The Woman at the Well

1. When therefore the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John,

2. Although Jesus Himself baptized not, but His disciples,

3. He left Judea and came away again into Galilee.

4. But He must pass through Samaria.

5. Then He comes into a city of Samaria called Sychar, neighboring the field which Jacob gave to his son Joseph.

6. And [the] fountain of Jacob was there. Jesus, therefore, having labored on the journey, sat thus at the fountain. It was about the sixth hour.

7. There comes a woman of Samaria to draw water. Jesus says to her, Give Me to drink;

8. For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.

9. Then the Samaritan woman says to Him, How [is it that] Thou, being a Jew, askest of me to drink, who am a Samaritan woman? For the Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.

10. Jesus answered and said to her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that says to thee, Give Me to drink, thou wouldest have asked of Him, and He would have given thee living water.

11. The woman says to Him, Lord, Thou hast nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Whence then hast Thou the living water?

12. Art Thou greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank of it himself, and his sons, and his cattle?

13. Jesus answered and said to her, Everyone who drinks of this water shall thirst again;

14. But whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him shall not thirst to eternity, but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a fountain of water springing up into eternal life.

15. The woman says to Him, Lord, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw.

16. Jesus says to her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither.

17. The woman answered and said, I have not a husband. Jesus said to her, Thou hast well said, I have not a husband.

18. For thou hast had five husbands, and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband; this [is] true [that] thou didst say.

19. The woman says to Him, Lord, I behold that Thou art a prophet.

20. Our fathers worshiped in this mountain; and you say that in Jerusalem is the place where it is proper to worship.

21. Jesus says to her, Woman, believe Me that an hour comes when neither at this mountain nor at Jerusalem shall you worship the Father.

22. You worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know; for salvation is of the Jews.

23. But an hour comes, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such that worship Him.

24. God [is] spirit; and they that worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.

25. The woman says to Him, I know that Messiah comes, who is called Christ; when He has come, He will announce to us all things.

26. Jesus says to her, I am, that speaks to thee.

Passing through Samaria

As this next episode begins, we learn that “the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John” (4:1). This, however, was not the case. “Jesus Himself did not baptize, but His disciples did” (4:2). Even though Jesus was not performing any baptisms at that time, His fame was spreading far and wide. Aware that His activities had been arousing questions and concerns among the religious leaders, Jesus “left Judea and departed again to Galilee” (4:3), passing through Samaria along the way.

In order to understand the significance of Jesus’ journey through Samaria, we need to consider the role of this territory in biblical history. Situated forty miles north of Jerusalem. Samaria was the land where Abram first stopped on his way to Canaan, and where he heard the Lord’s great promise: “To your descendants I will give this land” (Genesis 12:7). It was in Samaria that Jacob purchased land, built an altar, and passed it on to his sons (Genesis 33:19). And it was in Samaria where the ten tribes of Israel established the northern kingdom.

When the northern kingdom was conquered by the Assyrians, Samaria was resettled by people from pagan nations and became a place of idolatrous worship. Therefore, the people who remained in Judea and worshipped at the temple in Jerusalem despised their northern neighbors and would have nothing to do with them. In fact, for over seven hundred years the Jews who remained in Judea avoided all contact with the Samaritans.

For example, people traveling from Jerusalem to Galilee could reach Galilee in two or three days if they took the direct route, passing through Samaria. On the other hand, if they decided to take the longer route, skirting Samaria, it would take four to six days. It was customary for Jews to take the longer route just to avoid having any contact with the despised Samaritans. Jesus, however, did not take the longer route. As it is written, He knew that “He must pass through Samaria” (4:4).

Jesus meets a Samaritan woman

As Jesus passes through Samaria on His way to Galilee, He comes to a place called “Jacob’s Well.” While His disciples go into town to buy food, Jesus sits down by the well, resting from His journey. It is the sixth hour of the day. When a Samaritan woman comes to draw water, Jesus says to her, “Give Me a drink” (4:7). Recognizing that Jesus is a Jew, she is surprised to see Him in Samaria, because “the Jews had no dealings with Samaritans.” Therefore, the woman says, “How is it that you, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” (4:9). Jesus answers, saying, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water” (4:10).

The Samaritan woman is confused by Jesus’ response. Thinking that Jesus is referring to natural water, she says, “Sir, you have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. Where then do you get that living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob who gave us the well, and drank from it himself as well as his sons and his livestock?” (4:6-12). When Jesus tells the Samaritan woman that He has “living water,” she takes Him literally. Seeing that she misunderstands, Jesus says to her, “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain springing up into everlasting life” (4:13).

Although she still does not understand, the Samaritan woman is curious. Therefore, she says, “Sir, give me this water that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw” (4:14). Jesus responds to her request by saying to her, “Go, call your husband, and come here” (4:16). In the language of sacred symbolism, the words, “Call your husband,” refer to the process of living according to divine truth. Jesus is saying that we need to call His truth into our life until we see and feel the good of it and are “married” to it. He also adds the words, “Come here.” This refers to the need to return to the Word of God as the source of truth and draw from God’s well.

While Jesus is still speaking figuratively, the Samaritan woman continues to hear Him literally. She says, “I have no husband” (4:17). When the woman tells Him that she has no husband, Jesus surprises her by revealing His omniscience. He says, “You have well said, ‘I have no husband,’ for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; in that you spoke truly” (4:17-18).

