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Luke Chapter 14

1. AND it came to pass as He went into the house of one of the chief Pharisees to eat bread on the sabbath, they also watched Him.
2. And behold, there was a certain man before Him who had the dropsy.
3. And Jesus answering said to the Lawyers and Pharisees, saying, is it lawful to heal on the sabbath day?
4. And they were silent; and taking He healed him and dismissed him.
5. And answering He said to them, which of you shall have an ass or an ox fallen into a pit, and will not straightway pull him out on the sabbath day?
6. And they could not answer Him to these things.
7. But He put forth a parable to those which were bidden, observing how they chose out the chief seats, saying to them,
8. When you are bidden of any one to a wedding, sit not down in the highest seat, lest a more honourable man than you be bidden of him.
9. And he that bade you and him shall come and say to you, give this [man] place, and then you begin with shame to take the lowest place.
10. But when you are bidden, go sit down in the lowest place, that when He that bade you comes, he may say to you, friend, go up higher. Then shall you have glory before them that sit at meat with you.
11. For every one that exalts himself shall be abased, and he that abases himself shall be exalted.
12. But he said also to him that bade Him, when you make a dinner or a supper, call not your friends, nor your brethren, nor your kinsfolk, nor your rich neighbours, lest they also bid you again, and a recompense be made you.
13. But when you make a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind;
14. And you shall be blessed, for they cannot recompense you; for you shall be recompensed at the resurrection of the just.
15. But when one of those that sat at meat with Him heard these things, he said to him, blessed is he that eats bread in the kingdom of God.
16. But he said to him, a certain man made a great supper, and bade many.
17. And sent his servant at the hour of supper to say to them that were bidden, come, for all things are now ready.
18. And they all began presently to make excuse. The first said to him, I have bought a field, and I must needs go and see it; I entreat you, have me excused.
19. And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them; I entreat you, have me excused.
20. And another said, I have married a woman, and therefore I cannot come.
21. And that servant returning told these things to his Lord. Then the master of the house, being angry, said to his servant, go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in here the poor, and the maimed, and the lame, and the blind.
22. And the servant said, Lord, it is done as You have commanded, and yet there is room.
23. And the Lord said to the servant, go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.
24. For I say to you that none of those men that were bidden shall taste of my supper.
25. But many multitudes went with Him, and turning He said to them,
26. If any one come to Me, and hate not his father and his mother, and wife and children, and brethren and sisters, and even his own soul also, he cannot be My disciple.
27. And whoever does not bear his cross, and come after Me, cannot be My disciple.
28. For which of you willing to build a tower, Sitting not down first; counts the cost, whether he has with which to finish it?
29. Lest when he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see begin to mock him.
30. Saying, this man began to build, and was not able to finish.
31. Or what King going to war with another King, siting not down first, consults whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that comes against him with twenty thousand?
32. Or else, whilst he is yet a great way off, sending an embassy, he asks conditions of peace.
33. So likewise whoever he be of you who renounces not all things that belong to him, he cannot be my disciple.
34. Salt is good, but if the salt has lost its savour, with which shall it be seasoned?
35. It is neither fit for the earth, nor for the dunghill; they cast it out. He that has ears to hear, let him hear.

Chapter XIV. Extracts from the Theological Writings

VERSE 5. And He answering said to them, which of you shall have an ass or an ox fallen into a pit, and will not straightway pull him out on the sabbath day. That to fall into a pit, when it is predicated of good and truth in the natural principle, which are signified by an ox and an ass, denotes to pervert, is evident from what is contained in the following verse, for the subject treated of in that verse is concerning amendment by truth, which may be effected with perverted goods and truths, but not with those principles when extinct; to fall also denotes to make a slip by mistake. It was in consequence of this signification of falling into a pit, that the Lord said, "Which of you having an ass or an ox fallen into a pit, will not straightway pull him out on the sabbath day?" This was said by the Lord, when He healed the man who had the dropsy on the sabbath day; the sabbath day was most holy in that Church, because it signified the heavenly marriage, which is the conjunction of good and truth from the Lord; hence healings by the Lord were effected on the sabbath day, for healing involved the healing of spiritual life, and the dropsy involved the perversion of truth and good; thus healing implied the amendment and restoration of perverted truth; for all the Lord's miracles involved and signified states of the Church. AC 9086.

