Chapter 11.

The Persecutions Begin

1. And it came to pass when Jesus had finished instructing His twelve disciples, He passed on thence to teach and to preach in their cities.

2. And John, hearing in the prison the works of the Christ [and] sending two of his disciples,

3. Says to Him, “Art Thou He that comest, or should we expect another?”

4. And Jesus answering said to them, “Go, report to John what you hear and see:

5. The blind receive their sight and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel announced to them.

6. And happy is [he], whoever shall not be offended in Me.”

7. And as they went, Jesus began to say to the crowds concerning John: “What did you come out into the wilderness to observe? A reed shaken by the wind?

8. But what did you come out to see? A man clothed in soft garments? Behold, they that wear soft things are in kings’ houses.

9. But what did you come out to see? A prophet? yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet.

10. For this is [he] about whom it is written, ‘Behold, I send My messenger before Thy face, who shall make ready Thy way before Thee.’

11. Amen I say to you, There has not arisen among those that are born of women a greater than John the Baptist; but the least in the kingdom of the heavens is greater than he.

12. And from the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of the heavens presses, and they who press seize upon it.

13. For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John,

14. And if you will to accept [it], he is Elijah who was going to come.

15. He that has ears to hear, let him hear.

16. But to what shall I liken this generation? It is like little boys sitting in the markets, and summoning their fellows,

17. And saying, ‘We have piped to you, and you have not danced; we have lamented to you, and you have not wailed.’

18. For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’

19. The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Behold, a man, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners!’ And wisdom has been justified by her children.”

20. Then He began to reproach the cities in which most of His [works of] power were done, because they did not repent.

21. “Woe to thee, Chorazin! Woe to thee, Bethsaida! Because if the [works of] power had been done in Tyre and Sidon that were done in you, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.

22. But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment, than for you.

23. And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted up to heaven, shalt be thrust down even to hell; for if the [works of] power which have been done in thee had been done in Sodom, it would have remained even to this day.

24. But I say to you that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee.”

In the previous episode the disciples were organized, instructed, and sent forth. Because each disciple represents a spiritual principle that is central to our spiritual life, it is necessary that the “disciples in us” (core spiritual principles) be well-organized. ¹ This pictures the way our good affections and true thoughts — though initially scattered — are organized, put into shape, and readied for action. It is a spiritual law, however, that every forward step in our spiritual development will be met by an equal and opposing assault. In this way, the Lord maintains a continuous state of equilibrium, thereby protecting and preserving our spiritual freedom. ²

This is precisely what is represented in the next episode when we discover that John the Baptist has been imprisoned. The counter-attacks have begun. Because John the Baptist followed Jesus, and publicly proclaimed that the kingdom of heaven is at hand, he was persecuted and put in prison.

This however, is merely the external story. More interiorly, the counter-attacks take place within each of us — in our minds. When we are persecuted, when we feel discouraged and upset, we begin to doubt whether following the Lord is the right thing to do. We doubt His divinity. We doubt the authority of His words. We doubt that the kingdom of heaven is really at hand.

Even John the Baptist, one of Jesus’ staunchest supporters, is beginning to have his doubts. Although he is confined in prison, John is able to send a message to Jesus saying, “Are you the Coming One, or do we look for another?” (11:3). Jesus does not respond directly. Instead He tells John’s messengers to go back and report what has been happening: “The blind receive their sight and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them” (11:5). ³

It’s important to keep in mind that John the Baptist represents the literal teachings of the Word. ⁴ In John’s day, the Word of God had been twisted and profaned until it became useless for anything more than confirming whatever the religious establishment wanted the people to believe. The clear literal teachings were deemed less significant than the rigorous traditions taught and enforced by the reigning religious leaders. All this is represented by John’s being in prison, and this is what Jesus is referring to when He says, “The kingdom of heaven suffers violence and the violent take it by force” (11:12).