Remarkably, the woman does not take offense. Instead, she accepts Jesus’ words as revealing the truth about her condition. And she adds, “Sir I perceive that You are a prophet” (4:19). At first, she only saw Jesus as a traveler who asked for a drink of water. Now she sees Him as a prophet. When she says, “Sir, give me this water that I may not thirst,” she represents that part in each of us that yearns for genuine understanding. It yearns for those living truths that will become “fountains of water springing up into everlasting life.”

In this regard, the Samaritan woman represents the part of us that has not yet found satisfaction in worldly values or superficial spirituality. It is the part of us that has been misled by false doctrines and misguided by wrong ideas. We have, so to speak, “no husband.” The goodness in us, which yearns to be united with truth, remains unsatisfied. We find ourselves repeatedly drinking from wells that do not satisfy our spiritual thirst. Again and again, we drink from man-made wells, only to thirst again for fountains of living water. As it is written in the Hebrew scriptures, “My people have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out broken cisterns that can hold no water” (Jeremiah 2:13). ¹

In ancient times, wells tended to be places where women met the men who would become their bridegrooms and husbands. Rebecca met her husband Isaac at a well; Rachel met her husband Jacob at a well; and Zipporah met her husband Moses at a well. Similarly, the Samaritan woman, meets Jesus by a well. This is because she represents the goodness in each of us that longs to be united with truth in a “heavenly marriage.” Although she has tried and failed many times, she still represents the desire to achieve the heavenly marriage of goodness and truth. In this regard, the openness of this Samaritan woman represents each of us being willing to receive truth from the Word of God, truth that will become in us a fountain springing up to eternal life. ²

True worship

The Samaritan woman, then, represents every person who is eager to learn and willing to receive the truth that Jesus offers. As we continue with the literal sense of the story, this representation becomes even more evident. We have already seen that the woman was willing to receive the truth about herself, without taking offense. Now she wants to know the truth about worship. She has long been aware of the conflict over where the appropriate place to worship is—whether in Jerusalem at the temple, or in Samaria on Mt. Gerizim. Therefore, she says, “Our fathers worshipped on this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship” (4:21).

In response, Jesus says, “The hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews” (4:22).

When spiritually understood, the phrase “salvation is of the Jews” does not refer to a group of people but rather to a concept that is at the heart of Jewish teaching. Throughout the Hebrew scriptures, everything centers on the worship of one God. As it is written, “Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and with all your might” (Deuteronomy 6:4-5). Salvation, then, is about loving the Lord with our whole heart, mind, soul, and strength. It is about doing everything He asks of us, not from fear, or from duty, or for the sake of a reward, but rather from love. All who strive to do this, whether Jew or Gentile, experience “salvation.” ³

Jesus is quite clear about “where” and “how” Divine worship will take place. He says, “The hour is coming, and now is, when true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth” (4:24). In other words, true worship will not necessarily take place in the temple at Jerusalem or on Mt. Gerizim in Samaria. It will take place in the human heart and mind—“in spirit and in truth.” True worship, then, will take place whenever and wherever an individual is moved by the Spirit of God and directed by the divine truth. It will transcend time and space. “God is Spirit,” says Jesus. “And those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth” (4:21-24).

Jesus’ words have a profound affect upon the Samaritan woman. They bring to mind teachings about the Messiah. “I know that Messiah is coming,” she says. “And when He comes, He will tell us all things” (4:25). While the well-educated religious leaders in Jerusalem rejected Jesus, this receptive Samaritan woman senses something special about Him. His presence somehow evokes thoughts about the promised Messiah. Observing her openness and receptivity, Jesus chooses to reveal His identity to her. Using the well-known phrase associated only with God, Jesus begins His response with the words, “I am (Ego eime).” Jesus says, “I Am is speaking to you” (4:26).

In these few words, Jesus reveals Himself to the Samaritan woman as the long-awaited Messiah.

A practical application

We live in an age that is sometimes referred to as “the age of information overload.” There seems to be plenty of helpful advice about “how to be happy,” “how to fight stress,” “how to find joy,” and “how to let go of the past.” We watch videos, read blogs, buy books, listen to sermons, and trade insights about how to find the happiness, joy, and peace that we seek. But as long as we neglect the fountain of living water, our thirst for truth will never be completely satisfied. As you commit yourself to reading the Word for yourself, absorbing its truths, and applying them to your life, notice how these truths “rise up” in you or “spring to mind” like a fountain when you need to be guided by them.

The Whitened Harvest

27. And upon this came His disciples, and marveled that He spoke with a woman; however no one said, What seekest Thou? Or what speakest Thou with her?

28. The woman then left her water-pot, and went away into the city, and says to the men,

29. Come, see a Man who has told me all that I have ever done. Is He not the Christ?

30. Then they went out from the city, and came to Him.

31. And in the meantime the disciples besought Him, saying, Rabbi, eat.

32. But He said to them, I have food to eat which you know not of.

33. Then the disciples said to one another, has anyone brought Him [~ought] to eat?

34. Jesus says to them, My food is that I may do the will of Him that sent Me, and may finish His work.

35. Do you not say that there are yet four months, and harvest comes? Behold, I say to you, Lift up your eyes, and observe the fields, for they are white to harvest already.

36. And he who reaps receives a reward, and gathers fruit to eternal life, that both he that sows and he that reaps may rejoice together.

37. For in this the word is true, that one sows, and another reaps.

38. I sent you out to reap that on which you have not labored; others have labored, and you have entered into their labors.

