Chapter Twenty-Five

The Wise and Foolish Virgins: A Parable about Love

1. “Then shall the kingdom of the heavens be likened unto ten virgins, who taking their lamps, came out to meet the Bridegroom.

2. And five of them were prudent, and five foolish.

3. They that [were] foolish, taking their lamps, did not take oil with them.

4. And the prudent took oil in their vessels with their lamps.

5. And while the Bridegroom delayed, they all slumbered and slept.

6. And in the middle of the night there was a cry made, ‘Behold, the Bridegroom comes; come ye out to meet Him.’

7. Then all those virgins arose, and adorned their lamps.

8. And the foolish said to the prudent, ‘Give us of your oil, because our lamps are extinguished.’

9. And the prudent answered, saying, ‘[Not so], lest there be not sufficient for us and for you; but go ye rather to those that sell, and buy for yourselves.’

10. But when they were gone to buy, the Bridegroom came; and they that were prepared went in with Him to the wedding; and the door was shut.

11. And afterwards came also the rest of the virgins, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us.’

12. And He answering said, ‘Amen I say to you, I have not known you.’”

13. Watch therefore, because you know not the day, nor the hour, in which the Son of Man comes.”

There is a tendency in each of us to believe that God is not fully present. At such times it is difficult to imagine that He is aware of every detail of our life and leading us at every moment. In sacred scripture this tendency is signified in such words as, “The master has delayed his coming (24:48). The truth is, however, that the Lord is always inmostly present, ready to lead us into all the truth that we are willing to receive. It is we who delay — not the Lord. Therefore, we must be vigilant and ready, living according to the teachings of His Word, with love in our hearts.

The theme of being prepared for the coming of the Lord, introduced in the previous chapter, continues in this one. It begins with a parable which speaks of ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of the virgins are considered wise, because they take extra oil for their lamps. But the others are considered foolish because they take no additional oil. They are not prepared for the unexpected delay: “But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept” (25:5). At midnight there is a cry, “Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet Him!” (25:6).

In this parable, the bridegroom represents the Lord. The five virgins with plenty of oil in their lamps signify those who have an abundant love for God in their hearts. “Oil,” because of its golden glow, its soft, smooth feel, and its many uses — to give light, to produce heat, to reduce friction, and to heal wounds — is a beautiful symbol of love. If we have “oil” in our hearts, we are ready and prepared to understand truth when it comes into our lives — to receive the bridegroom.

But if we are foolish, we do not have enough love in our hearts. We are like the five virgins who run out of oil in their lamps. They indeed had lamps — but their lamps ran out of oil. No lamp, no matter how well built, or beautifully ornamented, can produce light unless it is filled with oil. Similarly, no doctrine, no matter how accurate or complex, can help us live happier, brighter lives, unless it is filled with the oil of love.

If we think that we can do without love, believing that our understanding of truth can sustain us, we are greatly mistaken. The warning given in the previous episode — be ready, for no one knows the day or hour when the Son of Man will come — applies here as well. Truth without love will not sustain us. We are therefore perpetually called to the heavenly marriage of truth and goodness, wisdom and love, represented in this parable by the importance of always having oil in our lamps. We need both to make a marriage.

The importance of this most basic truth is now demonstrated as the parable continues. When the bridegroom comes at midnight, the five foolish virgins realize that they do not have enough oil. Turning to the wise virgins for help, they say, “Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out” (25:8). Surprisingly, the five wise virgins refuse, saying, “No, lest there should not be enough for us” (25:9). Instead, they encourage the five foolish virgins to go buy their own oil: “Go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves” (25:9).

The response of the wise virgins is surprising because we would expect them to be compassionate and generous, willing to share what they have with others, and not to think of themselves. After all, Jesus could have said that the wise virgins were so filled with love that they gave all of their oil to the foolish virgins, and then, miraculously their own lamps filled up again with fresh oil. But this is not the parable that Jesus tells.

Why not? Because Jesus is teaching an important lesson about the nature of love. We cannot get it from others, nor can it be acquired at the last minute. It is built up in us gradually through a lifetime of withdrawing from evil and doing good. If we think we can hurry off to buy this love at the last minute, we are quite mistaken: “And while they went off to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding and the door was shut” (25:10).

This is not to say that God shuts the door on us; rather we shut the door on God by refusing to fill our hearts with love by living according to His will at every step of our life. No last minute repentance can save us: “Afterward, the other virgins came, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!” But the Lord answers, “Assuredly I say to you, I do not know you” (25:11-12). ¹

As Jesus concludes this parable, He returns to the theme He has been developing in preceding episodes — be watchful, for you do not know what hour the Son of Man is coming (24:39); be ready, for you do not know when the Master is coming (24:50). And here He says, “Watch, therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming” (25:13).

The Silver Talents: a Parable about Truth

14. “For [He is] as a man going abroad, [who] called his own servants, and delivered up to them his belongings.

15. And to one he gave five talents, and to another two, and to another one; to everyone according to his own ability; and straightway went abroad.

16. And going, he that had received the five talents, worked with them, and made another five talents.

17. And likewise he that [had received] the two, he also gained another two.

18. But he that received one, departing, dug in the earth, and hid the silver of his lord.

19. And after much time the lord of those servants comes, and reckons with them.

20. And when he came that had received the five talents, he brought to [him] another five talents, saying, ‘Lord, thou didst deliver up to me five talents; behold, I have gained another five talents besides them.’

21. And his lord declared to him, ‘Well [done], good and faithful servant. Thou hast been faithful in a few [things]; I will appoint thee over many. Enter thou into the joy of thy lord.’

