Receiving the Lord’s Dinner Invitation

1. And it came to pass as He came into the house of one of the ruling Pharisees to eat bread on a Sabbath, they also watched Him closely.

2. And behold, there was a certain man with dropsy in front of Him.

3. And Jesus answering said to the lawyers and Pharisees, “Is it permitted to cure on the Sabbath?”

4. And they were quiet; and taking [hold] [of him], He healed him and sent [him] away.

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 it out on the day of the Sabbath?”

6. And they were not able to answer Him again as to these things.

The previous episode ended with the words, “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.” In the literal sense, this refers to the Lord’s coming into Jerusalem to declare Himself to be king. More deeply, however, this also refers to the Lord’s coming into our lives as the ruler of our inner world, a mighty king who rules over our lower desires, and gives us the divine law as a guide for our lives.

The simple truth is that God is perpetually striving to enter our understanding (signified by “Jerusalem”) with comforting, reassuring truths. That is why He says, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem…. How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings.” In other words, God is continually desiring to feed us with His love and truth, even as a mother bird instinctively feeds her young—but we are not willing. ¹

It is because of our unwillingness that Jesus says, “See! Your house is left to you desolate.” In the language of sacred symbolism, a “house” refers to the human mind; it is left desolate whenever God is not received. But Jesus never abandons us, and never leaves us in desolation. Even though we may stubbornly refuse to admit Him “who comes in the name of the Lord,” He keeps showing up in our lives, just as He keeps showing up in the lives of the scribes and Pharisees. He keeps knocking on the door of our “house”—our mind—ready to come in, ready to break bread with us, ready to share the goodness and truth He yearns to give us.

It is for this reason that the next chapter begins with the words, “Now it happened, as He went into the house of one of the rulers of the Pharisees to eat bread on the Sabbath, that they watched Him closely” (Luke 14:1). As we have seen before, “they watched Him closely” not because they want to learn from Him, but because they want to catch Him in some violation of Mosaic law. It’s clear that as far as the Pharisees are concerned, this is not going to be just another meal; it’s going to be another opportunity for them to find fault with Jesus.

Healing dropsy

As the episode begins, we learn that there is a man at the meal who suffers from a condition called “dropsy.” This is an old medical term for any abnormal swelling caused by the build up and retention of fluid in the body. Sometimes known as “edema,” it describes a medical condition in which fluid is trapped in body tissue and cannot escape. While dropsy normally affects the skin, it can also affect the eyes, heart, lungs, and brain. The excessive build-up of fluid in these areas can lead to blindness, difficulty breathing, heart-failure, and even death. “Dropsy,” then, or the body’s abnormal retention of water, can be life-threatening.

Spiritually seen, especially in the context of the preceding chapter, the abnormal retention of water in the body relates to the abnormal retention of truth in the mind. Water, as we know, corresponds to truth. What water does for the body truth does for the mind. Water, however, is not taken in merely to be stored up; rather, it is taken in for the physical uses that the body performs.

Similarly, truth is not taken in merely to be stored up, but rather to be put to use. Like a fig tree that is filled with leaves but does not bear fruit, a person who is “filled with truth” but who does not perform useful service through that truth, suffers from “spiritual dropsy.” The truth is, so to speak, “trapped” in the person’s mind and prevented from performing its use. In this way, truth, which is intended to serve as a healthy guide for doing good becomes perverted into something that can not only damage but eventually destroy a person’s spiritual life. Truth is meant for use. ²

This, then, is the spiritual meaning of the illness called “dropsy,” or as it is written in Greek, ὑδρωπικὸς (hydrōpikos) which means, literally, “full of water.” Biblical commentators suggest that the Pharisees invited the man with dropsy to the sabbath meal with a specific purpose in mind. They were eager to test Jesus. They wanted to see if Jesus would perform another healing miracle on the Sabbath. They may have been wondering, Will Jesus once again violate Mosaic law by working on the Sabbath? After all, He just healed a woman who couldn’t straighten up. Is He about to do something similar—and on the Sabbath no less? Let’s see if we can catch Him in the act and condemn Him for violating the Sabbath commandment.