While Jesus has been speaking with the Samaritan woman, the disciples have been in the city of Sychar buying food. When they return, they are surprised to discover that Jesus has been engaging in a religious discussion with a woman. Nevertheless, it is written that none of them asked Him, “What are you seeking?” or “Why are you speaking with her?” (4:27).

At this point in the story, the Samaritan woman leaves her waterpot behind and rushes into the city to tell others about her encounter with Jesus. When she reaches the city, she says, “Come, see a Man who told me all things that I ever did.”(4:29). Looking beneath the surface of her words, it becomes clear that this “Man” who has told her everything about her life is the divine truth of the Word. It not only tells us “all things we ever did,” but also helps us discover who we really are, and who we might become. This is the truth we have received from our reading, study, and application of the Word to our lives. It is the truth that springs up in us like a fountain, providing the inspiration and direction that can lead us into eternal life.

While the woman is in the city testifying about her encounter with Jesus, the disciples remain with Jesus and urge Him to eat some of the food they have purchased. Jesus replies, “I have food to eat of which you do not know” (4:32). Taking Him literally, the disciples turn to one another and say, “Has anyone brought Him something to eat?” (4:33). Jesus then tells them what He means by His words. He says, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work” (4:34).

Just as physical food and drink nourish our physical body, spiritual food, which is the good of charity, and spiritual drink, which is the truth of faith, are both essential for sustaining our spiritual life. Just as the body cannot survive on water alone, our spiritual life cannot be sustained by truth alone. The truth we learn must be united with a life of charity. ⁴

In describing His food as doing the will of the Father, Jesus is endeavoring to lift the minds of His disciples above the idea of physical food. This is similar to the way that He had lifted the Samaritan woman’s mind beyond the realm of physical water. Spiritual water comes from the Word of God, and is an inexhaustible fountain of truth, springing up into everlasting life. It is a well that can never run dry. Spiritual food is the nourishment we receive whenever we act in love and charity toward our neighbor, according to the truth that we know. It has its origin in the Lord’s love for the salvation of souls. Each time we act from love, seeking to better the lives of others, we are being nourished with heavenly food. ⁵

Sowing and reaping

One of the miracles of spiritual life is that this process of learning truth and doing it can happen almost spontaneously. Unlike a physical garden in which we must first plant a seed and then wait for the harvest, the spiritual process of planting and harvesting is not bound by time and space. It can be immediate. Therefore, Jesus says, “Do you not say, ‘There are still four months and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest! (4:35).

The rewards for the “spiritual reaper” are rich and abundant. As Jesus puts it, “He who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together. For in this the saying is true, ‘One sows and another reaps.’ I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored, and you have entered into their labors” (4:36-37). At a deeper level, this refers to the secret work that goes on in the human heart. This is the quiet, inner work of God who sows the seeds of truth and goodness, then causes them to grow without our conscious awareness.

Sowing and reaping are essential activities in the world of time and space. Farmers sow their seeds in the springtime and then wait for the time of reaping during the fall harvest. It is an annual cycle that is essential for human survival. Surprisingly, Jesus says that it is not necessary to wait four months for the harvest. We can enjoy the harvest right now. “Look,” He says, “The fields are already white for harvest.”

These words do not refer to a physical harvest, but rather to the spiritual harvest of goodness and truth that is available to us at every moment. Throughout our lives, the Lord has been busy planting seed in us, even from the time that we were infants. Unknown to us and in secret ways, these seeds have been developing and maturing. Many are still in process, and many are available for the reaping today. Each time we decide to act on some truth that we know, we are reaping the harvest. Each time we find ourselves touched by the innocence of child, we are reaping the harvest. Each time we perform some useful service without thinking of reward, we are reaping the harvest. Each time we experience a positive change in our inner world, we are reaping the harvest. As Jesus says, “The fields are already white for harvest.” ⁶

A practical application

There is a tendency in each of us to believe that happiness is coming at some future time. We might say, “I will be happy when the weekend comes,” or “I will be happy when I can go on vacation,” or “I will be happy when my plans succeed,” or “I will be happy when I retire,” or “I will be happy in heaven.” Jesus teaches us that we don’t need to wait for the future. When He says, “Lift up your eyes and look at the fields. They are already white for harvest,” He is reminding us that happiness is not only all around us, but within us as well. The seeds that He has been planting in us all along are bearing fruit. We are learning to find joy in simpler, finer things. We are learning to feel the joy of another as joy in ourselves. We are learning to be peaceful and contented with what we have. We are learning to be grateful. All we need to do is “lift up our eyes.” Give it a try. Enjoy the harvest.

The Savior of the World

39. And out of that city, many of the Samaritans believed in Him, on account of the word of the woman who testified, He told me all things that I ever did.

40. Therefore when the Samaritans came to Him, they besought Him to remain with them, and He remained there two days.

41. And many more believed because of His word,

42. And said to the woman, We no longer believe because of thy saying, for we have heard Him, and know that this is truly the savior of the world, the Christ.

Meanwhile, the Samaritan woman is still in the village telling people about her encounter with Jesus. She is described as going around the town urging people to come see this Man who has told her all about herself. “Could this be the Christ?” she says (4:29). As she does so, she encounters two different kinds of responses. Many believe her immediately, simply because of her testimony. “He told me all that I ever did,” she says (4:39). Others, however, need more proof. Therefore, they urge Jesus to stay with them. After spending two days with Jesus, they are convinced. “Now we believe,” they say, “not because of what you said, for we have heard for ourselves and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world” (4:39-42).