22. And also when he came who had received the two talents, he said, ‘Lord, thou hast delivered up to me two talents; behold, I have gained another two talents besides them.’

23. His lord declared to him, ‘Well [done], good and faithful servant. Thou hast been faithful in a few [things]; I will appoint thee over many. Enter thou into the joy of thy lord.’

24. And also he receiving the one talent coming, said, ‘Lord, I knew thee that thou art a hard man, reaping where thou hast not sowed, and gathering whence thou hast not scattered;

25. And being afraid, going away I hid thy talent in the earth; behold, thou hast thine own.’

26. And his lord answering said to him, ‘[Thou] wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I have not sown, and gather whence I have not scattered;

27. Thou shouldest therefore have cast my silver to the bankers, and when I came I should have received my own with interest.

28. Take therefore from him the talent, and give [it] to him that has ten talents.

29. For to everyone that has shall be given, and he shall have abundance; but from him that has not, even what he has shall be taken away from him.

30. And cast out the useless servant into the outer darkness, where there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’”

After concluding the parable about the ten virgins, Jesus immediately tells a second parable. This time it’s about a man traveling to a far country who calls his servants together and distributes his talents to them. Before leaving, the man gives to one of his servants five talents, to another he gives two talents, and to another he gives one talent, “each according to his own ability” (25:15). Then, after giving talents to each of the three servants, the master immediately begins his journey.

While the master is away, the servants do various things with the talents they received. The first servant, who had received five talents, doubles what he was given and gains five more talents. Similarly, the second servant, who received two talents, doubles what he received and gains two more talents. But the third servant responds differently. As it is written, “he dug in the earth and hid the silver of his lord” (25:18).

When the master returns to see what has been done, he congratulates both the first and second servants who have doubled what they had been given. However, when the master finds out what the third servant has done with his one talent, the master is not pleased. The third servant, trying to justify his action, says, “I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the earth” (25:25). The master’s response seems unnecessarily severe. “You wicked and lazy servant,” he says, “you could have at least invested my silver with the bankers” (25:27). And then the master says, “take the talent from him … and cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (25:26-30).

Traditionally, the parable of the talents has been used to explain how important it is to use the natural talents the Lord has blessed us with. These talents, however many we have been given, are not just for ourselves. They should be used to bless others. If we simply bury them, or use them only for selfish purposes, we misuse the gifts that God has given us. While this is solid practical advice, there is a more interior lesson as well. It involves the spiritual meaning of the word “silver.” Because talents are a substantial weight of silver, they signify the tremendous amount of truth we receive from the Lord’s Word. ²

Whenever we live according to the truth we have received, our understanding of that truth increases. This is represented by the doubling of the talents. But there is a tendency in human nature to store up knowledge without using it for anything meaningful, or to merely use it for selfish, earthly purposes. This is represented by the servant who dug in the earth and buried his silver. The consequences for not putting knowledge to use seem harsh. The one and only talent of the unprofitable servant is taken away from him, and he is cast “into the outer darkness, where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

The strong language of sacred scripture is given to provide a striking picture of the hell we cast ourselves into by merely storing up truth in the memory without putting it into life. If we do not use the truth we have been given, we lose it. Knowledge that remains merely in the mind (buried on the earth) without being brought forth into use will not remain with us, nor will it be a part of us in the next life.

So, although the punishment does not appear to fit the crime, as told in the literal narrative, the parable provides a wonderful container for more interior truth. It not only warns us about the dangers of storing up truth without using it, or using it selfishly, it also contains a great promise: the more we put what we know from the Lord’s Word into our life, using it to bless others, the more we will receive. We will not only receive a greater understanding of truth, but also a fuller experience of the Lord’s joy. As Jesus said to those who put their silver to use, “Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things. I will put you in charge of many things. Enter into the joy of your Lord” (25:21).

The Sheep and the Goats: a Parable about Useful Service

An introduction to the final parable in Matthew...

In the parable of the ten virgins Jesus teaches about the importance of having love in our hearts (having oil in our lamps); in the parable of the talents, Jesus teaches that truth (silver talents) can be multiplied when put to use.

We come now to the third parable in the series — a lesson about useful service. Love, wisdom, and useful service are the three essential aspects of spiritual life. Love without truth lacks direction and can become mere sentimentality. Truth without love lacks compassion and can be rigid and inflexible. But when love and wisdom work together in useful service, a person becomes a living being. Without useful service, however, love and wisdom are nothing more than airy concepts in the mind without reality. ³

Therefore, it is fitting that the final parable in the series is about useful service. But before we enter into the parable, we need to briefly review what has preceded it. Two chapters earlier, Jesus spoke scathingly about the religious leaders, decrying their hypocrisy and deceit, calling them “serpents” and a “brood of vipers.” He then prophesied the destruction of the temple, and the terrible things that would follow: war, famine, pestilence, earthquakes, and the abomination of desolation. But He also promised that the Son of Man would be coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. Now, as He begins the next parable, Jesus again mentions His promise about the coming of the Son of Man. He says, “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory” (25:31).

The promise that the Son of Man is about to sit on His “throne of glory” must have been thrilling for the disciples. It was not long ago that Jesus said to them, “When the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel” (19:28). Surely, they must have thought their time had come; they were about to sit on thrones. This time, however, Jesus does not mention that they will be sitting on thrones. In this parable, the only one sitting on a throne is the “Son of Man.” Practically speaking, the twelve disciples were simple men who didn’t even know what the kingdom of heaven was. Therefore, it would have been impossible for them to judge the states of anyone. ⁴

Only the Lord can judge the inner states of people. When He comes into our lives as the “Son of Man” sitting on a throne, it means that God is giving us the ability to use His truth to judge the inner states of our lives. In the light of the Lord’s Word, then, we can discern between the good and the evil inclinations in ourselves, we can distinguish between true thoughts and the false thoughts, and we can separate noble intentions from self-serving ones. In the light of divine truth, we can ask ourselves, "Is this feeling, thought, or intended action in agreement with the Lord’s commandments?” If it is, we can welcome it; if not, we can banish it. This alone is what is meant by “sitting on thrones.” It is the God-given ability to rule over the thoughts and emotions that arise within us, welcoming some and banishing others. In this way, we each become “rulers” of our inner kingdom.