Fully aware that the lawyers and Pharisees are closely watching Him, ready to condemn Him, Jesus first questions them about the Sabbath. He asks, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?” (Luke 14:2). While it is true that the Hebrew scriptures forbade working on the Sabbath, there was no specific law that forbade healing on the Sabbath. Most people knew, intuitively, that animals still needed to be fed on the Sabbath, children needed to be cared for, and an injured person needed to be helped. Therefore, the lawyers and Pharisees do not respond to Jesus’ question. While they remain silent, Jesus, takes hold of the man with dropsy, heals him, and sends him on his way (Luke 14:3-4). Then, turning to the lawyers and Pharisees, Jesus asks, “Which of you, having a donkey or an ox that has fallen into a pit, will not immediately pull him out on the Sabbath day?” (Luke 14:5).

The mention of the donkey and the ox brings to mind a similar example given just a few verses earlier: “Does each one of you on the Sabbath loose his ox or his donkey from the stall, and lead it away to water it?” (Luke 13:15). Loosing the donkey and ox from the stall in order to water it refers to the basic biological need for water as a sustainer of physical life. More deeply, this image corresponds to the basic spiritual need for truth as a sustainer of spiritual life. But in the case of the man with edema, the problem is too much water—a massive accumulation of fluid in the body.

Spiritually, an excess of truth in our minds, is a sort of “spiritual swelling” which results when truth is merely stored up and not put to use. Instead of being used for spiritual health it becomes a source of spiritual harm. The truth of the Lord’s Word is intended to teach us how to do good for others. But when it serves to merely swell our egos, enhance our reputations, accumulate wealth, its fundamental use has been perverted. ³

In healing the man with dropsy, Jesus is giving the scribes and Pharisees an important lesson about how to rightly interpret God’s law concerning the Sabbath. At the same time, He is also giving them a deeper lesson about the importance of humility which is the opposite of excessive pride. But they are not yet able or willing to understand Jesus’ teaching. The best that they can do is simply not answer. Therefore, it is written “They could not answer Him regarding these things” (Luke 14:6).

Responsibilities of the Dinner Guest

7. And He spoke a parable to those who were invited when He observed how they chose out the first places to recline, saying to them,

8. “When thou art invited by anyone to a wedding, recline not in the first places to recline, lest [one] more honorable than thou be invited by him,

9. And he that called thee and him, coming, shall say to thee, ‘Give this [man] a place’; and then thou begin with shame to have the last place.

10. But when thou art invited, go recline in the last place, that when he that invited thee comes, he may say to thee,’ Friend, go up higher.’ Then shalt thou have glory before those that sit with thee.

11. For everyone that exalts himself shall be humbled, and he that humbles himself shall be exalted.”

The object lesson, in which Jesus heals the man of dropsy, has little effect on the lawyers and Pharisees. On the literal level, He is instructing them about the Sabbath, showing them that their extreme strictness—even to forbid healing—is diametrically opposed to the spirit of the commandments. More deeply, the object lesson is about excessive pride and the exaggerated states of self-importance that result from having a knowledge of truth without a desire to put it into one’s life. Their only response is silence.

Jesus, however, is undeterred by their lack of response. Instead, He goes on to give them another, more obvious lesson. Noting how the people who have come to dine at the Pharisee’s house have chosen the best places for themselves at the table, He gives them some practical advice: “When you are invited by anyone to a wedding feast,” He explains, “do not sit down in the best place, lest one more honorable than you be invited by him; and he who invited you and him come and say to you, ‘Give place to this man,’ and then you begin with shame to take the lowest place” (Luke 14:9).