Just as it is God alone who sows the seed and reaps the harvest, it is God alone who touches our hearts and changes us. He can indeed use the ministry of people and angels to deliver His message, just as He used the Samaritan woman to tell the people about Himself. But, in the end, hearing God’s voice for oneself is far more convincing than the testimony of others. As they said to the woman, “Now we believe, not because of what you said, for we have heard for ourselves.”

As we look back upon the events which have taken place since Jesus’ first appearance at Jacob’s Well, we see a remarkably swift acceptance of Jesus among the Samaritans. At first the Samaritan woman sees Him only as a Jewish traveler who stopped for a drink of water. Very quickly, she regards Him as a prophet, and then, she sees Him as the Messiah. Her fellow Samaritans, who spent two days with Jesus, take this even further. They regard Him not only as the Messiah, the Savior of the Jewish people, but also as their Savior, too. That is why they call Him, the Christ, “the Savior of the World.”

A Second Miracle in Cana of Galilee

43. And after the two days He went away from there, and came out into Galilee.

44. For Jesus Himself testified that a prophet has no honor in his own country.

45. When therefore He came into Galilee, the Galileans accepted Him, having seen all [the] things that He did in Jerusalem at the festival; for they also came to the festival.

46. Then Jesus came again into Cana of Galilee, where He made the water wine. And there was a certain nobleman, whose son was sick in Capernaum.

47. He, hearing that Jesus comes out of Judea into Galilee, went to Him and besought Him that He would come down and heal his son, for he was about to die.

48. Then Jesus said to him, Unless you see signs and miracles, you will not believe.

49. The nobleman said to Him, Lord, come down before my little child dies.

50. Jesus says to him, Go [thy way]; thy son lives. And the man believed the word which Jesus said to him, and he went [his way];

51. And as he was already coming down, his servants met him, and reported, saying, Thy boy lives.

52. Then he inquired of them the hour in which he recovered. And they said to him, Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.

53. Then the father knew that [it was] at that same hour in which Jesus said to him, Thy son lives. And [he] himself believed, and his whole house.

54. This [is] again a second sign [that] Jesus did, when He came out of Judea into Galilee.

After His two-day stay in Samaria, Jesus continues His journey to Galilee. While the narrator reminds us that “a prophet has no honor in his own country” (4:44), the story about Jesus turning water to wine in Cana and the reports about His actions during the festival in Jerusalem have spread to people in other towns and villages. One of these people is a certain nobleman from Capernaum who goes to Galilee to seek Jesus’ help. Going directly to Jesus, he begs Him to come down to Capernaum and heal his son who is sick with a fever and at the point of death.

Jesus says to the nobleman, “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will by no means believe” (4:48). This has been a consistent message of this gospel. In the early stages of faith, people are often moved by signs and wonders. But this must develop into a deeper faith, a faith that is not based on external miracles, but rather based on the miraculous changes that can occur within them when they live according to the truth that faith teaches. ⁷

Jesus’ words about signs and wonders do not deter the nobleman. Undaunted, he says, “Sir, come down before my child dies” (4:49). The nobleman’s plea, “Come down before my child dies,” brings to mind Jesus’ larger mission. He has “come down” from heaven to heal His people and to teach them the truth that will set them free from bondage. In this regard, every miracle that Jesus performs corresponds to the many ways that He heals our spiritual condition. It is for this reason that He grants the nobleman’s request, assuring him that His son will live. “Go your way,” says Jesus. “Your son lives” (4:50).

Believing Jesus’ words, the nobleman goes back to Capernaum to discover that the miracle has indeed taken place. His son has survived the fever, and is alive. What is even more miraculous is that the fever left His son at “the seventh hour”—the same hour that Jesus had said, “Your son lives.” As a result, “the nobleman believed, and his whole household” (4:53).

In the literal sense, the healing “at the seventh hour” refers to the seventh hour after sunrise, about one o’clock in the afternoon. More deeply, however, the holy number “seven” refers to the seventh day of creation—a day of rest from feverish pursuits, a day to rest in the Lord. ⁸

Coming out of Judea and into Galilee

As this episode comes to its conclusion, it is written that “This is the second sign that Jesus did when He had come out of Judea and into Galilee” (4:54). The first sign was the changing of water into wine; the second sign is the healing of the nobleman’s son. These two signs, then, when considered together and in a series, represent two aspects of our spiritual development: reformation and regeneration.

The first miracle, involving the transformation of water into wine, represents the way the literal sense of the Word, when seen more deeply, is transformed into the spiritual sense. Instead of seeing the literal sense of the Word as applying only to persons and places, we begin to see it also as a spiritual narrative revealing divine truth about our inner lives. This miracle is about the reformation of the human understanding.

The second miracle, involving the healing of the nobleman’s son, represents the regeneration of the human will. In this miracle, which follows the reformation of the understanding, the fevers of selfish ambition are subdued, and the flames of lustful desire are cooled. In place of being ruled by the lusts of one’s lower nature, the person is gently led by the desires of heavenly goodness. A person no longer says, “My will must be done,” but rather, “May the Lord’s will be done.”