Normally, good feelings and evil feelings, true thoughts and false thoughts, noble intentions and corrupt intentions are mixed within us, like good and bad people living together. This mixture of scattered thoughts and feelings are now described as “the nations” within us that are to be judged. We read, “All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats” (25:32). ⁵

It is noteworthy that the “king” on a throne is also described as a “shepherd.” In His role as the Divine Lawgiver, teaching us the truth, the Lord is a king. But in His role as Divine shepherd, He gently leads us to apply that truth to our lives. Therefore, in this last parable Jesus combines both images — the king and the shepherd — into one. As a king, the Lord teaches us by means of truth; as a shepherd, He leads us by means of good. Together, truth and goodness combine in a life of useful service to others. In useful service, good and truth, love and wisdom, charity and faith unite as one. ⁶

As Jesus continues the parable, He says that the king will set “the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left” (25:33). In sacred scripture, “sheep,” because of their willingness to follow and be led, represent people who love to live according to the Lord’s commandments, and to follow Him. “Goats,” however, because of their independent nature, represent people who may know the truth, but are unwilling to be led by it. It is that part in each of us that may know many things from the Word but has no love for truth or any desire to live according to it. ⁷

In religious terms, the “goats” represent the tendency in each of us to think that we can be saved by believing rightly apart from living rightly. This idea is sometimes referred to as “salvation by faith alone.” In this context, the apostle Paul is often quoted as saying, “We are justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law” (Romans 3:28). When Paul speaks about “the deeds of the law,” however, he is not referring to the Ten Commandments. Rather, he is referring to the many rituals and sacrifices in the Hebrew scriptures.

Nevertheless, over time, people came to believe that God’s grace came to those who had “faith,” and that God’s grace had done away with the need to be living under the commandments. People said, “I am now living under grace, and not under the law.” Any effort to keep the commandments, or any attempt to do good, was considered “works” — the “rags of righteousness.” It is surprising that this view became so widespread, especially because Jesus had consistently taught that a life of useful service in accordance with the commandments is the center of true faith. ⁸

At first glance, however, it’s difficult to see how the Ten Commandments teach anything about useful service. For the most part, the commandments teach us what not to do, not what to do. They teach us that we shall not have other gods, not take the Lord’s name in vain, not work on the sabbath, not murder, not commit adultery, not steal, not lie, and not covet. Eight of the ten commandments tell us what not to do — not what to do. So how are the commandments connected with useful service? Here’s how: by keeping the commandments, we clear out the evils that would prevent the Lord from working through us. As the prophet Isaiah said, “Cease to do evil; learn to do good” (Isaiah 1:16). ⁹

As an example, consider the difference between doing good to advance one’s self and doing good to glorify God. In the language of sacred scripture, doing good to glorify God is represented as being at the “right hand” of the King. As it is written, “Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world’” (25:34). These are the people who first focused on cleaning the inside — ridding themselves of self-love and the desire for reward — so that their works could truly be done in God and for God.

Being at the Lord’s “right hand” means that the Lord is working through us, giving us strength and power for useful service. Even in everyday language, a trustworthy, reliable person who carries out the directions of a superior is called a “right-hand man.” That’s because, for most people, the “right hand” is the hand of the greatest strength and power. So, in this parable, the phrase “to those on His right hand” refers to the power one receives from the Lord to do good. When we recognize that all power to do good is from the Lord alone, we give the glory to God and take no credit for ourselves. We acknowledge that we are simply acting as God’s “right hand.” ¹⁰

But if we have not kept the commandments, if we have not used the commandments to rid ourselves of selfish thoughts and desires, we will tend to believe that we are the source of the good that we do. To the extent that we believe we are the source of our goodness, we will not be at God’s right hand. Instead, we will be among the goats who are sent to the left side of the throne.

In this culminating parable, then, Jesus is asking each us, “Have you cleared a place for Me? Are you ready to do My work?” With these questions in mind, we can now consider both the literal and spiritual meaning of the parable of the sheep and the goats — a parable which reveals the essentials of Christian charity. ¹¹

The Six Acts of Useful Service

31. “And when the Son of Man shall come in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then shall He sit on the throne of His glory;

32. And before Him shall be gathered together all the nations; and He shall separate them from one another, just as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.

33. And He shall stand the sheep indeed on His right hand, but the goats on the left.

34. Then shall the King say to those on His right hand, ‘Come ye, the blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the founding of the world;

35. For I was an hungered, and ye gave Me to eat: I was thirsty, and ye gave Me to drink: I was a sojourner and ye gathered Me:

36. Naked, and ye clothed Me: I was sick, and ye visited Me: I was in prison, and ye came to Me.’

37. Then shall the just answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when saw we Thee hungry, and fed [Thee]? Or thirsty, and gave [Thee] drink?

38. When saw we Thee a sojourner, and gathered [Thee]? Or naked, and clothed Thee?

39. Or when saw we Thee sick, or in prison, and came to Thee?’

40. And the King answering shall say to them, ‘Verily I say to you, So much as ye have done to one of the least of these My brethren, ye have done to Me.’