This appears to be a straightforward, and practical lesson. The scribes and Pharisees, who pride themselves on their learning, and who love seats of honor, might be interested in advice about how to avoid shame. After all, it is in their self-interest to guard their reputations and avoid public embarrassment. They would also be interested in ways they could advance their reputation in the eyes of others. Therefore, Jesus tells them how to do this: “But when you are invited, go and sit down in the lowest places, so that when he who invited you comes, he may say to you, ‘Friend, go up higher’” (Luke 14:10). Note how Jesus appeals to their love of having a good reputation, honor, and glory: “Then you will have glory in the presence of those who sit at the table with you.” ⁴

We would be mistaken, however, to conclude that Jesus is merely giving lessons in how to protect and promote one’s reputation. The kingdom of heaven is not about social climbing; it’s about humbly receiving what flows in from God. It’s about removing ourselves from excessive pride, recognizing our lowliness, and allowing ourselves to be lifted up by God. That’s why Jesus deepens the lesson by adding this eternal truth: “Whoever exalts himself will be abased, and he who humbles himself will be exalted” (Luke 14:11). ⁵

Responsibilities of the Host

12. And He said also to him that invited Him, “When thou makest a dinner or a supper, call not thy friends, nor thy brothers, nor thy kinsfolk, nor rich neighbors, lest they also invite thee back, and a recompense be made thee.

13. But when thou makest a reception, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind;

14. And thou shalt be happy, for they cannot recompense thee; for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just.”

Having dealt with the responsibilities of the dinner guest, Jesus now addresses the responsibilities of the dinner host. He says, “When you give a dinner, or a supper, do not ask your friends, your brothers, your relatives, nor your rich neighbors, lest they invite you back and you be repaid. But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind” (Luke 14:12-13). Once again, Jesus is turning upside-down the customs and practices of His day. It was almost unthinkable to invite the poor, maimed, lame and blind—these were the social outcasts, the ones purportedly despised by God, and therefore punished with poverty and physical disability. To associate with them, and especially to eat a meal with them, would be to risk contamination.

But Jesus knew this was a false belief and an evil practice. He knew that wealth and poverty were not signs of favor or disfavor with God. Similarly, He knew that physical health and physical affliction were not blessings or curses from God. While it is true that disease can have a spiritual origin, it does not follow that people who are afflicted by diseases have brought those diseases upon themselves. Nor does it follow that God punishes people by cursing them with poverty, disease, and affliction as penalties for their sin. God never punishes and never casts anyone into hell. On the contrary, God is love itself, wisdom itself, and mercy itself. He intends nothing but good, and wills only good for everyone. ⁶

On one level, inviting “the poor, the maimed, the lame, and the blind” to the feast might seem to flagrantly defy the social customs and mistaken religious beliefs of the day. In reality, it is to practice true benevolence and inclusiveness, welcoming all people to the table, regardless of their social status or physical condition. More deeply, the “poor, maimed, lame, and blind” represent the various spiritual disabilities that are prevalent among people who lack an understanding of spiritual truth and the power to live according to that truth. This also applies to the places within ourselves that are in spiritual need. These are the people whom the host should invite to supper. ⁷

And for those who do so, thinking of gaining nothing in return, there will be a great blessing. As it is written, “And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you; for you shall be paid at the resurrection of the just” (Luke 14:14). The idea here is that true heavenly joy is in serving others without any thought of reward or gain. ⁸

Rejecting God’s Invitation

15. And when one of those that sat with [Him] heard these things, he said to Him, “Happy [is] he that eats bread in the kingdom of God.”

16. And He said to him, “A certain man made a great supper, and invited many.

17. And he sent his servant at the hour of supper to say to those that were invited, ‘Come, for all things are already prepared.’

18. And they all as one began to excuse themselves. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a field, and I have the necessity to go out and see it; I beseech thee, have me excused.’

19. And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to test them; I beseech thee, have me excused.’

20. And another said, ‘I have wedded a woman, and therefore I cannot come.’

21. And that servant, having come, reported these things to his lord. Then the householder, being angry, said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor and the maimed and the lame and the blind.’

22. And the servant said, ‘Lord, it is done as thou hast ordered, and there are still places.’

23. And the lord said to the servant, ‘Go out into the highways and hedges, and constrain [them] to come in, that my house may be filled.