The reason why this was appointed with the Israelitish and Jewish nation, was on account of the spiritual sense which was in it; for all the statutes, judgements and precepts, given to the sons of Israel signified spiritual things which are of heaven and the Church; this statute therefore signified that if any one falls into what is false and what is evil, he must be brought out by truth which is taught on the sabbath day by the Lord; by a pit is there signified what is false, and the evil of what is false; by an ass and an ox is signified the truth and good of the natural man; by falling into a pit is signified into what is false and into the evil of what is false; by being drawn out on the sabbath day is signified to be instructed, and thus to be brought forth from what is false and evil; for the sabbath day in the above passage signifies the Lord as to instruction and doctrine, wherefore He calls Himself the Lord of the sabbath; that an ass signifies the truth of the natural man, see AC 2781, 5741; and that an ox signifies the good of the natural man, AC 2180, 2566, 9135. AE 537.

Verses 12, 13, 14. When you make a dinner or a supper, call not your friends, nor your brethren, nor your kinsfolk, nor your rich neighbours, lest they also bid you again, and a recompense be made you; but when you make a feast call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind, and you shall be blessed, for they cannot recompense you, for you shall be recompensed at the resurrection of the just. Dinner, supper, a feast, denotes the good of charity, in which the Lord has cohabitation with man, wherefore by it is described, and is made manifest, that there is recompense in good itself, because the Lord is in it, for it is said, you shall be recompensed at the resurrection of the just. They who study to do good from themselves, because the Lord has so commanded, at length receive this good, and being afterwards instructed acknowledge with faith, that all good is from the Lord, and in such case they hold self-merit in such aversion, that when they only think of it, they become sad, and perceive all blessedness and happiness belonging to them to be proportionally diminished; it is otherwise with those who do not study to do good, but lead a life of evil, teaching and professing that there is salvation in faith separate, nor do they know that such good can be given; and what is wonderful, the same persons in the other life, as has been given to know from much experience, desire to merit heaven from the good actions which they recollect, because they then first know that there is no salvation in faith separate from charity. AC 2370.

Recompense at the resurrection of the just is the internal happiness, resulting from doing good without remuneration, which they receive from the Lord when they perform uses; and they who love to serve without recompense, in proportion to the measure of that love are exalted to more noble uses, and actually become greater and more powerful than others. They also who do good works for the sake of recompense, say, because they are instructed from the Word, that they are willing to be the least in heaven, but at the same time think of becoming great by saying so, thus they are still influenced by the same end; but they who do good without a view to recompense do not actually think of eminence, but only of being serviceable. AC 6393.

A distinction is to be made between the offices of charity and its benefits; by the offices of charity are meant the exercises of charity, which proceed immediately from charity itself, and which primarily relate to the function which every one fulfills, as was shown just above; but by benefits are meant those aids or assistances, which are worked over and above those offices. They are called benefits, because man is at liberty to do them at his pleasure, and when they are done, they are no otherwise regarded by the recipient than as benefits, and these are dispensed according to the reasons and intentions which occupy the mind of the benefactor. It is generally believed that charity consists in nothing else than giving to the poor, relieving the in need, taking care of widows and orphans, contributing to the building of hospitals, infirmaries, asylums for strangers, charity schools, especially temples, and in promoting the ornaments and revenues of such buildings; but several things of this description are not properly of charity, but foreign to it. They who make charity itself to consist in those benefits must of necessity place merit in those works, and with these, although they confess with their lips, that they are not willing to establish merit, still a belief in merit lies concealed within. This is manifest from them after death, on which occasion they enumerate their works, and demand salvation as a reward: but enquiry is then made from what origin, and consequently of what quality their works are, and if it be found that they have proceeded either from pride, or from the hope of acquiring reputation, or from mere munificence, or from mere natural inclination, or from hypocrisy, they are then judged from that origin, for the quality of the origin is in the works; but genuine charity proceeds from those, who have imbued it from a principle of justice and judgement in their works, which they do without a view to remuneration, according to the Lord's words in Luke 14:12, 13, 14. TCR 425.

By making a dinner and a supper, and inviting thereto, the like is signified as by giving to eat and to drink, or by giving bread and wine, namely to do good and to teach truth to the neighbour, and thus to be consociated as to love; they therefore, who do this with a view to recompense, do it not for the sake of good and for the sake of truth thus not from the Lord, but for the sake of self and the world, thus from hell; but they who do those things not with a view to recompense, do them for the sake of them, namely for the sake of what is good and true, in which case they do them from what is good and true, thus from the Lord, who is the fountain of those things with man; the heavenly blessedness, which is in those deeds, and hence results from them, is their reward, and is meant, by the words, you shall be recompensed at the resurrection of the just. AE 695.