41. But then shall He say to them on the left hand,’ Depart ye from Me, the cursed into the everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:

42. For I was an hungered, and ye gave me not to eat: I was thirsty and ye gave Me not to drink.

43. I was a sojourner and ye did not gather Me: naked, and ye did not clothe Me: sick and in prison, and ye did not visit Me.’

44. Then shall they also answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when saw we Thee an hungered, or thirsty, or a sojourner, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto Thee?’

45. Then shall He answer them saying, ‘Verily I say to you, so much as ye did not to one of these the least, neither have ye done to Me.’

46. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the just into everlasting life.”

The parable of the sheep and the goats begins with the Son of Man as a King sitting on His throne of glory, and all the holy angels are with Him. His main task is to separate the sheep from the goats. The King tells those on his right hand, who are compared to sheep, that they will inherit the kingdom that has been prepared for them from the foundation of the world. This is because they have followed six basic laws of charity. These include, “I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me” (25:35-36).

These then, summarize the essential duties of charity. Most deeply, though, true charity is not what we do, but rather it is what the Lord does through us. In the two parables that preceded this one, the wise virgins had oil in their lamps (love), and the diligent servants were given an abundance of silver talents (truth); but love and truth must come together in a spiritual marriage which produces useful service. Both the love that the virgins received and the truth that the servants received were from the Lord — not from themselves. Moreover, no amount of “love” or “truth” becomes such until it is manifested in the works of charity.

In other words, every form of useful service must be inspired by divine love and directed by divine truth. Otherwise, it cannot be considered true charity. No matter how “good” a good work seems to be in outward form, and no matter how many people benefit by its performance, it cannot be considered a good work unless it is filled with God’s love and directed by God’s wisdom. If, instead, it is inspired by self-love, motivated by self-interest, and driven by the desire for reward and recognition, it is not a good work. For most of us, our motives are mixed. In genuine charity, however, self-interest must be in the last place, not in the first place. If not, it is the glorification of self rather than the glorification of God. ¹²

We, therefore, need to examine our motives whenever we are confronted with an opportunity to be of service. In whatever situation we find ourselves, we must ask ourselves in what way we can do the greatest good by following the Lord’s will, as sheep follow their shepherd. When self-will and self-advantage are put to the side, we can operate from the Lord’s love by means of His divine wisdom.

What follows, then, are the six categories of useful service. We will consider each category: first, as it might relate to useful service in the external world of our lives, and then, as it might relate to useful service in the internal world of our lives.

Hungry: “I really want to do good” ¹³

The first category of useful service deals with the most fundamental human need: hunger. Jesus says, "I was hungry, and you gave Me food." Offering and sharing food — breaking bread — is a universal gesture of warmth and friendship. It is all the more so when we support efforts to end world hunger. Feeding the hungry and providing for those who are dying of starvation is one of the highest forms of natural charity.

On a more internal level, each of us is born with a divinely given hunger to do good — to be of service to others. This is our first and most basic spiritual hunger. Whenever we reach out with love and compassion in genuine acts of service, or whenever we encourage the goodness in others, supporting their efforts to do good, we are “feeding the hungry.” Whenever we make a contribution to human spiritual welfare, or providing opportunities for others to be of service, we feed this God-given hunger. Therefore, doing good in the name of God, and inspiring others to do the same is the most nourishing food for the soul. As Jesus says, “I was hungry, and you gave Me food.”

Thirsty: “I really want to know what is true” ¹⁴

The second category of useful service deals with another fundamental human need: thirst. Jesus says, I was thirsty, and you gave Me drink. Water is essential for sustaining all physical life. It is extremely difficult to survive for more than a few days without water. Without sufficient water, toxins build up and cannot be flushed out. This can lead to headaches, mental confusion, fainting, and even death. Worldwide, there is a desperate need for safe, uncontaminated drinking water. Making clean water accessible, so that our thirst may be quenched, and our lives supported, is a fundamental act of natural charity.

On a more internal level, each of us is born with a divinely given thirst for truth. What clean water does for the body pure truth does for the soul. It nourishes, revives, and refreshes. Truth, clear and uncontaminated with falsity, uplifts and invigorates the soul, giving it purpose and direction. Just as a parched traveler thirsts for water, the soul thirsts for truth. Any desire to learn the truth so that we might better serve others, is a God-given thirst. As Jesus says, “I was thirsty, and you gave Me drink.”

Stranger: “I really want to be instructed” ¹⁵

The third category of useful service deals with caring for the strangers in our midst. Jesus says, I was a stranger and you took Me in. At the time that Jesus spoke these words, it was considered an act of charity to treat the stranger well — to take in the stranger, and provide food, drink, and shelter. As it is written, “The stranger who dwells among you shall be to you as one born among you. You shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt” (Leviticus 19:33-34). Jesus, then, is simply reminding His listeners of a basic law of charity — to take in the stranger — to welcome people into our lives.

On a more internal level, we are strangers to one another if we do not understand each other’s desires, hopes, and dreams. In order to be of service to others, we must know the needs of those whom we serve. The willingness to learn about the needs of others, gives us insight and direction in how to most usefully serve them. Therefore, we must be willing to learn about them; we must be willing to be instructed.

In the same way that we would learn about the needs of strangers so that we can serve them better we need to learn about the Lord and His true nature so that we can better serve Him. This speaks of the desire to be instructed about God’s desires, hopes, and dreams. In brief, it is a desire to receive instruction from Him so that we can serve Him more fully. If we are willing to be instructed in this way, sincerely desiring to know God’s will, He will no longer be a stranger to us. As Jesus says, “I was a stranger and you took Me in.”

