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Matthew Chapter 11

Chapter XI.

1. And it came to pass when Jesus had finished ordaining His twelve disciples, He departed thence to teach and to preach in their cities.
2. But John hearing in the prison the works of the Christ, sending two of his disciples,
3. He says to Him, Art You He that should come, or do we look for another?
4. And Jesus answering, said to them, Going, report to John what things 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 preached to them.
6. And blessed is he whoever shall not be offended in Me.
7. And as they departed, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John, What went you out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the wind?
8. But what went you out for to see? A man clothed in soft clothing? Behold, they that wear soft things are in kings' houses.
9. But what went you out for to see? A prophet? yea, I say to you, and more than a prophet.
10. For this is [he] of whom it is written, Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, who shall prepare Your way before You.
11. Verily I say to you, there has not arisen among them 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. But from the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of the heavens presses violently, and the violent seize upon it.
13. For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.
14. And if you are willing to receive [it], this is Elias which was 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 calling to their companions,
17. And saying, We have piped to you, and you have not danced; we have grieved to you, and you have not afflicted yourselves.
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 gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners; and wisdom has been justified of her children.
20. Then He began to upbraid the cities in which most of His mighty works were done, because they did not repent.
21. Wo to you, Chorazin! wo to you, Bethsaida! because if the mighty works had been done in Tyre and Sidon, which were done in you, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.
22. Nevertheless I say to you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgement, than for you.
23. And you, Capernaum, which are exalted into heaven, shall be brought down into hell: for if the mighty works which had been done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.
24. Nevertheless I say to you, That it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgement, than for you.
25. At that time Jesus answering said, I thank You Father, Lord of the heaven and of the earth, because You have hid these things from the wise and intelligent, and have revealed them to infants.
26. Even so Father, for so it was well-pleasing before You.
27. All things are delivered to Me of My Father; and no one knows the Son but the Father; neither knows any one the Father, but the Son, and [he] to whomsoever the Son wills to reveal [Him].
28. Come to Me all you that labour and are heavy laden, and I will refresh you.
29. Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and you shall find refreshment to your souls.
30. For My yoke is easy, That the lord's guidance and My burden is light.
and government by His angels.

EXPOSITION.

Chapter XI.

verse 5. The blind receive their sight, &c. - The Lord's miracles, which were Divine, signified the various states belonging to those amongst whom the church was about to be established; as the blind receiving sight, signified that they received intelligence, who were in ignorance of truth; the deaf receiving hearing, signified that they hearkened and obeyed, who before heard nothing respecting the Lord and the Word; the dead being raised, signified that they were made alive, who otherwise would have spiritually perished, and so forth. This is meant by the Lord's answer to the disciples of John asking whether He was He that was to come. SS17.

The poor have the gospel preached unto them.-By the poor to whom the Lord was about to preach the gospel, also by captives, the bound, and the blind, are meant the Gentiles, who are called such because they were in ignorance of truth, in consequence of not having the Word. AE 612. See also AE 118.