The human race was rapidly descending into the darkest night it would ever know, as indicated by the epidemic of demonic possession. Even though Jesus was doing mighty works, many still refused to believe. A Day of Judgment seemed to be drawing near. And so He warned them: “And you, Capernaum, who are exalted in heaven, will be brought down to hell; for if the mighty works that were done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day” (11:23). Jesus had indeed done mighty works such that even the evil people of Sodom might have repented and believed. God had come into the world through Jesus Christ, but some had grown so accustomed to the darkness that they rejected the light — even when it was in their very midst.

Jesus continues to warn them of the impending doom and destruction. “But I say to you that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for you” (11:24). Those who refuse to believe, and who reject the light, represent those parts of us that are unwilling to change, even when there is enough light to do so.

“My yoke is easy”

25. At that time Jesus answering said, “I profess Thee, Father, Lord of the heaven and of the earth, because Thou hast hidden these things from the wise and intelligent, and hast revealed them to infants.

26. Yes, Father; for so it was [for] good pleasure before Thee.

27. All things are delivered up to Me by My Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father; neither knows anyone the Father, except the Son, and [he] to whomever the Son intends to reveal [Him].

28. Come to Me, all [ye] who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest.

29. Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am meek and humble in heart; and you shall find rest for your souls.

30. For My yoke [is] easy, and My burden is light.”

In the midst of these dire warnings, Jesus continues to provide hope and comfort. As this episode closes, He speaks with the tenderness and compassion of the Father within Him: “All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son, and he to whom the Son wills to reveal Him” (11:27). In other words, all things come forth from Divine love (the Father). Because of the increasing darkness in the world, people are no longer aware that this kind of love even exists. But Jesus is now bringing it forth to view, and will manifest it to others — to those whom “the Son wills to reveal Him.”

Although it appears that only some will be chosen to receive this love, the invitation is given to everyone. No longer speaking in terms of a separation between Father and Son, Jesus now speaks most tenderly, like a loving father speaking to tired children. “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden,” He says, “and I will give you rest” (11:28). It is to be noted that Jesus does not say, “The Father will give you rest.” Instead, He says, “I will give you rest.” This is a beautiful message of comfort, a promise that in Jesus we shall not only find physical rest, but, more importantly, spiritual rest — that is, rest for our souls: “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (11:30).

As Jesus reveals His oneness with the divinity within Him, there is a growing softness and tenderness in His words. More and more, we see the Divine love of the Father manifested in the Divine wisdom of the Son, and we begin to sense that in some way they are One. In Jesus we do not see the stern, angry, punitive idea of a God who is to be feared. Instead, we see a God who can be loved, a compassionate, forgiving Father who says to each of us, “Come unto Me . . . and you will find rest for your souls, for My yoke is easy and my burden light” (11:30).

Footnotes:

182. Verse 1. And to the angel of the church in Sardis write, signifies those who live a moral but not a spiritual life, because they have little regard for the knowledges of spiritual things and for intelligence and wisdom therefrom. This is evident from what is written to the angel of this church, from which, when viewed in the internal or spiritual sense, it can be seen that those who live a moral but not a spiritual life, because they have little regard for the knowledges of the spiritual things and for intelligence and wisdom therefrom, are here treated of. But before unfolding the things that follow as to their spiritual sense, it is necessary to explain and open what moral life is and what spiritual life is, also what moral life from spiritual life is, and what moral life apart from spiritual life. Moral life is acting well, sincerely, and justly with one's companions in all the affairs and occupations of life; in a word, it is the life that is apparent before men, because it is the life lived with them. But this life has a two-fold origin; it is either from the love of self and the world, or it is from love to God and love towards the neighbor.