These miracles, whether of the understanding or of the will, take place in the state of mind called “Cana of Galilee.” In this humble fishing village, where people are busy leading good and useful lives, there is a greater openness to the voice of God. It was not so in Jerusalem of Judea. It is written, therefore, as this episode concludes, that Jesus had “come out of Judea and into Galilee” (4:54). ⁹

각주:

815. Verse 11. And I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, signifies confirmations from the sense of the letter of the Word in favor of faith separated from life, and the consequent falsifications of the truth of the church. This is evident from the signification of "the two beasts" treated of in this chapter, as being the confirmation of those things that are signified by "the dragon," for "the dragon" signifies especially faith alone (See above, n. 714); and "the beast coming up out of the sea" signifies reasonings from the natural man confirming the separation of faith from life (See also above, n. 774; therefore this "beast" signifies confirmations from the sense of the letter of the Word in favor of faith separated from life, and the consequent falsifications of the truth of the church. That "the dragon" is further described by these two "beasts" is evident from verses 2, 4, 11 of this chapter. There are moreover two means by which any heretical dogma may be confirmed, namely, by reasonings from the natural man and by confirmations from the sense of the letter of the Word; and these two means are what are signified by these two "beasts." The former "beast" signifies reasonings from the natural man, because the "sea" out of which that beast came up signifies the natural of man, while this "beast" signifies confirmations from the sense of the letter of the Word, because the "earth" out of which it came up signifies the church where the Word is. This "beast" signifies also falsifications of the Word, because the Word unless it is falsified can never confirm a false dogma, since all things of the Word are truths; consequently all truths can be confirmed from the Word, but by no means falsities, as can be clearly seen from what has been said above and also from what follows in this chapter.

[2] As passages from the Word have been cited above n. 785 in which "works," "deeds," "working," and "doing" are mentioned, I will now cite passages where "faith" and "believing" are mentioned, but only from the Gospels, and not from the Epistles of the Apostles, and for the reason that the Gospels contain the words of the Lord Himself, all of which have concealed in them a spiritual sense, through which immediate communication with heaven is granted, while the writings of the Apostles contain no such sense, although they are nevertheless useful books for the church.

[3] The passages of the Word where "faith" and "believing" are mentioned are the following. In Matthew:

There came a centurion to the Lord, saying, Lord, I am not worthy that Thou shouldst come under my roof; but say the word only, and my boy shall be healed. Jesus hearing, marveled and said to them that followed Him, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith in Israel. And He said unto the centurion, Go thy way, and as thou hast believed be it done unto thee; and his boy was healed in that hour (Matthew 8:8, 10, 13).

The Lord healed this person and others according to their faith, because the first and primary thing of the church then to be established was to believe that the Lord is God Almighty, for without that faith no church could have been established. For the Lord was the God of heaven and the God of earth, with whom no conjunction is possible except by an acknowledgment of His Divinity, which acknowledgment is faith. The centurion evidently acknowledged the Lord to be God Almighty, for he said, "I am not worthy that Thou shouldst come under my roof; but say the word only, and my boy shall be healed."

[4] In the same:

A woman afflicted with an issue of blood touched the hem of Jesus' garment; for she said within herself, If I shall but touch His garment I shall be healed. Jesus turning and seeing her, said, Daughter be of good cheer, thy faith hath made thee whole; and she was healed in that hour (Matthew 9:20-22).

In the same:

They brought unto Him one sick of the palsy lying on a bed; Jesus seeing their faith, said unto the sick of the palsy, Be of good cheer, thy sins are forgiven. Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thy house (Matthew 9:2-7; Luke 5:19-25).

In the same:

Two blind men cried, saying, Have mercy on us, Thou Son of David. Jesus said unto them, Believe ye that I am able to do this? They say unto Him, Yea, Lord. Then touched He their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it done unto you; and their eyes were opened (Matthew 9:27-30).

No other faith than that which is called historical, which at that time was a miraculous faith, was meant by this faith whereby the sick were healed; consequently by this faith many wrought miracles at that time. This faith was, that the Lord was Almighty, because He was able to do miracles of Himself; for this reason He also allowed Himself to be worshiped, which was not the case with the prophets of the Old Testament, who were not worshiped. But there must always be this historical faith before it becomes a saving faith; for a historical faith becomes a saving faith with man by his learning truths from the Word, and living according to them.

[5] In the same:

A woman of Canaan, whose daughter was vexed by a demon, came and worshiped Jesus, saying, Lord, help me. Jesus said unto her, Great is thy faith; be it done unto thee as thou wilt; and her daughter was healed (Matthew 15:22-28).

In John:

A ruler whose son was sick besought Jesus to heal his son before he died. Jesus said unto him, Go thy way, thy son liveth; and the man believed in the word that Jesus spake unto him. And his servants met him, saying, Thy son liveth. Therefore he believed, and his whole house (John 4:46-53).

In the same:

Jesus finding the man born blind whom He healed, said unto him, Believest thou, then, on the Son of God? He answered and said, Who is He, Lord, that I may believe on Him? He said unto him, Thou hast both seen Him and He it is that speaketh with thee. He said, Lord, I believe; and he worshiped Him (John 9:35-38).

In Luke:

Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, whose daughter was dead, Fear not, only believe, and she shall be made whole; and the daughter was raised up again (Luke 8:50, 55).

In the same:

One of the ten lepers that were healed by the Lord, who was a Samaritan, returned and fell upon his face at the feet of Jesus; and Jesus said unto him, Arise, go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole (Luke 17:15, 16, 19).

In the same:

Jesus said to the blind man, Thy faith hath saved thee; and immediately he was able to see (Luke 18:42, 43).