Verses 7-15. Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John, What went you out into the wilderness to see? &c. - How the above words are to be understood, no one can know, unless he knows that John the Baptist represented the Lord as to the Word, and, at the same time, unless he knows from the internal sense what is signified by the wilderness in which he was; also what by a reed shaken by the wind; likewise by soft clothing in the houses of kings; and next what is signified by his being more than a prophet, and that amongst those who are born of women, there was none greater than he, and yet the least in the kingdom of the heavens is greater than he; and lastly that he was Elias: for all these things, without a deeper sense, are mere sounds grounded in certain comparison, and not in any thing which is of any weight: but the case is altogether otherwise, when by John the Baptist is meant the Lord as to the Word, or the Word representatively: in this case, by the wilderness of Judea, in which John was, is signified the state in which the Word was at that time, when the Lord came into the world, namely, that it was in the wilderness, that is, in so obscure a state, that the Lord was not at all acknowledged, nor was any thing known concerning His heavenly kingdom, when yet all the prophets prophesied concerning Him, and concerning His kingdom, that it was to endure for ever; that a wilderness denotes such obscurity, see AC 2708, 4786, 7313. The Word is therefore compared to a reed shaken with the wind, when it is explained at pleasure [ad libitum]; for a reed, in the internal sense, is truth in the ultimate, such as the Word is in the letter: that the Word in the ultimate, or in the letter, is in the sight of men as somewhat rude and obscure, but, in the internal sense, soft and bright, is signified by their not seeing a man clothed in soft clothing, behold they who wear soft [clothing] are in kings' houses; that such things are signified by these words, is evident from the signification of clothing or garments, as denoting truths; and that on this account the angels appear clothed in soft and shining garments according to the truths derived from good appertaining to them; also from the signification of kings' houses, as denoting the abodes where the angels are, and in the universal sense the heavens, for houses are so called from good, and kings from truth, on which account the angels are called the sons of the kingdom, the sons of a king, and also kings, by virtue of the reception of truth from the Lord. That the Word is more than any doctrine in the world, and more than any truth in the world, is signified by "What went you out for to see? A prophet? yea, I say to you also, more than a prophet, and that amongst those who are born of women, there has not arisen a greater than John the Baptist;" for a prophet, in the internal sense, denotes doctrine, and they that are born, or the sons of women, denote truths: that the Word in the internal sense, or such as it is in heaven, is in a degree above the Word in the external sense, or such as it is in the world, and such as John the Baptist taught, is signified by the least in the kingdom of the heavens being greater than he: for the Word perceived in heaven is of such wisdom, as to transcend all human comprehension. That the prophecies concerning the lord and His kingdom, and that the representatives of the lord and of His kingdom ceased, when the lord came into the world, is signified by all the prophets and the law prophesying until John: that the Word was represented by John, as by Elias, is signified by, "This is Elias who was to come." AC 9372. See also AC 2576. Verse 15. He that has ears to hear let him hear.-By these words is signified, that he who has understanding ought to hearken to what the Divine Truth proceeding from the Lord teaches, and says to those who are of His Church. It is said, He that has ears to hear let him hear, to the intent that every one who is of the church may know, that to know and understand the truths and goods of faith, and doctrinals, and even the Word, does not constitute the church, but to hearken, that is, to understand and do. AE 108.

Ears, in the internal sense of the Word, signify obedience by reason of the correspondence which is between hearing and obeying, the origin of which correspondence is from the other life, where they who are obedient and submissive belong to the province of the ear, yea, correspond to the hearing itself, which is an arcanum not yet known. AC 2542.

Verse 21. They would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.-To repent in sackcloth and ashes, is to grieve and mourn on account of the non-reception of Divine Truth, and on account of the falses and evils which oppose it; for in ancient times, when the externals of the church consisted of mere correspondences and the representatives thence derived, mourning was represented by several things which were significative, as by sitting and lying on the ground, by rolling themselves in the dust, by putting ashes on the head, by rending the garments, and by putting on sackcloth. AE 637.

Inasmuch as to be clothed in sackcloth, and to roll in ashes, represented mourning over evils and falses, it also represented humiliation, and likewise repentance; for it is a primary [part] of humiliation to acknowledge that nothing but what is evil and false comes from self, in like manner of repentance, which is not effected but by humiliation, and this by confession of the heart, that such is the quality of self. AC 4779.

Verses 23, 24. And you Capernaum, which are exalted into heaven, shall be brought down into hell, &c. - He who knows the will of the Lord, and does it not, sins more than he who does not know it; all those also, with whom the love of self has rule, despise the holy things of heaven and the church, and deny the divine of the Lord; and to confirm the evils flowing from that love, they either adulterate the Word, or reject it as a writing not holy from any other reason than as being so received; hence it is, that they who do these things from the love of self, are compared to Sodom and Gomorrah. That they who are instructed by the Lord concerning the truths and goods of the church, and yet reject and deny them, do worse than those of Sodom, appears from the words of the Lord concerning Capernaum, in Matt 11:23, 24; for the Lord, after He had left Nazareth, dwelt in Capernaum, see Matt 4:13, and there performed miracles, Matt 8:5-14; John 4:46 to the end. AE 653.

