necesario que la voluntad quiera y el entendimiento sepa cómo hacerlo. Para que una vida cristiana tenga éxito, o a mayor escala, una iglesia cristiana, "Pedro" y "Juan" deben trabajar en armonía.

Luego viene la parábola. "Cuando eras joven te preparabas y hacías lo que querías por tu cuenta. Pero cuando te haces viejo, tienes que pedir ayuda y otro te llevará donde no quieres ir".

Esto no parece encajar aquí, pero por supuesto que sí, y de dos maneras. La primera forma se da en el texto bíblico; se trata de la muerte del Señor, que todas las profecías lo llevaban a su crucifixión, como se menciona. La segunda forma es una lección para todos nosotros. Cuando somos jóvenes, confiados y fuertes, sentimos que podemos hacer lo que queremos y no necesitamos ninguna ayuda. Las tentaciones de hacer el mal las podemos afrontar nosotros mismos. Pero cuando nos hacemos más sabios nos damos cuenta de que toda nuestra fuerza viene del Señor, y si seguimos dependiendo sólo de nosotros mismos, las tentaciones de los infiernos serán demasiado fuertes y nos llevarán a hacer lo que los infiernos quieren para nosotros, no lo que nosotros queremos. Debemos aprender desde el principio a seguir al Señor y a depender de Él. Esto lo dice al final de la parábola, donde parece no encajar hasta que entendemos la parábola. "Y habiendo dicho esto, les dijo (a ellos): seguidme". Eso es lo que tenemos que hacer también nosotros.

Pedro está contento de hacer esta predicación de la verdad y tal vez siente que ha sido señalado, pero también se da cuenta de que Juan también ama al Señor y es amado a su vez. Por eso pregunta: "¿Y qué debe hacer este hombre?". Parece que aún no existe la armonía necesaria, y que Pedro está celoso del vínculo, y probablemente espera que le aseguren que es el número uno... pero eso no sucede. A Pedro se le dice simplemente que no importa; tiene que hacer el trabajo que se le ha encomendado.

Me recuerda la historia de Jacob y Esaú, en Génesis 25, donde Esaú es el primogénito y heredará la primogenitura y la bendición de Isaac, como le corresponde. Jacob, mediante un ardid ideado por su madre, engaña a Isaac y le roba lo que es de Esaú. Luego huye a Padan-Aram y se queda allí con su tío y se enriquece. Sólo en su viaje de regreso, cuando lucha con el ángel y se le cambia el nombre a Israel, se encuentra de nuevo con Esaú. El cambio de nombre significa que ahora que Jacob es rico con la verdad de la Palabra, ahora con el encuentro amistoso con Esaú, también rico, que los dos gemelos pueden en parábola, fundirse en un solo personaje, llamado Israel, que significa la unión del bien y la verdad en la mente.

Esaú significa algo parecido a Juan, ambos representan la bondad o la verdadera caridad. Jacob significa algo similar a Pedro, ambos representan la verdad aprendida de la Palabra. Cualquier enemistad aparente entre ellos en cuanto a cuál es más importante puede hacer que ambos sean inútiles, y en una persona que se está volviendo angélica (como todos deberían aspirar), no hay enemistad. La verdad permite el bien, y el bien inspira la verdad para conseguir algo. Aunque podemos pensar y hablar de ellos por separado, están (perfectamente en el Señor y menos en los ángeles) unidos en una unidad para ser vistos como casados. El matrimonio del bien divino y la verdad divina del Señor es el origen de toda la creación. Sí, toda la creación.

Este matrimonio entre el bien y la verdad, y la necesidad de que ambos funcionen en nuestras vidas, en equilibrio y armonía, es un concepto neocristiano fundamental.

En los Evangelios, hay una historia más que tiene lugar después de ésta. En ella, el resto de los discípulos se unen a los siete mencionados aquí para escuchar las últimas órdenes del Señor.

443. Verse 7. Of the tribe of Simeon twelve thousand sealed, signifies obedience, and that all who are in obedience are in heaven, and come into heaven. This is evident, from the representation and consequent signification of "the tribe of Simeon," as being obedience (of which presently); and from the signification of "twelve thousand sealed," as being all who are in heaven and who come into heaven (of which above). The tribes of Simeon, Levi, and Issachar, which are now mentioned, and which constitute the third class of the sealed, signify those who are in the first or lowest heaven, and who come into that heaven. For, as was said above, all who are in heaven, and who come into heaven are here treated of; and as there are, three heavens, the third or inmost, the second or middle, and the first or lowest, those who are in the third, in the second, and in the first are separately treated of. Those who are in the third or inmost heaven and who come into that heaven are signified by "Judah, Reuben, and Gad," these constituting the first class of those sealed; those who are in the second or middle heaven and who come into that heaven are signified by "Asher, Naphtali, and Manasseh," these, therefore, constituting the second class of those sealed; but those who are in the first or lowest heaven and who come into that heaven are signified by "Simeon, Levi, and Issachar," these constituting the third class of those sealed.