In Mark:

Jesus said to the disciples, when they were unable to heal a certain man's son ¹ who had a dumb spirit; to whom Jesus said, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth; the father of the boy crying out with tears, said, Lord, I believe, help thou mine unbelief; and he was healed (Mark 9:17, 23, 24).

There were three reasons why faith in the Lord healed these; first, because they acknowledged His Divine omnipotence, and that He was God; secondly, because faith is acknowledgment, and from acknowledgment intuition; and all intuition from acknowledgment makes another to be present; this is a common thing in the spiritual world. So now, when a New Church was to be established by the Lord, it was this intuition from an acknowledgment of the Lord's omnipotence from which they were first to look to the Lord; and from this it is clear what is here meant by faith. The third reason was, that all the diseases healed by the Lord represented and thus signified the spiritual diseases that correspond to these natural diseases; and spiritual diseases can be healed only by the Lord, and in fact by looking to His Divine omnipotence and by repentance of life. This is why He sometimes said, "Thy sins are forgiven thee; go and sin no more." This faith also was represented and signified by their miraculous faith; but the faith by which spiritual diseases are healed by the Lord can be given only through truths from the Word and a life according to them; the truths themselves and the life itself according to them make the quality of the faith. But more about this in what follows.

[6] In John:

When Lazarus was dead, his sister saith, Lord, by this time he stinketh. Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, If thou wouldst believe thou shouldst see the glory of God? (John 11:39, 40).

In Luke:

Jesus said to the woman who was a sinner, and who made His feet wet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head, and kissed His feet, which she also anointed with oil, Thy sins are forgiven thee; thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace (Luke 7:38, 48, 50).

From this it is clear that it was faith in the Lord's omnipotence that healed them, and that the same faith remitted, that is, removed, sins. The reason of this was that this woman not only had faith in the Divine omnipotence of the Lord, but also loved Him, for she kissed His feet. Wherefore the Lord said, "Thy sins are forgiven thee, thy faith hath saved thee," because faith makes the Divine of the Lord to be present, and love conjoins. It is possible, however, for the Lord to be present and not be conjoined; from which it is evident that it is faith from love that saves.

[7] Again:

Jesus said to the disciples in the boat, Why are ye fearful, O ye men of little faith? Then He arose and rebuked the wind and the sea, and there came a great calm (Matthew 8:26; Mark 4:39-41; Luke 8:24, 25).

Peter, at the Lord's command, went down out of the boat and walked upon the waters; but when the wind became strong he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, Lord, save me. And immediately Jesus took hold of his hand and said, O man of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt (Matthew 14:28-31).

When the disciples could not heal the lunatic, Jesus said unto them, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? and Jesus healed him; and He said to the disciples that they could not heal him by reason of their unbelief (Matthew 17:14, seq.).

Jesus came into His own country, and there they were offended in Him; and Jesus said, A prophet is not without honor save in his own country and in his own house. And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief (Matthew 13:57, 58).

The Lord called the disciples "men of little faith" when they were unable to do miracles in His name, and He was unable to do miracles in His own country because of their unbelief, for the reason that while the disciples believed the Lord to be the Messiah or Christ, also the Son of God, and the prophet of whom it was written in the Word, yet they did not believe that He was God Almighty, and that Jehovah the Father was in Him; and yet so far as they believed Him to be a man, and not at the same time God, His Divine to which omnipotence belongs could not be present with the disciples by faith. For faith presents the Lord as present, as has been said above; but faith in Him as a man only does not present His Divine omnipotence as present. For the same reason those in the world at the present day who look to His Human alone and not at the same time to His Divine, as the Socinians and Arians do, cannot be saved.

[8] And for a like reason the Lord could not do miracles in His own country, for there they had seen Him from infancy like another man; and therefore they were unable to add to that idea the idea of His Divinity; and when that idea is not present while the Lord is present, He is not present in man with Divine omnipotence; for faith presents the Lord as present in man according to the quality of the perception of Him. Other things man does not acknowledge and therefore rejects; for in order that the Lord may operate anything with man by faith the Lord's Divine must be present in man, and not outside of him.

John:

[9] In John:

Many of the multitude believed on Jesus, and said, When the Christ shall come, will He do more signs than those which this one hath done? (John 7:31).

In Mark:

These signs shall follow them that believe: in My name they shall cast out demons; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick and they shall recover. And they went forth and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the Word by signs following (Mark 16:17-20).

As the Jewish nation believed in Jehovah solely because of miracles, it is evidently a miraculous and not a saving faith that is here meant; for they were external men, and external men are moved to Divine worship only by external things, like miracles which forcibly strike the mind. Moreover, a miraculous faith was the first faith with those among whom a New Church was to be established; and such a faith is also the first with all in the Christian world at this day, and this is why the miracles performed by the Lord were described, and are also now preached. For the first faith with all is a historical faith, and this afterwards becomes a saving faith when man by his life becomes spiritual; for first of all it is to be believed that the Lord is the God of heaven and earth, and that He is omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient, infinite, and one with the Father. These things must be known; but so far as they are merely known they are historical, and a historical faith presents the Lord as present, because it is a looking to the Lord from His Divine nature. And yet that faith does not save until man lives the life of faith, which is charity; for he then wills and does what he believes, and to will and to do is of the love, and love conjoins to Him whom faith presents as present. The signification of those miracles that the disciples were to do, and that were done by them in the beginning of the Christian church, as casting out demons, speaking with new tongues, and others, may be seen above n. 706.

[10] In Matthew:

Jesus said, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place, and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you (Matthew 17:14-20).