Verses 25, 26. I thank You, O Father, because You have hid these things from the wise and intelligent, &c. - False intelligence and wisdom is all that which is without acknowledgement of the divine, for they who do not acknowledge the divine, but nature instead of the divine, all of them think from a sensual corporeal principle, and are merely sensual, however erudite and learned they are believed to be in the world; but their erudition ascends no further than to such things in the world as appear before the eyes, which they keep in the memory, and look at almost materially, although the same sciences are what serve the truly intelligent for forming the understanding. They who are most distinguished by such denial of the divine never elevate their thoughts beyond the sensual things which are of the external man; the things which are of the Word, they consider in no other light than as others do sciences, nor do they make them subjects of thought, or of any view from a rational enlightened mind, and this by reason that their interiors are closed, and together therewith the exterior principles proximate to the interior. The reason why they are closed, is because they have turned themselves backward from heaven, and have bent backwards the principles which had the power of looking up thither, which are the interior principles of the human mind; hence it is that they cannot see what is true and good, since these things are to them in thick darkness, whereas what is false and evil is in light. Nevertheless, they can reason, in some instances, more cunningly and acutely than other men, but from the fallacies of the senses confirmed by their scientifics; and because they can so reason, they also believe themselves wiser than others. The fire which with affection kindles their reasonings, is the fire of self-love and the love of the world. These are they who are in false intelligence and wisdom, and who are meant of the Lord by the wise and intelligent described in verse 25. HH 353. See also AC 3482, 6053, 8783.

The insanity of those who are in falses is sometimes called in the Word, wisdom and intelligence, as in Matt 11:25. AE 844, The innocence which is signified by infants is wisdom itself, since genuine innocence is in wisdom. Matt 11:25. AC 5608.

Verse 27. All things are delivered to Me of My Father, and no one knows the Son but the Father, &c. - The reason why it is said that no one knows the Son but the Father, is because by the Son is meant the Divine Truth, and by the Father the Divine Good, each in the Lord, and one cannot be known but from the other, wherefore the Lord first says, that all things are delivered to Him of the Father, and next, that he knows [the Father], to whom the Son is willing to reveal. That the Son is the Divine Truth, and the Father the Divine Good, each of the Lord, see AC 2803, 2813, 3704, 7499, 8328, 8897, 9807. From these considerations it is now evident, that the Divine in the heavens is the Divine Humanity of the Lord. AC 10067. See also AC 1607, 3038.

What proceeds from the divine itself immediately, this cannot be comprehended even by the angels in the inmost heaven, the reason is, because it is Infinite, and thus transcends all apprehension, even the angelical; but what proceeds from the Divine Humanity of the Lord, this they can apprehend, for it treats of God as of a Divine Man, of whom, from the human [principle], some idea may be formed, and an idea which is formed of the human principle is accepted, whatever be its quality, if it only flows from the good of innocence, and is in the good of charity. This is what is meant by the Lord's words in John, "No one has seen God at any time, the only-begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has brought Him forth to view." John1:18. And in Matthew, "No one knows the Father but the Son," &c. AC 5321. See also AE 114.

Verse 28. Gome to Me, &c. - The angels in the heavens knowand acknowledge no other Divine but the Divine Humanity of the Lord, for on this they can think, and this they can love; but of the Divine which is called the Father, they are not able to think, thus neither to love it, inasmuch as it is incomprehensible, according to the Lord's words, "You have neither heard His voice at any time, nor seen His shape." John 5:37. What cannot be seen, and cannot be heard, cannot enter into any idea of the thought, nor into any affection of the love; the object must be accommodated, which can be comprehended by faith and love. That the incomprehensible Divine, which is called 'the Father', is together worshipped when the Lord is worshiped as to the Divine Humanity, is manifest also from the words of the Lord Himself: "That He is the way, and that no one comes to the Father but by Him." John 14:6. And that "No one knows the Father but the Son, and he to whom the Son shall be willing to reveal Him." Matt 11:27. And that "No one has seen the Father at any time, except the only-begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, and who brings Him forth to view." John 1:18. Wherefore the Lord says, "Come you all to Me, and I will refresh you." AC 10267. See also C. S. L. 341.