[2] Those belonging to this first or lowest heaven are all obedient in doing the truths and goods that are commanded in the Word or in the doctrine of the church in which they were born, or that they have heard from some master or religious teacher, from whom they have heard that this or that is true and good, and ought to be done. Most of these are not in truths themselves, but in falsities from ignorance, nevertheless these falsities are accepted by the Lord as truths because they have the good of life for their end, and by this the evils that usually cling to falsities are removed (respecting these falsities, and those who are in them, see in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 21). Such, then, are in the lowest or first heaven. But in the second or middle heaven are all such as are in the spiritual affection of knowing and understanding truth and good, and in the affection of doing it; while in the third or inmost heaven are all such as are in love; but these two classes have already been spoken of above.

[3] "Simeon" and his tribe signify those who are in obedience, because Simeon, the father of the tribe, was named from the word that means "to hear," and "to hear" signifies to obey. This can be seen from the words of Leah his mother when she bare him, which are these:

And Leah conceived again and bare a son, and said, Because Jehovah hath heard that I was hated He hath therefore given me this one also; and she called his name Simeon (Genesis 29:33).

(For explanation of these words see Arcana Coelestia 3867-3872; and that "to hear" signifies to obey there, n. 2542, 3869, 4653-4660, 5017, 5471, 5475, 7216, 8361, 8990, 9311, 9397, 9926, 10061; and above, n. 14, 108, 249.) Because "Simeon" signifies obedience he also signifies faith, for faith becomes faith in man when he obeys and does the commandments; before this is done the knowledge of such things as man has drawn from the Word, from the doctrine of the church and from preaching, appears as faith, but this is not faith until man does these things; until then it is merely a matter of thought from the memory, in which there is nothing of the will, consequently nothing of the man, for the will is the man himself; it is therefore when a man does this, that is, obeys, that it enters the will, thus the man himself and becomes faith.

[4] This faith, which is obedience, is signified also by Peter, when he is called "Simon;" and the faith that is the affection of truth is signified by Peter when he is called "Simon son of Jonah" (as in Matthew 16:17-19, et seq.; Mark 1:16-18, 36; 14:37, 38; Luke 5:3-11; 7:40-43; 22:31-33, et seq.; Luke 24:34; John 1:40-42; 21:15-21). Because "Simeon" in the Hebrew signifies hearing and hearkening, and thence obedience, as was said above, and "the son of Jonah" signifies truth from good, but "Peter" truth itself, Peter is called by the Lord sometimes "Peter," sometimes "Simon Peter," and sometimes "Simon son of Jonah." That these names have such a signification anyone can see from Peter's having been called by the Lord now "Peter," now "Simon," now "son of Jonah," which was not done without cause or meaning. What was said to him at the time makes clear what is meant; thus when he confessed that the Lord was the Son of God, and in consequence the keys of the kingdom of the heavens were given to him, he is called "Simon son of Jonah" (Matthew 16:17, et seq.) and is also called a rock (petra), as the Lord Himself often is in the Prophets. Again, he is called "Simon son of Jonah" when the Lord said to him, "Lovest thou Me," and he answered, "I love Thee;" but when he presently turned himself away from the Lord and was indignant because John, who signifies the good of charity, was following Jesus, he is called "Peter" (John 21:15-21), "Peter" here signifying truth without good, or faith separate from charity.

[5] From this it can be seen that "Simon," when Peter is so named, has a similar signification as "Simeon" the son of Jacob, namely, obedience, the faith of charity, the affection of truth, and in general, truth from good; for in the Hebrew Simon means hearing, hearkening, and obedience, and Jonah in the Hebrew means a dove, which signifies in the spiritual sense the good of charity; and "the son of Jonah" signifies the truth of that good, or the faith of charity; while "rock" [petra], from which he is named Peter, signifies truth and faith, and in the contrary sense, falsity and absence of faith (See above, n. 411).