Naked: “Without the Lord, there is no goodness or truth within me.” ¹⁶

The fourth category of useful service deals with the human need for protective clothing. Jesus says, I was naked, and you clothed Me. It is a basic act of charity to provide a coat, sweater, or blanket to someone who would otherwise shiver in the cold; and according to some calculations there are millions of people around the world who cannot afford shoes. Thinning out overstuffed closets, giving away those extra pairs of shoes, or perhaps making a financial donation to a homeless shelter are simple ways of providing clothing for those who are in need.

On a more internal level, whenever we are not “clothed” in the heavenly garments of God’s love and wisdom, we are truly naked. For example, there are times in our lives when we may be feeling angry, upset, or frustrated. If we are spiritually awake, this can be an opportunity to admit that without the Lord there is no goodness and truth in us; in other words, we see that we are spiritually “naked.” At moments like this, we can turn to the Lord, acknowledge our nakedness, and ask to be clothed in proper garments — qualities such as understanding, forgiveness, and wisdom. Every heavenly quality is a garment of God. Once we are properly clothed in these qualities, we can respond with love and understanding in situations that would have normally triggered our ego — the unprotected part of ourselves that is stripped of spiritual life.

Similarly, when we see others in a negative state, we can respond from the Lord’s compassion and understanding, clothing them in kindness. As Jesus says, “I was naked, and you clothed Me.”

Sick: “Without the Lord, there is nothing in me but evil” ¹⁷

The fifth category of useful service deals with the human need for help when sick. Jesus says, I was sick, and you visited Me. Few people, if any, make it through life without getting sick. Whether the sickness is relatively mild (a cold, a fever, a sore throat) or more serious (polio, hepatitis, cancer), we are comforted by those who visit us, sit by our side, and do for us what we cannot do for ourselves. We feel grateful to those who interrupt their own schedules and make time to care for us.

On a more internal level, to acknowledge that we are spiritually “sick” is to recognize that left to ourselves we are nothing but evil. Because we tend to be selfish and self-centered, we need the Lord in order to be made well. Fortunately, the Lord never turns away from anyone. Instead, He visits us when we are sick, looking into our souls. He sees beyond the symptoms to the fundamental causes of every spiritual sickness. These include, but are not limited to, contempt for others, clinging to resentments, refusing to forgive; plotting revenge, self-centeredness in all its forms, and, most deeply, resistance to being led by the Lord.

Although this diagnosis is unpleasant, the Divine Physician does not leave us without hope. He provides the medicine and shows us the way. The healing begins when we acknowledge that we have indeed been selfish and self-centered, choosing to be led by self-interest rather than by the Lord. However, as soon as we begin to follow the prescription (keep the commandments) our healing begins. As evil is gradually removed, the Lord fills us with His love, revives us with His truth, and gives us the power to be made well.

Similarly, when we come across others who are spiritually sick, we can remember what the Lord has done for us. We will not turn away. As Jesus said, “I was sick, and you visited Me.”

In prison: “Without the Lord, there is nothing in me but falsity” ¹⁸

The sixth category of useful service deals with the human need for help when imprisoned. Jesus says, "I was in prison, and you came to Me." In biblical times, prisons were dark, windowless places — what we would call dungeons. Often, people would be sent to prison because they were unable to pay their debts. There they would sit in the darkness, alone, unable to go anywhere, or do anything to free themselves. When we consider that prisoners lose almost all control of their external life, including the ability to go into the outside world, we can imagine how significant it is to have someone come to them while in prison. They know that they are not forgotten or abandoned.

On a more internal level, we become prisoners, sitting in darkness, whenever we are in bondage to false thinking. During these times of spiritual bondage, our thoughts become dark; we focus on our fears, our doubts, our resentments. Rather than focusing our attention on the Lord’s truth and gratitude for the abundance He provides, we focus on what we lack. Out of the inherent evil that lurks within, false imaginings arise. We believe that things will never change, that there is no hope, and that we are worthless human beings whose efforts are in vain.

These false beliefs can be devastating, leaving us without hope and without anything to look forward to. It is a spiritual prison, one from which we eventually lose all desire to escape. This is the prison of utter despair.

On the other hand, there is another kind of prison. It is the prison of pride. When bound in this prison, we imagine ourselves to be better than others, more important, more significant and more deserving. We demand respect and recognition. In these states of self-exaltation, we falsely believe that we can do anything. As a result, we overwork, overachieve, overextend, and have an inordinate need to be right. We manipulate others to fulfill our ambitions, blame others if we do not attain our goals, and if we do succeed, we take full credit for our accomplishments. In brief, we falsely believe everything depends on us. Of course, in the prison of pride, there is no room for the Lord.

Whether our false thinking leads us into dungeons of despair or prisons of pride, the problem is the same. Without the Lord in our life, and the truth of His Word in our minds, there is no escape from the false imaginings that would lead us on a downward path to misery. But escape we must. And that is why we need someone to come to us, someone who can bring the light of truth — the light that will dispel the darkness.

The first thing that the light of truth does, is to reveal the fact that we are in prison. If can admit that we are indeed imprisoned, and that we need the Lord’s truth to find our way out, we have made a beginning. Once we make this acknowledgment, the light begins to shine more brightly. In that light, we recognize the debilitating patterns of false thinking that have kept us imprisoned in states of despair or pride: the deadly duo. We come to believe that the Lord alone, through His divine truth, can set us free.

Similarly, there will be times when people in our lives will be temporarily imprisoned by wrong thinking and false imaginings. These are not the times to leave one another alone in prison. Instead, we can come to them; we can meet them where they are we can listen deeply; we can strive to understand. And then, as the Lord leads us, with His compassion, we can ask questions and make comments that might help them see their situation in greater light. As Jesus says, “I was in prison and you came to Me.”