24. For I say to you that none of those men that were invited shall taste of my supper.’”

When Jesus speaks about the duties of the host, one of the people sitting at the table seems to understand, for he cries out, “Blessed is he who shall eat bread in the kingdom of God!” (Luke 14:15). The “bread” that we shall eat there, of course, is not physical bread—but rather the bread which comes from heaven, the deep feelings of love that feed our spirit, and the refreshing truth that quenches our spiritual thirst. These are the feelings and thoughts that flow in from God whenever we are engaged in unselfish service. This differs greatly from having a dinner to impress friends or curry the favor of influential people. This is the dinner that is provided for the spiritually poor, maimed, lame, and blind states within us. It is a heavenly feast in which we “eat bread” in the kingdom of God. ⁹

In this parable, God is the host for the great supper, and each of us is an invited guest. Jesus puts it like this: “A certain man gave a great supper and invited many.” The “great supper” is the opportunity to receive the goodness and truth that the Lord freely offers to everyone. This is represented by the man telling his servant to go out and say to the invited guests, “Come, for all things are now ready” (Luke 14:17). The “servant” is the truth of God’s Word. It is a constant invitation to feast on God’s love and drink in God’s truth as one would eat and drink at a wedding celebration. ¹⁰

Unfortunately, people do not always accept the invitation. Some, like the person who had just bought a piece of land, politely ask to be excused. He says, “I have bought a piece of ground, and I must go see it. Please excuse me” (Luke 14:18). The second person makes a similar request, saying, “I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to test them. Please excuse me” (Luke 14:19). While they are polite, their excuses seem flimsy. After all, who would buy land without seeing it or oxen without first testing them? On the literal level, then, this sounds like mere excuse-making—the shallow justifications we concoct to avoid responding to God’s call.

We come now to the third person. He also cannot accept the man’s invitation, but he is less polite. He does not even ask to be excused. He merely says, “I have wedded a woman, and therefore I cannot come” (Luke 14:20). At first glance, this seems to be a fairly acceptable excuse. After all, it could be viewed as a good thing to focus attention on one’s wife, to look after her needs, and to be there to support her. But notice how the master responds when the servant comes back and reports on the refusals to accept his invitation. As it is written, “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, the maimed, the lame, and the blind’” (Luke 14:21).

Why would the master be angry? For some, this is an image of God’s anger with us for not accepting His personal invitation to come to the great feast. Seen from the perspective of our own humanity, it can be very upsetting to have prepared a great feast, and then, after having made everything ready, the invited guests decide not to come. We might even be angry. Seen merely at this level, the parable could have a powerful impact, warning people to beware the wrath of God if they do not respond to His invitation. This is what it means to understand scripture according to our own state of consciousness—a state in which we see God as capable of anger. The truth is, however, that God is never angry. No matter how often we refuse His invitation, He never ceases to offer it. The anger that is attributed to God is a projection of our own human states. People see God according to the state of their own consciousness. ¹¹

It is important to understand the different ways we have seen God, at different times in our lives, and at different eras in the advancement of humanity. Otherwise, we might come away from the Word with an understanding that is written for people who are unable to lift their minds above the idea of an angry father—a father who would be so incensed by a refusal to attend his dinner that he would say, “None of these men who were invited shall taste my supper” (Luke 14:24). In spiritual reality, it is our own refusal to accept God’s invitation that shuts us out of the rich banquet He has prepared for us. Therefore, this parable is not about “Divine anger”—there is no such thing; it is, rather, about our refusal to receive the love and wisdom that the Lord desires to share with us. ¹²

Three types of refusal

We also need to take a deeper look at the three types of refusal that are given. Each refusal pictures a particular way in which we go about refusing God’s invitation to come to the feast He has provided for us. In the first example, the man says that he has just bought a field and wants to go “see it.” The word “see” suggests that this excuse relates to the understanding. More specifically, it is about a tendency in each of us to be preoccupied with our own ideas, our own insights, and our own thoughts about spiritual reality. Sometimes referred to as “the pride of self-intellect,” this tendency prides itself on being able to see what’s true without the aid of revelation. When we are in this frame of mind, we have “bought into” our own way of seeing things and believe that the way we see things is true. Therefore, there is no need for the Word of God, and no time for biblical study. Why bother? says this mindset. I can find all the answers I need within myself. This is the biblical equivalent of these words from the Hebrew scriptures: “In his pride the wicked man does not seek the Lord; in all his thoughts there is no room for God” (Psalms 10:4).