The doctrinal of charity was that which was alone cultivated in the ancient Church, insomuch that they referred to classes all the goods which are of charity towards the neighbour, that is, all who were principled in good, and this with much distinction, to whom also they gave names, calling them the poor, the miserable, the oppressed, the sick, the naked, the hungry, the thirsty, the prisoners or those in prison, the sojourners, the fatherless, the widows; some also they called the lame, the blind, the deaf, the dumb, the halt, besides many others; according to this doctrinal the Lord spoke in the Word of the Old Testament, on which account such names so often occur there; and according to the same He Himself spoke, as in Matt 25:35-45; Luke 14:13, 21, and in many other places; hence it is that those names, in the internal sense, have another signification. AC 2417.

Verse 15. Blessed is he that eats bread in the kingdom of God. To eat bread in the kingdom of God is to be conjoined to the Lord by love, for to eat signifies to be appropriated and to be conjoined, and love is spiritual conjunction. AE 146.

Verse 16. A certain man made a great supper and bade many, &c. The Lord in this parable, as in many others, spoke concerning the Jewish nation, to show that goods and truths were entirely destroyed amongst that nation. AC 4314.

By a supper is here meant the Church and Heaven; by those who were invited, and who excused themselves, are meant the Jews, amongst whom the Church was at that time, for the Church is specifically where the Word is, and where the Lord is known by the Word; by the poor, the maimed, the halt, the blind, are meant those who are spiritually such, and who were then out of the Church; the reason why heaven and the Church are likened to a supper and to a marriage is, because heaven is the conjunction of the angels with the Lord by love, and their consociation one amongst another by charity, and hence the communication of all delights and happinesses; in like manner the Church, because the Church is the Lord's heaven in the earths. AE 252.

By the rich, who were called to the great supper, and who excused themselves, is meant the Jewish nation, and by the poor introduced in their place are meant the Gentiles who were out of the Church. HH 365.

Verse 19. And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, &c. By oxen in the Word are signified natural affections, and by five yoke of oxen are signified all those affections or lusts which lead away from heaven; heaven and the Church, as to spiritual nourishment or instruction, are signified by the great supper, to which they were invited.Who cannot see that the number live in this parable involves an arcanum, because spoken by the Lord. AE 548.

Verse 21. Then the master of the house being angry said to his servant, go out quickly into the lanes and streets of the city, &c. They who abide in the sense of the letter have no other apprehension of these words, than that the servant should go in every direction, and that this is signified by lanes and streets; and that he should bring all whom he met, and that this is signified by the poor, the maimed, the lame and the blind; but these words singularly involve arcana, being the words of the Lord; that he should go into the lanes and streets signifies that he should seek some genuine truth wherever it was to be found, or truth which is shining from good, or through which good is shining; by introducing the poor, the maimed, the lame and the blind, is signified that he should introduce such as were so called in the ancient Church, and who were such as to faith, but in a life of good, who might thus be informed concerning the kingdom of the Lord, thus the Gentiles who were not yet instructed. AC 2336.

By the poor, the maimed, the lame, and the blind are not understood such in the natural sense, but such in the spiritual sense, namely those who, not having the Word, were in ignorance of truth, and hence in defect of good, but still desired the truths by which they might receive good. Such were the Gentiles, amongst whom the Church of the Lord was afterwards established. AE 652.

By going forth into the lanes and streets of the city is signified that they should enquire for those who receive the truths of doctrine; for lanes and streets denote the truths of doctrine, and city denotes doctrine itself; the poor, the maimed, the lame and the blind signify those who are not in truths and goods, but still desire them. AE 223.

Verse 26. If any one come to Me, and hate not his father and his mother, and wife and children, and brethren and sisters, and even his own soul also, he cannot be my disciple. Who cannot see that neither father, mother, wife, children, brothers and sisters, nor houses and lands are here meant, but such things as appertain to the man himself, and are called his property, for these a man must leave and hate, if he is willing to worship the Lord and to be His disciple, and to receive a hundred fold, and to gain the inheritance of eternal life. The things proper to man, or his property, are of his love and thence of his life into which he was born, consequently they are evils and falses of every kind; and whereas those things are of his love and life, it is therefore said, that he ought to hate his own soul. These evils and falses are signified by father and mother, wife, children, brothers and sisters; for all things, which are of man's love and life, or which are of affection and thence of thought, or which are of his will and thence of his understanding, are formed and joined together like generations descending from one father and one mother, and are also distinguished as into families and houses. The love of self and thence the love of the world are their father and mother, and the lusts thence derived, with their evils and falses, are the children who are brothers and sisters. That these things are understood, may appear manifest from this consideration, that the Lord is not willing that any one should hate father and mother, or wife, or children, or brothers and sisters, because this would be contrary to spiritual love implanted in every one from heaven, which is that of parents towards children, of children towards parents, also contrary to conjugial love, which is that of a husband towards a wife, and of a wife towards a husband, and contrary further to mutual love, which is that of brothers and sisters one amongst another; yea the Lord teaches, that even enemies are not to be hated, but to be loved. From these considerations it is evident, that by the names of those who are connected by consanguinity, affinity, and relationship in the Word, are meant those who are so connected in a spiritual sense. AE 724.

