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Arcana Coelestia #3796

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3796. 'And so it was, when Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of Laban his mother's brother' means an acknowledgement of the affection for that truth as to its origin. This is clear from the meaning of 'seeing' here as acknowledging, as is evident from the train of thought, and from the representation of 'Rachel' as the affection for interior truth, dealt with above in 3793. The expression 'the daughter of Laban his mother's brother' embodies the origin of that affection; that is to say, it came from a parallel good which had been joined in a brotherly relationship to rational truth represented by 'Rebekah, Jacob's mother'.

[2] As regards affections for truth and good, genuine affections for truth and good which are perceived by a person all have a Divine origin since they come from the Lord. But as they come down they branch off into various and different streams where they form new origins for themselves. For as they flow into affections which are not genuine but spurious, and into affections for evil and falsity present with a person, so they become varied. Affections which often have a similar outward appearance to genuine ones present themselves, but these are nevertheless not genuine inwardly. The only way to establish their true identity is to discover the end they have in view. If that end is selfish or worldly those affections are not genuine. But if the end is the good of the neighbour, the good of the community, the good of the country, and more still if it is the good of the Church and the good of the Lord's kingdom, they are genuine, for in that case the Lord is their end, since the Lord is within those varieties of good.

[3] But it is the mark of someone wise to be aware of which ends are present in himself. Sometimes it does seem as though his ends are selfish when in fact they are not, for the human being is such that in everything he considers how it affects himself. This he does regularly and habitually. But if anyone wishes to know the ends he himself has in view he has merely to take note of his feeling of delight - whether it is on account of his receiving praise and glory, or whether it is on account of his performing some unselfish service. If it is the latter delight which he feels, genuine affection is present in him. He ought also to take note of the varying states he passes through, for those states cause his feelings to vary considerably. A person is able to find these things out in himself, but not in others, for the ends in view to anyone's affection are known to the Lord alone. This is why the Lord said,

Do not judge, lest you are judged; do not condemn, lest you are condemned. Luke 6:37.

For a thousand people may apparently share the same affection for truth and goodness, and yet the affection in each of them may have a different origin, that is, each may have a different end in view.

[4] The reason the end makes the affection what it is - that is to say, genuine, spurious, or false - is that the end is the person's actual life. Indeed a person has as his end in view that which constitutes his life, or what amounts to the same, his love. When the good of the neighbour, the common good, the good of the Church and of the Lord's kingdom is the end in view, a person's soul is in the Lord's kingdom and so abides with the Lord. For the Lord's kingdom is nothing else than a kingdom of ends and purposes directed towards the good of the human race, 3645. Angels themselves present with a person are nowhere else than within his ends in view. To the extent that someone's end in view is such as that which exists in the Lord's kingdom, angels take delight in him and join themselves to him as a brother. But to the extent a person's end is himself, angels depart and evil spirits from hell draw near, for in hell no other end in view reigns. From these considerations one may see how important it is to find out and to know where one's affections originate; these can be known from nothing else than one's end in view.

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

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Luke 6:37

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37 Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:

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Luke 6

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1 Now it happened on the second Sabbath after the first, that he was going through the grain fields. His disciples plucked the heads of grain, and ate, rubbing them in their hands.

2 But some of the Pharisees said to them, "Why do you do that which is not lawful to do on the Sabbath day?"

3 Jesus, answering them, said, "Haven't you read what David did when he was hungry, he, and those who were with him;

4 how he entered into the house of God, and took and ate the show bread, and gave also to those who were with him, which is not lawful to eat except for the priests alone?"

5 He said to them, "The Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath."

6 It also happened on another Sabbath that he entered into the synagogue and taught. There was a man there, and his right hand was withered.

7 The scribes and the Pharisees watched him, to see whether he would heal on the Sabbath, that they might find an accusation against him.

8 But he knew their thoughts; and he said to the man who had the withered hand, "Rise up, and stand in the middle." He arose and stood.

9 Then Jesus said to them, "I will ask you something: Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good, or to do harm? To save a life, or to kill?"

10 He looked around at them all, and said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." He did, and his hand was restored as sound as the other.

11 But they were filled with rage, and talked with one another about what they might do to Jesus.

12 It happened in these days, that he went out to the mountain to pray, and he continued all night in prayer to God.

13 When it was day, he called his disciples, and from them he chose twelve, whom he also named apostles:

14 Simon, whom he also named Peter; Andrew, his brother; James; John; Philip; Bartholomew;

15 Matthew; Thomas; James, the son of Alphaeus; Simon, who was called the Zealot;

16 Judas the son of James; and Judas Iscariot, who also became a traitor.

17 He came down with them, and stood on a level place, with a crowd of his disciples, and a great number of the people from all Judea and Jerusalem, and the sea coast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases;

18 as well as those who were troubled by unclean spirits, and they were being healed.

19 All the multitude sought to touch him, for power came out from him and healed them all.

20 He lifted up his eyes to his disciples, and said, "Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the Kingdom of God.

21 Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be filled. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh.

22 Blessed are you when men shall hate you, and when they shall exclude and mock you, and throw out your name as evil, for the Son of Man's sake.

23 Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven, for their fathers did the same thing to the prophets.

24 "But woe to you who are rich! For you have received your consolation.

25 Woe to you, you who are full now, for you will be hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep.

26 Woe, when men speak well of you, for their fathers did the same thing to the false prophets.

27 "But I tell you who hear: love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,

28 bless those who curse you, and pray for those who mistreat you.

29 To him who strikes you on the cheek, offer also the other; and from him who takes away your cloak, don't withhold your coat also.

30 Give to everyone who asks you, and don't ask him who takes away your goods to give them back again.

31 "As you would like people to do to you, do exactly so to them.

32 If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them.

33 If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same.

34 If you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to receive back as much.

35 But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing back; and your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High; for he is kind toward the unthankful and evil.

36 Therefore be merciful, even as your Father is also merciful.

37 Don't judge, and you won't be judged. Don't condemn, and you won't be condemned. Set free, and you will be set free.

38 "Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, will be given to you. For with the same measure you measure it will be measured back to you."

39 He spoke a parable to them. "Can the blind guide the blind? Won't they both fall into a pit?

40 A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher.

41 Why do you see the speck of chaff that is in your brother's eye, but don't consider the beam that is in your own eye?

42 Or how can you tell your brother, 'Brother, let me remove the speck of chaff that is in your eye,' when you yourself don't see the beam that is in your own eye? You hypocrite! First remove the beam from your own eye, and then you can see clearly to remove the speck of chaff that is in your brother's eye.

43 For there is no good tree that brings forth rotten fruit; nor again a rotten tree that brings forth good fruit.

44 For each tree is known by its own fruit. For people don't gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush.

45 The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings out that which is good, and the evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings out that which is evil, for out of the abundance of the heart, his mouth speaks.

46 "Why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord,' and don't do the things which I say?

47 Everyone who comes to me, and hears my words, and does them, I will show you who he is like.

48 He is like a man building a house, who dug and went deep, and laid a foundation on the rock. When a flood arose, the stream broke against that house, and could not shake it, because it was founded on the rock.

49 But he who hears, and doesn't do, is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream broke, and immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great."