When this is the case, there is no desire to listen to what God has to say or to accept His invitation. Believing that all answers can be found within oneself, there is no need for revelation. This, then, is the “intellectual” denial of God; we would rather “see” for ourselves than to trust in what God has revealed in His Word. This is the person who says, “I have bought a piece of ground and must go and see it. Please excuse me” ¹³

The second person asks to be excused because he has just bought “five yoke of oxen.” In the Word, “oxen” represent our natural affections. These are the affections that plod along, head down, like the ox, faithfully doing its job, hauling logs, plowing fields, pulling carts, while being unaware of anything higher than natural charity. People like this believe in doing good, not because the Lord teaches so, but simply because they have an inherited inclination to do what is good. They have, so to speak, “bought into” the idea that they are naturally good and therefore have no need of God.

When we believe that the good we do is from ourselves rather than from the Lord, we will have little interest in going to the Lord for spiritual nourishment. Instead, we will decline the Lord’s invitation, saying in our hearts, I’m basically a good person, and I have all the power I need to do good. Therefore, I have no need for God. In the parable, this is the person who says, “I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to test them. Please excuse me.” ¹⁴

To sum up the first two refusals: The man who wanted to “see the field” represents self-intellect, the stubborn belief that we can think for ourselves without instruction from God’s Word. The man who wanted to go and “test the five yoke of oxen” represents the part of us that believes that we are basically good and can do everything, just fine, under our own power. Taken together, these two parts of the human mind represent the pride of self-intellect and the belief in one’s own power. This illusion of self-sufficiency leads to the idea that there is no need for God in one’s life. When this is the case, God’s invitation to come to the table is declined.

We come now to the third person whose excuse is that he has “wedded a woman.” This person’s excuse represents the part of us that is so “wedded” to our beliefs and attitudes that we don’t even bother with asking politely to be excused. Instead of saying, “Please excuse me,” this part of our mind says, quite bluntly, “I cannot come.” This represents the worst of the three refusals. When both the intellect and the will are convinced that they have no need for God, an “infernal marriage” of falsity and evil takes place. We have become confirmed in our belief that we can know truth without revelation and that we can be good without God. In the language of sacred scripture, this is represented in the words of the third person who says, ““I have wedded a woman, and therefore I cannot come.” ¹⁵

These three kinds of refusal represent the various ways we refuse to accept the Lord’s invitation to come to His table for spiritual nourishment. Whether it is intellectual arrogance (I can figure this out for myself) or belief in our own goodness (I can do all things by myself), or the infernal marriage of falsity and evil within us, we will have no reason or desire to accept the Lord’s invitation. Whenever this happens, it is not the Lord’s fault, but our own, if we fail to taste the joys of heavenly life. This, then, is what is meant in the closing words of this parable when Jesus says, “None of those men who were invited shall taste my supper” (Luke 14:24). The Lord has not rejected them; they have freely chosen to reject the Lord. ¹⁶

On Becoming a Disciple

25. And many crowds went with Him, and turning He said to them,

26. “If anyone come to Me, and hate not his father and mother, and wife and children, and brothers and sisters, yes, and 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 that wills to build a tower sits not [down] first and counts the cost, whether he has [‘sufficient] to complete [it]?

29. Lest when he has placed the foundation and is not able to finish, all who behold begin to mock him,

30. Saying, ‘This man began to build, and was not able to finish.’

31. Or what king, going to wage war with another king, sits not [down] first and consults whether it be possible with ten thousand to meet him that comes against him with twenty thousand?