In Mark:

Have the faith of God; for verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou lifted up and be thou cast into the sea, and shall not doubt in his heart but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass, what he hath said shall be done for him. Therefore I say unto you, All things whatsoever ye ask when ye pray, believe that ye shall receive them and ye shall have them (Mark 11:22-24).

In Matthew:

Jesus said to the disciples, If ye have faith and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which has been done to the fig-tree, but even if ye shall say unto this mountain, be thou lifted up and cast into the sea. And all things whatsoever ye shall ask believing in Me, ye shall receive (Matthew 21:21, 22).

In Luke:

If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed ye would say unto this sycamine tree, Be thou rooted up and be thou planted in the sea, and it would obey you (Luke 17:6).

That this is to be understood otherwise than according to the words is evident from its being said to the disciples, that "If they had faith as a grain of mustard seed they would be able to pluck up a mountain or a sycamine tree from its place, and cast it into the sea;" also that "all things whatsoever they asked they should receive;" and yet it is not according to Divine order for one to receive what he asks if he only have faith, or for the disciples to pluck up a mountain or a tree from its place and cast it into the sea. But "faith" here means faith from the Lord, consequently it is called "the faith of God," and he who is in faith from the Lord asks for nothing but what contributes to the Lord's kingdom and to himself for salvation; other things he does not wish, saying in his heart, Why should I ask for what does not contribute to this use? Therefore if he were to ask for anything except what it is granted him from the Lord to ask he would have no faith of God, that is, no faith from the Lord. It is impossible for angels of heaven to wish and so to ask for anything else, and if they were to do so they could have no faith that they would receive it. The Lord compared such faith to the ability and power to cast a mountain or sycamine tree into the sea, because the Lord spake here as well as elsewhere by correspondences, and therefore these words must be understood spiritually. For a "mountain" signifies the love of self and of the world, thus the love of evil; and a "sycamine tree" signifies the faith of that love, which is a faith in falsity from evil, and the "sea" signifies hell; therefore "to pluck up a mountain and cast it into the sea by the faith of God" signifies to cast these loves, which in themselves are diabolical, into hell, and likewise the faith in falsity from evil; and this is done through faith from the Lord. This comparison of the ability and power of faith from the Lord with plucking up and casting a mountain and a sycamine tree into the sea was also made because in the spiritual world such things actually take place. There these loves of evil sometimes appear as mountains, and the faith in falsity from evil as a sycamine tree; and both of these an angel can root up and cast into hell through faith from the Lord. (That a "mountain" signifies love to the Lord, and in the contrary sense the love of self, see above, n. 405, 510; and that a "fig-tree," or a "sycamine tree," signifies the natural man in respect to its goods and truths, and in the contrary sense the same in respect to evils and falsities, see above, n. 403.

[11] So much respecting miraculous faith. Passages from the Gospels respecting saving faith, which is faith in truth from love to the Lord, shall now follow. In John:

As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of man be lifted up, that whosoever believeth in Him may not perish but may have eternal life. For God so loved the world that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him may not perish, but may have eternal life. He that believeth in Him is not judged; but he that believeth not hath been judged already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only-begotten Son of God (John 3:14-19).

In the same:

The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into His hand; he that believeth in the Son hath eternal life, but he that believeth not the Son shall not see life, but the anger of God abideth on him (John 3:35, 36).

In the same:

Except ye believe that I am He ye shall die in your sins (John 8:24).

In the same:

They said to Jesus, What shall we do that we may work the works of God? Jesus answering said, This is the work of God, that ye believe in Him whom the Father hath sent. I am the bread of life; he that cometh to Me shall not hunger, and he that believeth in Me shall never thirst. This is the will of Him that sent Me, that everyone that seeth the Son and believeth in Him may have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. Not that anyone hath seen the Father save He that is with the Father; ² He hath seen the Father. Verily I say unto you, he that believeth in Me hath eternal life. I am the bread of life (John 6:28, 29, 35, 40, 46-48).

In the same:

Jesus said, He that heareth My word and believeth Him that sent Me hath eternal life, and shall not come into judgment, but shall pass from death into life. Verily I say unto you, that the hour shall come when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and they that hear shall live. Even as the Father hath life in Himself so hath He given to the Son to have life in Himself (John 5:24-26).

In the same:

Jesus cried out, saying, If anyone thirst let him come unto Me and drink. He that believeth in Me, as the Scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. These things He said of the Spirit which those believing in Him were to receive. (John 7:37-39).

In the same:

Jesus said, I am the resurrection and the life; he that believeth in Me, though he die yet shall he live; but everyone who liveth and believeth in Me shall not die to eternity (John 11:25-27).

In the same:

Jesus cried out and said, He that believeth in Me believeth not in Me but in Him that sent Me. I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth in Me may not abide in the darkness. And if anyone hear My words and yet believe not, I judge him not; he that rejecteth Me and receiveth not My words hath one that judgeth him, the word that I have spoken shall judge him at the last day (John 12:44-48).

In the same:

While ye have the light believe in the light, that ye may be sons of light (John 12:36).

In the same:

Let not your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me (John 14:1).

In the same:

As many as received Jesus, to them gave He power to become sons of God, even to them that believe in His name (John 1:12).

In the same:

Many believed in His name, beholding His signs (John 2:23).

In the same:

These are written that ye may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing ye may have life in His name (John 20:31).

In Mark:

Jesus said to the disciples, Going into all the world, preach ye the Gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be condemned (Mark 16:15, 16).