Verses 27 to 33. Whosoever does not bear his cross and come after me, cannot be my disciple: For which of you willing to build a tower, sitting not down first counts the cost, whether he has with which to finish it? Or what king going to war with another king, sitting not down first consults whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that comes against him with twenty thousand ? He who is unacquainted with the internal sense of the Word has no other idea, than that the Lord here spoke comparatively, and that by building a tower and making war nothing else is meant, not aware that all comparisons in the Word are significative and representative, and that by building a tower is meant to procure to oneself interior truths, and that by making war is meant to fight from those truths, for the subject here treated of is concerning temptations, which they who are of the Church, and are here called the Lord's disciples, undergo. Those temptations are signified by their cross which they shall bear; and that in no wise they conquer from themselves, and what is of themselves, but from the Lord, is signified by the words, whoever he be of you who renounces not all things that belong to him, he cannot be my disciple. Thus these things cohere, whereas if the things related concerning a tower and concerning war be understood only comparatively without an interior sense, they do not cohere; hence it is evident how much of light is derived from the internal sense. AC 4599.

Verses 33, 34, 35. Whosoever he be of you who renounces not all things that belong to him, he cannot be my disciple: salt is good, but if the salt has lost its savour, with which shall it he seasoned? It is neither fit for the earth nor for the dunghill; they cast it out. Salt in this passage denotes truth desiring good; and salt without savour denotes truth which is without desire to good; not fit for the earth nor for the dunghill denotes that it is not conducive to any use whatever, whether good or evil; they who are principled in such truth are those who are called lukewarm,as is evident from what precedes, "Whosoever he be of you who renounces not all things that belong to him, he cannot be My disciple," that is, unless he love the Lord above all things. For they who love the Lord, and likewise themselves in an equal degree, are those who are called lukewarm, and who are not fit either for good use or evil use. AC 9207.

He who does not know that the things belonging to man in the internal sense are spiritual riches and wealth, which are knowledges derived from the Word, cannot conceive any other idea, than that he must deprive himself of all wealth, to the intent that he may be saved; when yet this is not the meaning of those words; for by the things belonging to man are there meant all things which are from his own proper intelligence; for no one can be wise from himself, but from the Lord; wherefore to renounce all things that belong to him is to attribute to himself nothing of intelligence and wisdom; and he who does not do this cannot be instructed by the Lord, that is, be His disciple. AC 10227. See also AE 236.

To renounce all things that belong to him is to love the Lord above all things; the things that belong to him are what are proper to man; salt which has lost its savour is a desire grounded in what is proper to man, thus in the love of self and of the world, such desire is the salt which has lost its savour, not fit for any thing. AC 10300.

Verse 35. He that has ears to hear let him hear. Ears to hear denote to perceive with affection, consequently to obey. AC 2542.

Inasmuch as what makes the Church, and forms heaven with man, is to understand and do, and not to know and understand without doing, therefore also the Lord occasionally says, "He that has an ear to hear let him hear" AE 108.

Chapter XIV. Translator's Notes and Observations.

VERSE 18. And they all began presently to make excuse. In the common English version of the New Testament, what is here rendered presently is expressed by with one consent, but the original Greek is apo mias, which, as Dr. Hammond justly remarks, is all one with the Syriae adverb jsnnDP answering to the Greek apo, and jin, being of the feminine numeral, which is mias, one. Now Kinft clearly signifies presently, or immediately. See our learned Mr. Fuller in his miscellanies.

Verse 33. Whosoever he be of you that renounces not all things that belong to him, &c. In the common version of the New Testament what is here rendered renounces, is expressed by forsakes;but the Greek is apotassetai, from the verb apotasso, which properly signifies to renounce, or bid adieu to, thus implying, not so much as forsaking, as the disclaiming of property, by rejecting its influence and authority.