Verse 30. My yoke is easy, &c. - That it is not so difficult

to live the life of heaven as is believed, is evident from this consideration, that it is only necessary, when anything presents itself, which a man knows to be insincere and unjust, and to which his mind is carried, to think that it ought not to be done because it is contrary to the Divine precepts. If a man accustoms himself so to think, and from custom derives any habit, then by degrees he is conjoined with heaven, and so far as he is conjoined with heaven, so far the superior things which are of his mind are opened, and so far as those things are opened, so far he sees what is insincere and unjust, and so far as he sees these things, so far they can be shaken off, for no evil can be shaken off till it be seen. This is a state into which man may enter from a free principle, for who cannot so think from a free principle: but when he is initiated, then the Lord separates all goods belonging to him, and makes him not only to see evils, but also to separate them from his will, and, finally, to hold them in aversion. This is meant by the Lord's words, "My yoke is easy, and My burden light." Butit is to be noted, that the difficulty of so thinking, and also of resisting evils, increases, so far as man from will does evil; for so far he accustoms himself to them, insomuch that at length he does not see them; and next loves them, and from the delight of love excuses them, and by fallacies of every kind confirms them, and says that they are allowable and good. HH 533.

Inasmuch as man in the external form may live like others, may grow rich, live daintily, have splendid habitations and attire, according to his condition and function, enjoy whatsoever is delightful and gladsome, and enter into worldly concerns for the sake of the discharge of offices and engagements, and with a view to the life both of the mind and of the body, provided he interiorly acknowledges the divine, and cherishes good-will to his neighbour, it is evident that it is not go difficult, as is believed by many, to enter into the way of heaven. The only difficulty is, to be able to resist self-love and the love of the world, and to restrain their predominance, for all evils are from that source. That this is not so difficult as is believed, is meant by these words of the Lord, "Learn of Me, for I am meek and lowly of heart, and you shall find rest to your souls; for My yoke is easy, and My burden light." the reason why the Lord's yoke is easy, and His burden light, is because so far as man resists evils originating in the love of self and of the world, so far he is led of the Lord, and not of himself; and the Lord then resists those things in man, and removes them.. HH 359.

When the Lord delivers man from the dominion and yoke of evil spirits, there arises combat; and when he is liberated, that is, regenerated, then he is led so gently by the angels from the Lord, that it has nothing in it of the nature of yoke and dominion, for he is led by delights and felicities, and is loved and esteemed; which the Lord teaches when He says, "My yoke is easy, and My burden is light." AC 905.

TRANSLATORS NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS.

Chapter XI.

verse 1.He departed thence to teach and to preach, &c. See note at chap. 4:23; and at chap. 9:35.

Verses 5, 6. The blind receive their sight, &c. - The contents of these two verses are to be viewed connectedly, as describing the several successive states of regenerate life, and in this view afford another striking instance of the connexion of Divine ideas in the internal sense, where they appear scattered in the sense of the letter.

Verses 7, 8, 9. What went you out to see? &c.-This question is thrice repeated, and it is remarkable that at the first time of asking it, the Lord applies the term theaomai, to express seeing, whereas both at the second and third time He uses the term eido, whence it should appear that the term theaomai is expressive of a degree of mental sight more external than the term eido.

Verse 12. The kingdom of the heavens presseth violently. In the common version of the New Testament this passage is rendered, the kingdom of heaven suffers violence; but what is there rendered suffers violence, is expressed in the original by the term biazetai, from biazomai, which literally signifies to be violent, or to press violently. The idea, therefore, intended to be expressed appears manifestly to be this, that the heavenly kingdom; or what amounts to the same, the heavenly life, was urgent with man for admission, and they who were urgent in their turn to admit it, did actually, by such urgency, take possession of the heavenly inheritance. The passage, therefore, in the complex, teaches the necessity of a reciprocality of exertion and operation, on the part of heaven in the first place, and on the part of man in the second, in order to effect man's ascent to, and conjunction with, the life and powers of the heavenly world.