These and other passages describe saving faith, which is to believe in the Lord; and to believe in Him is also to believe in the Father, because He and the Father are one. "To believe in the Lord" signifies not only to adore and worship Him, but also to live from Him, and one lives from Him when he lives according to the Word which is from Him; therefore "to believe in Him" is to believe that He regenerates man, and gives eternal life to those who are regenerated by Him.

[12] "To believe in His name" has a similar signification as "to believe in Him," since the Lord's "name" signifies every quality of faith and love by which He is to be worshiped, and by which He saves man. This is signified by "His name," because in the spiritual world names that are given to persons are always in accord with the quality of their affection and life, and in consequence the quality of each one is known from his name alone. So when anyone's name is pronounced, and the quality that is meant by the name is loved, that one becomes present, and the two are united as companions and brethren. The quality of the Lord however is everything of faith and love by which He saves man, for that quality is the essence proceeding from Him; therefore when that quality is thought of by man the Lord becomes present with him, and when this quality is loved the Lord is conjoined to him. Thence it is that those who believe in His name have eternal life. This shows how necessary it is that man should know the quality of faith and love, that is, the Lord's "name;" also how necessary it is to love that quality, which comes by doing those things that the Lord has commanded. The names "Jesus" and "Christ" moreover involve this same quality, since "Jesus" means salvation, and "Christ" or "Messiah" Divine truth, which is everything of faith and love as to knowledges, doctrine, and life. When, therefore, these names are mentioned their quality must be thought of and they must live according to it. This is what is meant by the words of the Lord in Matthew:

Jesus said, If two of you on earth shall agree in My name respecting anything that they shall ask it shall be done for them by My Father who is in the heavens. For where two or three are gathered together in My name there am I in the midst of them (Matthew 18:19, 20).

There is, indeed, a presence of the Lord with all and also a love towards all; and yet man cannot be led and be saved by the Lord except in the measure of his reception of the Lord by faith in Him and love to Him.

[13] This shows how necessary it is for man to know the quality of faith and love, that is, the Lord's name, also to love it, since the Lord can be loved only through His quality. That the Lord, and not the Father, must be approached and must be worshiped in accordance with the quality of the faith and love that is prescribed in the Word the Lord Himself teaches, saying:

That no one has seen the Father at any time but that the Son brings Him forth to view (John 1:18);

Also that no one cometh to the Father except through Him (John 14:6);

Since the Father and He are one (John 10:30).

Therefore to approach the Father and not the Lord is to make two out of one, and thus to worship apart from the Lord the Divine that is in Him. And this destroys in man the idea of Divinity in respect to the Lord, which again makes evident the truth:

That he that believeth in the Son hath eternal life (John 3:36).

[14] That to believe in the Lord is to believe in the Father, the Lord Himself teaches also in John:

He that believeth in Me believeth not in Me but in Him that sent Me; and he that seeth Me seeth Him that sent Me (John 12:44, 45).

This means that he that believes in the Lord believes in Him not separate from the Father, but in the Father; and it is therefore added, "He that seeth Me seeth Him that sent Me." So elsewhere in John:

Believe in God, believe in Me (John 14:1).

In the same:

Philip, believest thou not that I am in the Father and the Father in Me? Believe Me, that I am in the Father and the Father in Me. Verily I say unto you, He that believeth in Me, the works that I do he shall do also, because I go to My Father (John 14:10-12).

In the same:

In that day ye shall ask in My name; and I say not unto you that I will pray the Father for you, for the Father Himself loveth you, because ye have loved Me and have believed that I came out from God. I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world; and I go unto the Father. The disciples say, In this we believe that Thou camest forth from God (John 16:26-30).

"To come forth from the Father" signifies to be conceived of Him, and "to go to the Father" signifies to be fully united to Him. That "to come forth from the Father" means to be conceived of Him is clearly evident from His conception (Matthew 1:18-25; and in Luke 1:34, 35). That "to go to the Father" means to be fully united to Him is evident from the glorification of His Human by the passion of the cross, which has been spoken of above; and therefore He says, "In that day ye shall ask in My name," and no more in the name of the Father.

[15] In the same:

Jesus said unto Thomas, Because thou hast seen Me thou hast believed; happy are they that have not seen and yet have believed. And Thomas said, My Lord and my God (John 20:29, 20:28).

It was because the Lord was now fully united to the Divine Itself, which is called the Father, that Thomas called Him his Lord and his God. So elsewhere in the same:

Say ye of Him whom the Father hath sanctified and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest, because I said I am the Son of God? If I do not the works of My Father believe me not; though ye believe not Me believe the works, that ye may know and believe that the Father is in Me and I in the Father (John 10:36-38).

That the Jews did not believe is evident in John 5:14-17; 10:24-26; 12:37-39; Matthew 21:31-32. The cause of their unbelief was their wish for a Messiah who would exalt them to glory above all the nations in the world; also that they were wholly natural and not spiritual; also that they had falsified the Word, especially where it treats of the Lord and also of themselves. That such were the causes of their unbelief is evident also from the faith of the Jews at this day, who are altogether natural, and know or wish to know scarcely anything about the Lord's kingdom in the heavens. That neither would those in the Christian world at the present day believe that the Lord is one with the Father, and is therefore the God of heaven and earth, is meant by the Lord's words in Luke:

When the Son of man cometh shall He find faith on the earth? (Luke 18:8).

But on this subject, the Lord willing, more will be said elsewhere.

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