“Inasmuch as you have done it to the least of these …”

As Jesus finishes describing the six kinds of useful service, the righteous people, who are represented by the sheep, say, “Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?” Jesus answers and says, “Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me” (25:37-40).

The phrase “least of these My brethren” deserves special attention. Whenever we strive to see the goodness in another person, and strive to support and encourage that goodness, we are loving and serving the Lord in that person. It is that quality of God in others — even the least amount of goodness that we can find — that we are to feed, water, shelter, protect, heal, and free. This is the greatest work of charity that we can ever accomplish. And that is why Jesus says to us whenever we are so engaged, “Inasmuch as you have done it to the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.” ¹⁹

Jesus also offers a final warning. If we do not take His exhortation to live a life of charity seriously, we will forfeit the blessings of heaven, and live in the misery of hell. As Jesus puts it, “These will go away into everlasting punishment.”

The blessing of humility

This is the last parable that Jesus will tell His disciples. He has taught them many times, in many ways, that humility is the essence of religious life, and that whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

In this brief series of charitable acts, Jesus returns to the theme of humility. He teaches that we must hunger for goodness, thirst for truth, and be willing to be instructed; He teaches that we must acknowledge that without Him, we have no good or truth from ourselves, are nothing but evil, and dwell in darkness. Interiorly seen, every category of useful service describes another way that we can experience true humility. This is vitally important because humility opens us to the blessings of heaven. As Jesus says to those who humbly follow Him, “Come you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world” (25:34). ²⁰

სქოლიოები:

573. Verse 16. And the number of the armies of the horsemen was two myriads of myriads, signifies that the falsities of evil from which and in favor of which they reason and which conspire against the truths of good, are innumerable. This is evident from the signification of "armies," as meaning the falsities of evil (of which presently); and from the signification of "horsemen," as being the reasonings therefrom, for "horses" signify the understanding of truth, and in the contrary sense the understanding perverted and destroyed (See above, n. 355, 364, 372, 373, 381, 382); so "horsemen" in this sense signify the reasonings from falsities, since reasonings from falsities are from the understanding perverted and destroyed, for truths constitute the understanding, but falsities destroy it. The above is evident also from the signification of "two myriads of myriads," as being innumerable falsities conspiring against truths of good (that "myriads" signify things innumerable, and are predicated of truths, see above, n. 336, and it is said "two myriads of myriads" because this signifies things innumerable that are conjoined and conspire; for the number "two" signifies conjunction, concord, and conspiracy (See above, n. 283, 384). It means against the truths of good, because what follows treats of the destruction of truths by the armies of such horsemen. From this it can be seen that "the number of the armies of the horsemen was two myriads of myriads" signifies that the falsities of evil from which and in favor of which they reason, and which conspire against the truths of good, are innumerable.

[2] "Armies" (or hosts) are frequently mentioned in the Word, and the Lord is called "Jehovah of Hosts or Zebaoth," and "armies" there signify truths from good fighting against the falsities from evil, and in the contrary sense falsities from evil fighting against truths from good. Such is the signification of "armies" in the Word, because "wars" in the Word, both in the histories and prophecies, signify, in the internal sense spiritual wars, which are waged against hell and against the diabolical crew there, and such wars have relation to truths and goods opposing falsities and evils; this is why "armies" signify all truths from good, and in the contrary sense all falsities from evil. That "armies" signify all truths from good is evident from the sun, moon, stars, and also the angels, being called "the armies of Jehovah," because they signify all truths from good in the complex; also from the sons of Israel being called "armies," because they signified the truths and goods of the church. And as all truths and goods are from the Lord, and the Lord alone fights for all in heaven and for all in the church against the falsities and evils which are from hell, so He is called "Jehovah Zebaoth," that is, "Jehovah of Hosts."

[3] That the sun, the moon, and the stars, are called "hosts" is evident from the following passages. In Moses:

Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them (Genesis 2:1).

In David:

By the word of Jehovah were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth (Psalms 33:6).

In the same:

Praise ye Jehovah, all His angels; praise ye Him, all His hosts; praise ye Him, sun and moon; praise Him, all ye stars of light (Psalms 148:2, 3).

In Isaiah:

And all the host of the heavens shall waste away, and the heavens shall be rolled up as a scroll; and all their hosts shall fall down, as the leaf falleth off from the vine, and as that which falleth from the fig-tree (Isaiah 34:4).

I have made the earth, and created man upon it; My hands have stretched out the heavens, and all their host have I commanded (Isaiah 45:12).

In the same:

Lift up your eyes on high, and see who hath created these, who leadeth out their host in number, who calleth them all by name (Isaiah 40:26).

In Jeremiah:

As the host of the heavens is not numbered, and the sand of the sea is not measured (Jeremiah 33:22).

In these passages, the sun, moon, and stars, are called a "host" because the "sun" signifies the good of love, the "moon," truth from good, and the "stars" the knowledges of truth and good, consequently they signify goods and truths in the whole complex, and these are called a "host" because they resist evils and falsities, and perpetually conquer them as enemies.

[4] In Daniel:

One horn of the he-goat waxed great even to the host of the heavens; and some of the host and of the stars it cast down to the earth, and trampled upon them. Yea, it magnified itself even to the Prince of the Host; and the continual offering was taken away from him, and the dwelling place of his sanctuary was cast down. And the host was given to the continual offering for transgression, because it cast down the truth to the earth. Then one holy one said, How long shall be the vision, the continual offering, and the wasting transgression, that the holy place and the host be given to be trodden down? And he said, Even to the evening, the morning (Daniel 8:10-14).