[6] That "Simeon" the son of Jacob, with the tribe named from him, signifies obedience, and truth in the will, and thence faith, can also be seen from the contrary sense, in which he signifies non-obedience, and falsity in the will, and thus faith separate from the will, which is no faith; for most things in the Word have also a contrary sense, in which they signify the opposite things. It is in this sense that Simeon is mentioned by Israel his father in the prophecy respecting his sons, where it is said:

Simeon and Levi are brethren; instruments of violence are their swords; into their secret let not my soul come; in their assembly let not my glory be united. For in their anger they slew a man, and in their good pleasure ¹ they houghed an ox. Accursed be their anger, for it is fierce, and their fury, for it is hard. I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel (Genesis 49:5-7).

"Simeon and Levi are brethren" signifies faith separate from charity; "instruments of violence are their swords" signifies that their doctrinals serve to destroy the works of charity, thus charity itself; "into their secret let not my soul come" signifies that spiritual good does not wish to know the evils of their will; "in their assembly let not my glory be united" signifies that spiritual truth does not wish to know the falsities of their thoughts; "for in their anger they slew a man" signifies that they have wholly turned themselves away from truths, and in their aversion have extinguished faith; "and in their good pleasure they houghed an ox" signifies that from their depraved will they have wholly disabled external good which is of charity; "accursed be their anger, for it is fierce" signifies a grievous aversion from good, and consequent damnation; "and their fury, for it is hard" signifies aversion from truth that is from good; "I will divide them in Jacob" signifies that this faith is to be exterminated from the external church; "and scatter them in Israel" signifies from the internal church also. (For fuller explanation of this see Arcana Coelestia 6351-6361.)

[7] The first three sons, Reuben, Simeon, and Levi, were rejected and condemned by their father Israel because that prophecy describes the establishment of the church, and the church is not established by faith separate from charity, but by truth and good from the Lord; for the church, even at that time, had fallen into the error that merely knowing the Word, and saying that it is holy, is the essential of the church, and not life or charity, and that the God of heaven and earth is some other than the Lord. For this reason in that prophecy the three sons born first, Reuben, Simeon, and Levi, were rejected, because "Reuben" there signifies faith alone, "Simeon" faith without charity, and "Levi" the absence of the good of charity; consequently these three in the series signify no church; for when faith alone is assumed as the essential of salvation, charity is immediately rejected and regarded as nonessential and of no value in respect to salvation; and because these three things were signified by these three sons, therefore they were rejected by Israel their father, who signified the church. Moreover, each of these three destroyed the representative of the church, Reuben:

By lying with Bilhah, the maidservant and concubine of his father (Genesis 35:22).

and Simeon and Levi:

By slaying Hamor, his son Shechem, and the whole city, which was the nation descended from Hamor, for no other reason than that Shechem loved their sister Dinah (Genesis 34 to the end).

This deed signifies in the spiritual sense that these two sons of Jacob, in other words, that constituent of the church which they represented, extinguished the truth and good of the Ancient Church, which church yet survived in the nation of Hamor; for this deed signifies in the spiritual sense that every truth and good of the church is extinguished by faith separated from charity. This, therefore, is what is meant in particular by the words of Israel, "into their secret let not my soul come; in their assembly let not my glory be united; for in their anger they slew a man, and in their good pleasure they houghed an ox;" for "man" [vir] signifies in the Word truth and intelligence, and "ox" moral and natural good. (For fuller explanation of this see Arcana Coelestia 4426-4522.)

[8] And for this reason Simeon was passed by in the blessing of Moses (Deuteronomy 33), and instead of him Ephraim and Manasseh are mentioned, by whom the truth and good of the church are signified. But although Simeon and Levi were such, yet elsewhere they signify the faith of charity and charity, "Simeon" the faith of charity, and "Levi" charity. Yea, the tribe of Levi was appointed to the priesthood; for it matters not of what quality the person is who represents, provided he is in external worship according to the laws and statutes; for representation does not regard the person, but only the thing, and nothing is required in the person except the external of worship. (On this see Arcana Coelestia 665, 1097, 1361, 3147, 3670, 3881, 4208, 4281, 4288, 4292, 4309, 4444, 4500, 6304, 7048, 7439, 8588, 8788, 8806, 9229.) For this reason "the tribe of Simeon" in this passage of Revelation and elsewhere in the Word signifies obedience, the faith of charity, the affection of truth, and in general, truth from good, as has been said above. (That "Simeon" and his tribe, when mentioned in a good sense, signify in the highest sense providence, in the internal sense faith in the will, in the interior sense obedience, and in the external sense hearing, may be seen in Arcana Coelestia 3869.)

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