[2] Moral life from the love of self and the world is not in itself moral life, although it seems to be moral; for the man acting thus acts well, sincerely, and justly for the sake of self and the world only, and what is good, sincere, and just serves him as means to an end, which is, either that he may be raised above others and rule over them, or that he may gain wealth; and of these things he thinks in his spirit, or when he is by himself secretly; but these things that he thinks he does not dare to avow openly, because they would destroy the good opinion others have of him, and thus destroy the means by which he wishes to attain his ends. From this it can be seen that there lies within the moral life of such a man nothing else than to acquire all things in preference to others, thus that he wishes to have all others to serve him, or to gain possession of their goods; from which it is evident that his moral life is not in itself a moral life; for if he should gain what he aims at, or what he has as an end, he would subject others to himself as slaves, and would deprive them of their goods. And as all means savor of the end, and in their essence are of the same quality as their ends, for which reason they are also called intermediate ends, therefore such a life, regarded in itself, is merely craftiness and fraud. And this also becomes clearly evident in the case of those with whom these external bonds are released, as takes place, when engaged in lawsuits against their fellows, when they desire nothing so much as to subvert justice, and secure the good will of the judge or the favor of the king, and this secretly, that they may deprive others of their goods; and when they obtain this, they rejoice in spirit and in heart. This is still more evident in the case of kings who place honor in wars and victories, that they find the highest joy of their hearts in subjugating provinces and kingdoms, and where resistance is made, in depriving the vanquished of all their goods, and even of life. Such also is the delight of many who engage at such times in military service. This becomes still more evident with all of this character when they become spirits, which is immediately after the death of the body. As they then think and act from their spirit, they rush into every wickedness according to their love, however morally they may have lived in appearance while in the world.

[3] But spiritual life is wholly different, because it has a different origin; for it is from love to God and love towards the neighbor. Consequently, the moral life also of those who are spiritual is different, and is a truly moral life; for these, when they think in their spirit, which takes place when they are thinking secretly by themselves, do not think from self and the world, but from the Lord and heaven; for the interiors of their minds, that is, of their thought and will, are actually elevated by the Lord into heaven, and are there conjoined to Him; thus the Lord flows into their thoughts, intentions, and ends, and governs them and withdraws them from their proprium [what is their own], which is solely from the love of self and of the world. The moral life of such persons is, in appearance, like the moral life of those described above, and yet their moral life is spiritual, because it is from a spiritual origin. Their moral life is simply an effect of spiritual life, which is the efficient cause, thus the origin. For they act well, sincerely, and justly with their fellows from fear of God and from love of the neighbor; in these loves the Lord keeps their mind and disposition [mentem et animum]; consequently when they become spirits, which takes place when the body dies, they think and act intelligently and wisely, and are elevated into heaven. Of these it may be said, that with them every good of love and every truth of faith flows in out of heaven, that is, through heaven from the Lord. But this is not true of those described above; for their good ¹ is not the good of heaven, nor is their truth the truth of heaven; but what they call good is the delight of the lust of the flesh, and it is falsity therefrom that they call truth; these flow into them from self and from the world. From this it can also be known what moral life from spiritual life is, and what moral life apart from spiritual life is; namely, that moral life from spiritual life is truly moral life, which may be called spiritual, since it has its cause and origin in the spiritual; but that moral life apart from spiritual life is not moral life, and may be called infernal, for so far as the love of self and of the world reign in it, so far it is fraudulent and hypocritical.

[4] From what has now been said, the quality of external sanctity may also be inferred (by which is meant worship in churches, prayers, and gestures then), with such as are in the love of self and of the world, and yet live an apparently moral life, namely, that nothing of these is elevated to heaven and is heard there, but that they flow out from some thought of the external or natural man, and thus from their mouth into the world. For the interior thoughts of such, which are of their very spirits, are full of craftiness and fraud against the neighbor; and yet it is through interiors that there is elevation into heaven. Moreover, their worship in churches, and prayers, and gestures at such times, are either the result of habit from infancy, and are thence become familiar, or they are from a principle that such external things contribute everything to salvation, or they are a consequence of there being no business for them at home and abroad on holy days, or of a fear of being regarded as irreligious by their companions. But worship with those who live a moral life from a spiritual origin is altogether different, for it is truly a worship of God, for their prayers are elevated to heaven and are heard, for the Lord leads their prayers through heaven to Himself. (But more may be seen on these subjects in the work on Heaven and Hell, n. 468, 484, 529, 530-534; and above, in the Explanation of the Apocalypse, n. 107.) These things are premised, because what is written to the angel of this church treats of those who live a moral but not a spiritual life, for the reason that they have little regard for the knowledges of spiritual things.

Footnotes: