Arcana Coelestia #9207
9207. 'And your sons orphans' means that at the same time truths will do so, that is to say, will perish. This is clear from the meaning of 'orphans' as those who possess truth but not as yet good, and still have a desire for good, dealt with in 9199, at this point those who have truth but no desire for good, thus those with whom truths perish; for it is speaking about evil people whose sons will become orphans. The fact that truths perish with those who have no desire for good is evident from what has been stated immediately above in 9206 regarding goodness and truth when joined together. But something further must be stated regarding that joining together. Truths that have been joined to good always hold within them a desire to do good, and at the same time to be joined more closely to good by doing it. Or what amounts to the same thing, those who possess truths always have a desire to do good and to join it thereby to their truths. People therefore who think that they are in possession of truths but who have no desire to do good do not in fact possess truths; that is, they have no belief in them, however much they imagine they do have.
[2] Their condition is portrayed by the Lord when He speaks of 'salt', in Matthew,
You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt is tasteless, by what will it be made salty? It no longer has any use, except to be thrown outdoors and trodden down by people. Matthew 5:13-14.
The Lord says these things to the disciples and to the people. By 'the salt of the earth' He means the Church's truth that has a desire for good, and by 'tasteless salt' He means truth devoid of any desire for good. The fact that such truth is worthless is portrayed by the idea of salt which has become tasteless and no longer has any use, except to be thrown outdoors and trodden down by people. Having a desire for good means having a desire to do good and thereby be joined to good.
[3] In Mark,
Everyone will be salted with fire, and every sacrifice will be salted with salt. Salt is good; but if the salt becomes tasteless, how will you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and seek 1 peace with one another. Mark 9:49-50.
'Being salted with fire' means good that has a desire for truth, and 'being salted with salt' truth that has a desire for good. 'Tasteless salt' is truth devoid of any desire for good; 'having salt in oneself' means possessing that desire.
[4] In Luke,
Any of you who does not renounce all his possessions cannot be My disciple. Salt is good; but if the salt is made tasteless, by what will it be seasoned? It is fit neither for the land nor for the dunghill; people throw it outdoors. Luke 14:33-35.
Here 'salt' in a similar way stands for truth that has a desire for good, and 'tasteless salt' for truth that is devoid of any desire for good, 'unfit for the land or for the dunghill' standing for its total inability to serve any use, good or bad. People possessing such truth are called the lukewarm, as is evident from the words immediately before, stating that a person cannot be the Lord's disciple if he does not renounce all his possessions, that is, if he does not love the Lord above all things. For those loving the Lord and also themselves equally are the ones who are called the lukewarm and who are unfit to serve any use, good or bad.
[5] In Moses,
Every offering of your minchah shall be salted with salt; you shall not leave the salt of the covenant of your God off your minchah. 2 On all your offerings you shall offer salt. Leviticus 2:13.
Salt in every offering was a sign that truth's desire for good and good's desire for truth should be present in all worship. This also explains why this salt is called 'the salt of God's covenant'; for 'a covenant' is a joining together, 665, 666, 1023, 1038, 1864, 1996, 2003, 2021, 2037, 6804, 8767, 8778, and 'salt' is the desire for the joining together.
[6] When each desires to be joined to the other, that is, good to truth and truth to good, they look towards each other. But when truth tears itself away from good, they turn away from each other and look backwards or behind themselves. This is what is meant in Luke by Lot's wife who had become a pillar of salt,
Whoever will be on the housetop with his vessels in the house, let him not come down to take them away; and whoever is in the field likewise, let him not return to the things behind him. Remember Lot's wife. Luke 17:31-32.
This means looking behind oneself or backwards, see 3652, 5895 (end), 5897, 7857, 7923, 8505, 8506, 8510, 8516.
[7] One reason why 'salt' means the desire truth possesses is that salt renders land fertile and makes food tasteful, and another reason is that salt contains a fiery property and at the same time a conjunctive power, even as truth contains a burning desire for good and at the same time a conjunctive power. 'A pillar of salt' is a separation from truth, for 'salt' in the contrary sense means truth that has been destroyed and laid waste, as in Zephaniah 2:9; Ezekiel 47:11; Jeremiah 17:6; Psalms 107:33-34; Deuteronomy 29:23; Judges 9:45; 2 Kings 2:19-22.
These matters have been introduced so that people may know what truth's desire for good is, and what good's desire for truth is, meant by 'orphan' and 'widow'.
Примітки:
1. literally, cultivate
2. literally, you shall not cause to cease the salt of the covenant of your God upon your minchah
Mark 8
1
In those days, when there was a very great multitude, and they had nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples to himself, and said to them,
2
"I have compassion on the multitude, because they have stayed with me now three days, and have nothing to eat.
3
If I send them away fasting to their home, they will faint on the way, for some of them have come a long way."
4
His disciples answered him, "From where could one satisfy these people with bread here in a deserted place?"
5
He asked them, "How many loaves do you have?" They said, "Seven."
6
He commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground, and he took the seven loaves. Having given thanks, he broke them, and gave them to his disciples to serve, and they served the multitude.
7
They had a few small fish. Having blessed them, he said to serve these also.
8
They ate, and were filled. They took up seven baskets of broken pieces that were left over.
9
Those who had eaten were about four thousand. Then he sent them away.
10
Immediately he entered into the boat with his disciples, and came into the region of Dalmanutha.
11
The Pharisees came out and began to question him, seeking from him a sign from heaven, and testing him.
12
He sighed deeply in his spirit, and said, "Why does this generation seek a sign? Most certainly I tell you, no sign will be given to this generation."
13
He left them, and again entering into the boat, departed to the other side.
14
They forgot to take bread; and they didn't have more than one loaf in the boat with them.
15
He warned them, saying, "Take heed: beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod."
16
They reasoned with one another, saying, "It's because we have no bread."
17
Jesus, perceiving it, said to them, "Why do you reason that it's because you have no bread? Don't you perceive yet, neither understand? Is your heart still hardened?
18
Having eyes, don't you see? Having ears, don't you hear? Don't you remember?
19
When I broke the five loaves among the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?" They told him, "Twelve."
20
"When the seven loaves fed the four thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?" They told him, "Seven."
21
He asked them, "Don't you understand, yet?"
22
He came to Bethsaida. They brought a blind man to him, and begged him to touch him.
23
He took hold of the blind man by the hand, and brought him out of the village. When he had spit on his eyes, and laid his hands on him, he asked him if he saw anything.
24
He looked up, and said, "I see men; for I see them like trees walking."
25
Then again he laid his hands on his eyes. He looked intently, and was restored, and saw everyone clearly.
26
He sent him away to his house, saying, "Don't enter into the village, nor tell anyone in the village."
27
Jesus went out, with his disciples, into the villages of Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked his disciples, "Who do men say that I am?"
28
They told him, "John the Baptizer, and others say Elijah, but others: one of the prophets."
29
He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" Peter answered, "You are the Christ."
30
He commanded them that they should tell no one about him.
31
He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.
32
He spoke to them openly. Peter took him, and began to rebuke him.
33
But he, turning around, and seeing his disciples, rebuked Peter, and said, "Get behind me, Satan! For you have in mind not the things of God, but the things of men."
34
He called the multitude to himself with his disciples, and said to them, "Whoever wants to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
35
For whoever wants to save his life will lose it; and whoever will lose his life for my sake and the sake of the Good News will save it.
36
For what does it profit a man, to gain the whole world, and forfeit his life?
37
For what will a man give in exchange for his life?
38
For whoever will be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man also will be ashamed of him, when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels."