Verses 16, 17. It is like little boys sitting in the markets, &c. - The little boys sitting in the markets, here spoken of, are manifest figures of the truths of love and innocence, contained in the holy Word; and their calling to their companions, is a figure equally plain of the application of those truths for reception with man. We have piped to you, denotes the celestial affection with which they are replenished, and which they are calculated to inspire, for pipers and piping signify such affection. See AR 792. You have not danced, denotes that that affection had not been admitted, so as to produce a corresponding joy and delight in the natural man, for dancing signifies such joy and delight. We have grieved to you, denotes truths without affection. You have not afflicted yourselves, denotes that they had not acted in conformity even to such truth, by obeying it, as they ought to have done.

Verses 18, 19. John came neither eating nor drinking, &c. - John is described as neither eating nor drinking, because he was merely a representative of the Word, and in that character merely pointed to the Word, but did not communicate from himself any interior goods or truths of the Word, that they might be appropriated by man. Whereas the Son of Man is described as eating and drinking, because being the essential Word itself, there was communication and appropriation of interior goods and truths, derived from Him, to the faithful and obedient mind.

Verse 20. He began to upbraid the cities in which most of His mighty works were done, because they did not repent. - By these words we are plainly taught how the human mind ought to be affected by the Divine operations, namely, with a deep sense of its own sinfulness and want of the Divine Spirit, as wag the case with Peter, when he exclaimed, on a like occasion, "Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord!" Luke 5:8.

Verse 23. Shall be brought down into hell. - The term here rendered hell, is, in the original, adou,which occurs again at Matt 16:18, whereas at Matt 5:22, it is expressed by genna. We may hence, then, conclude that the hells, agreeably to the testimony of our enlightened expositor, are various, and that in general they are distinguished into two; the hells of those who are in evils derived from false principles, and of those who are in false principles derived from evils; in other words, into the hells of satans and of devils,for satans are such as are in evils derived from false principles, arid devils are such as are in false principles derived from evils.

Verse 25. I thank You, Father, &c. - It is remarkable that the concealment of truth from the wise and intelligent should here excite the Lord's thankfulness, and it is impossible to account for so strange a circumstance, but from the idea that such concealment is an exceedingly great and providential mercy; since, if the truth had been discovered to them, they would have only profaned it. and thereby increased their condemnation. We have the like cause for thankfulness at this day; and, therefore, whilst we rejoice that the truth is seen by some, we have reason also to adore the Divine Providence for hiding it from others, since the Divine Mercy is alike operative in both cases, but according to a different mode of operation, best adapted to the respective subjects.

Verse 25. The wise and intelligent.-These words are another proof of the spirit and manner in which the Lord spake, in reference to the heavenly marriage, in this case to its opposite, namely, the infernal marriage; for the wise here denote those who are in possession of truths, but pervert them through the love of evil, whereas the intelligent denote those who pervert truths through the love of the false.

Verse 28. All you that labour and are heavy laden.-The Lord here again speaks in reference to marriage, in this case, to the infernal marriage of evil and the false; to labour,having respect to the pressure of evil, and to be heavy laden, having respect to the pressure of the false.

Verses 29, 30. I am meek and lowly in heart, &c. - These words apply to the Lord's Human principle in its state of submission to the Divine in Himself; the first expression having relation to the submission of His understanding,and the second, to the submission of His will or love, thus both denoting the heavenly marriage so often spoken of above.

This marriage is again referred to in the succeeding verse, where the good of the Divine Love is expressed by a yoke, and the truth of the Divine Wisdom by a burden; and one is said to be easy, and the other light. To learn of the blessed Jesus, then, manifestly implies, that man should submit his will and understanding to be governed and guided by the love and the wisdom flowing from that incarnate God, as that incarnate God, in the days of His flesh, submitted His human will and understanding to be governed and guided by the Divine Love and Divine Wisdom in Himself.