What is here signified by the "he-goat," "his horns," and this "horn that waxed great even to the host of the heavens," may be seen above (n. 316, 336, 535). "The host of the heavens, some of which it cast down to the earth," means the truths and goods of heaven; for the last state of the church, when the truths and goods of heaven are esteemed as of no account, and rejected, is here treated of, and this is signified by "treading them down;" therefore it is added, "it cast down truth to the earth." "The Prince of the Host" means the Lord, who is also called "Jehovah God Zebaoth" (or of Hosts). That all worship from the good of love and from the truths of faith would perish is signified by "the continual offering was taken away from him, and the dwelling place of his sanctuary was cast down." That this would come to pass in the end of the church, when the Lord would come into the world, is signified by "even to the evening, the morning," "evening" signifying the last time of the old church, and "morning" the first time of the new church.

[5] That the angels are called "hosts" is evident from the following passages. In Joel:

Jehovah uttered His voice before His host; for His camp was very great (Joel 2:11).

In Zechariah:

I will set a camp for my house from my host, because of him that passeth away and of him that returneth, that no exactor may again pass through over them (Zechariah 9:8).

In David:

Bless ye Jehovah, all ye His hosts, ye ministers of His that do His will (Psalms 103:21).

In the first book of Kings:

Micaiah the prophet said to the king, I saw Jehovah sitting on His throne, and the whole host of the heavens standing beside Him on His right hand and on His left. And one said in this manner, and another said in that manner (1 Kings 22:19, 20).

In Revelation:

His hosts in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean (Revelation 19:14).

And again:

I saw the beast and the kings of the earth, and their hosts gathered together to make war with Him that sat on the white horse, and with His hosts (Revelation 19:19).

The angels gathered together, or a company of them, is called "a host," because "the angels," the same as "hosts" signify Divine truths and goods, because they are recipients of these from the Lord (about which see above, n. 130, 200, 302).

[6] For the same reason the sons of Israel, because they signify the truths and goods of the church, are called "hosts," as in the following passages. In Moses:

Jehovah said, Bring out the sons of Israel from the land of Egypt according to their hosts (Exodus 6:26).

In the same:

I will bring forth My host, My people, the sons of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great judgments (Exodus 7:4; 12:17).

In the same:

It came to pass on that very day that all the hosts of Jehovah went forth from the land of Egypt (Exodus 12:41).

In the same:

Thou shalt number all that go forth into the host (Numbers 1:3, et seq .).

They were to pitch about the Tent of meeting, and were also to go forth according to their hosts (Numbers 2:3, 9, 16, 24).

The Levites were to be taken to perform the warfare, to do the work in the Tent of meeting (Numbers 4:3, 23, 30, 39).

The sons of Israel were called the "hosts of Jehovah" because they represented the church, and signified all its truths and goods (as can be seen in Arcana Coelestia 5414, 5801, 5803, 5806, 5812, 5817, 5819, 5826, 5833, 5879, 5951, 6637, 6862, 6868, 7035, 7062, 7198, 7201, 7215, 7223, 7957, 8234, 8805, 9340). They were called "hosts," in the plural, because each tribe was called a "host," as can be seen in Moses, when it was commanded him to number them all according to their hosts, and they were numbered according to their tribes (Numbers 1, Numbers 3, et seq.); likewise when the camp was pitched about the Tent of meeting according to the tribes, it is said "according to their hosts" (Numbers 2:3, 9, et seq.). The tribes were called "hosts" because the twelve tribes taken together represented all the truths and goods of the church, and each tribe some universal essential of the church (See above, n. 431).

[7] From this it can be seen that the truths and goods of heaven and the church are meant in the Word by "hosts;" which makes clear why it is that Jehovah is called in the Word "Jehovah Zebaoth," and "Jehovah God Zebaoth," that is, "of hosts" (as in Isaiah 1:9, 24; 2:12; 3:1, 15; 5:7, 9, 16, 24; 6:3, 5; 8:13, 18; 14:22, 23, 24, 27; 17:3; 25:6; 28:5, 22, 29; 29:6; 31:4, 5; 37:16; Jeremiah 5:14; 38:17; 44:7; Amos 5:16; Haggai 1:9, 14; 2:4, 8, 23; Zechariah 1:3; Malachi 2:12, and various other places).

[8] From this it is now evident that "hosts" signify the truths and goods of heaven and the church in the whole complex; and as most things in the Word have also a contrary sense, so do "hosts," and in that sense they signify falsities and evils in their whole complex, as in the following passages in Jeremiah:

Upon the roofs of the houses they have burned incense unto all the host of the heavens, and have poured out drink-offerings unto other gods (Jeremiah 19:13).

In Zephaniah:

They worship upon the roofs the host of the heavens (Zephaniah 1:5).

In Moses:

Lest thou bow thyself down to and serve the sun and the moon and the stars, and all the host of the heavens (Deuteronomy 4:19; 17:3).

In Jeremiah:

They shall spread out the bones taken from the graves before the sun and the moon and all the host of the heavens, whom they have loved and whom they have served (Jeremiah 8:2).

Here "the host of the heavens" means the sun, moon, and stars, because these signify all goods and truths in the complex, but here all evils and falsities in the complex; for the "sun" in the contrary sense, as here, signifies all the evil flowing from the love of self, the "moon" the falsity of faith, and the "stars" falsities in general (that the "sun, moon, and stars," in the natural world, when they are worshiped instead of the sun and moon of the angelic heaven, signify direful evils and falsities, may be seen in the work Heaven and Hell 122, 123; as also above, n. 401, 402, 525); and because truths from good fight against the falsities from evil, and reversely the falsities from evil fight against the truths from good, they are called "hosts;" for there is continual combat; evils and falsities continually exhale from the hells, and endeavor to destroy the truths from good that are in heaven and from heaven, and these continually resist. For everywhere in the spiritual world there is an equilibrium between heaven and hell; and where there is an equilibrium, there two forces continually act against each other; one acts and the other reacts, and continual action and reaction is continual combat; but equilibrium is provided by the Lord (on this see the work on Heaven and Hell 589-596, 597-603). And as there is such continual combat between heaven and hell, therefore as all things of heaven are called "hosts," so are all things of hell; all things of heaven have reference to goods and truths, and all things of hell to evils and falsities.

[9] This then is why "hosts" in the following passages signify the falsities of evil. In Isaiah:

The anger of Jehovah is against all nations, and His wrath against all their host; He hath devoted them, He hath given them to the slaughter (Isaiah 34:2).

"Nations" signify evils, and "host" the falsities from evil; their total destruction is signified by "He hath devoted and hath given to the slaughter."

[10] In the same:

The voice of the multitude in the mountains like as of a great people; the voice of a tumult of the kingdoms of the nations gathered together; Jehovah of Hosts leadeth the host (Isaiah 13:4).

"The voice of a multitude in the mountains" signifies falsities from evils, "the multitude" meaning falsities, and "the mountains" evils; "like as of a great people" signifies appearing to be truth from good, "like as" meaning appearance, "people" those who are in truths, thus truths, and "great" is predicated of good; "the voice of a tumult of the kingdoms of the nations gathered together" signifies discord in the church arising from evils and falsities therefrom, "the voice of a tumult" signifying discord, "kingdoms" the churches in respect to truths and as to falsities, and "nations gathered together" in respect to evils and falsities therefrom conspiring against the truths and goods of the church; "Jehovah of Hosts leadeth the host" signifies that the Lord does this, for this is attributed to the Lord, as is evident from the next verse, the fifth, where it is said, "Jehovah cometh with the weapons of His anger to destroy the whole land." This is attributed to the Lord just as evil, the punishment of evil, and the destruction of the church are attributed to Him elsewhere, because such is the appearance, and the sense of the letter of the Word is in accordance with appearances; but in the spiritual sense this means that the man of the church himself does this.

[11] In Jeremiah:

Spare ye not her young men; give to the curse all her host (Jeremiah 51:3).

This is said of Babylon; and "Spare not her young men" signifies the destruction of confirmed falsities; "give to the curse all her host" signifies the total destruction of falsities from the evils that are in her, thus the destruction of Babylon. The falsities from evil are signified also by:

The army of the Chaldeans, and the army of Pharaoh (Jeremiah 37:7, 10, 11, et seq.);

and in Moses:

The waters returned and covered the chariots and the horsemen, with the whole army of Pharaoh (Exodus 14:28; 15:4).

(This may be seen explained above, n. 355; and in Arcana Coelestia 8230, 8275.)

[12] In Daniel:

The king of the north shall return and shall set forth a multitude greater than the former, and at the end of the times of the years he shall come with a great army and with great riches. And he shall stir up his powers and his heart against the king of the south with a great army; and the king of the south shall engage in battle with an exceeding great and mighty army, but he shall not stand (Daniel 11:13, 25).

This chapter treats of the war between the king of the north and the king of the south, and "the king of the north" means those within the church who are in the falsities of evil, and "the king of the south" those who are in the truths of good; collision and combat at the end of the church are described in the spiritual sense by their war; therefore "the army of the king of the north" means falsities of every kind, and "the army of the king of the south" truths of every kind.

[13] In Luke:

When ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that her devastation is nigh (Luke 21:20).

In this chapter the Lord speaks of the consummation of the age, which means the last time of the church; "Jerusalem" means the church in respect to doctrine; and "compassed with armies" means the church taken possession of by falsities; that then comes its destruction, and presently the Last Judgment, is signified by "then her devastation is nigh." It is believed that this was said of the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans, but from the particulars of the chapter it is clear that it treats of the destruction of the church at its end; as also does Matthew, chap. 24 from the first verse to the last (all things of which are explained in the Arcana Coelestia). But this does not preclude the application of the sense of the letter of these words to the destruction of Jerusalem, that destruction representing and thence signifying the destruction of the church at its end; this is confirmed by all the particulars in the chapter regarded in the spiritual sense.

[14] In David:

God hath cast us off and confounded us; He hath not gone forth in our armies. He hath made us to turn back from the adversary (Psalms 44:9, 10).

"God hath not gone forth in our armies" signifies that He did not defend them, because they were in the falsities of evil, for "armies" mean the falsities of evil; therefore it is also said "He hath cast us off and confounded us, and hath made us to turn back from the adversary," "the adversary" meaning evil which is from hell.

[15] In Joel:

I will recompense to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the canker-worm and the caterpillar and the palmer-worm, My great army which I sent among you (Joel 2:25).

That an "army" signifies falsities and evils of every kind is plainly evident, since these noxious little animals, "the locust, the cankerworm, the caterpillar, and the palmerworm," signify falsities and evils that devastate or consume the truths and goods of the church (See above, n. 543), where this passage is explained, and it is shown that the "locust and caterpillar" signify the falsities [and evils] of the sensual man. ) This makes clear what "army" signifies in the Word in both senses. "Army" has the same signification in the histories of the Word, for these contain a spiritual sense as well as the prophecies, but it shines forth from them less clearly, because the mind, when intent on the historical meaning, cannot easily be raised above the worldly things in the history and see the spiritual things that are stored up in them.