32. Otherwise, while he is yet far away, he sends an embassy, and asks for peace.

33. So, therefore, any of you who takes not leave of all his own belongings, he cannot be My disciple.

34. Salt [is] good, but if the salt become saltless, with what shall it be seasoned?

35. It is suited neither for the earth nor for the dunghill; [and] they cast it out. He that has ears to hear, let him hear.”

The previous episode, which we titled, “Responsibilities of the Host,” began by describing whom the host should invite to dinner. But as we have seen, this episode involves much more than a discourse on table etiquette, or a plea for being inclusive as we consider our circle of friends. It calls us to remember the banquet which God has provided for us and not to neglect it. It calls us to beware of getting so caught up in our own ideas, and our own desires—however well intended—that we forget about our most important friend, the One who gives us the ability to think and the power to do.

In fact, as the narrative continues, Jesus makes it abundantly clear just how important it is to keep God in mind as our highest priority. As Jesus puts it, “If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple” (Luke 14:26-27).

Jesus is here emphasizing how important it is for us to separate from anything that is evil and false in our lives, especially those evils that we have come into through heredity (father and mother) or have acquired through the choices we have made in this world. If we have known that something is wrong and have done it anyway, we have, so to speak become “wedded ” to it. It has become, spiritually speaking, our “wife.” Out of that infernal marriage come further evils and falsities, represented by “children.” All of this, and everything related to it (“brothers” and “sisters)” must be hated. In fact, Jesus says that we must even “hate our own life.” This is not about hating ourselves; rather, it’s about hating those aspects of ourself that are unwilling to follow God. ¹⁷

This is what it means to be a true disciple of God. It is the willingness to forsake every form of selfish love and to fight against our own evils. This is our “cross.” And this is what Jesus means when He says, “Whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple” (Luke 14:27).

Discipleship requires total devotion and total sacrifice. We cannot simply say that we want to be a disciple without being willing to follow through. In other words, we must begin our spiritual journey with a firm commitment to finishing it. As Jesus puts it, “For which of you intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it” (Luke 14:28). Notice that the emphasis here is not just on starting but also on finishing. Similarly, Jesus says, “What king going to war against another king, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand?” (Luke 14:31).

At first glance, the parable about building a tower and the parable about going to war seem to be no more than interesting comparisons to drive home the point about dedicated discipleship. More interiorly, however, they relate to the two parts of the human mind. The “tower” relates to the intellectual faculty. The higher the tower, the more we can see. Therefore, this part of the two parable-set is about taking the time to study God’s Word in an intellectual effort to elevate our understanding and sharpen our spiritual faculties. If we are serious about fighting and overcoming the heredity evils that we have acquired and spawned, we must arm ourselves with the spiritual truths and the heightened understanding we will need in that battle. ¹⁸

The next parable, closely allied to the first, speaks of the effort on the part of our will to enter the battle, even if it looks like the odds are overwhelming—twenty thousand against us, and ten thousand for us. The one king who is going to war with ten thousand at his side represents truth. The other king, who opposes him with twenty thousand at his side, represents falsity. It appears as though it is going to be a tough battle. Perhaps we will not have the courage to fight. Instead, “while the other is still a great way off” we may choose to send “a delegation and ask conditions of peace” (Luke 14:32).

While this might sometimes be advisable on the natural plane of our lives, it is never advisable on the spiritual plane. On that level, where the war is against hell itself, there is no compromise, and no room for negotiation. Alcoholics must never negotiate with the demons that drive them to drink. Adulterers must not bargain with the demons that seduce them into adultery. The chronic liar and the habitual thief must not broker deals with the demons that drive them to lie, cheat and steal. No delegation sent to these demons, asking for conditions of peace, can ever be successful. That’s why we must not avoid this battle.

Nor can we wage combat in a haphazard or partially committed manner. It must be an all-out effort. Just as God requires no less than a one hundred percent commitment from us, we too must make a one hundred percent commitment to cast out everything that is evil and false within us. We cannot “make peace” with our own evils. We must separate from them completely. We must turn away from every shred of selfishness, ego, and conceit. As Jesus puts it, “Whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple” (Luke 14:33).

The truth is that help is always on our side. No matter how overwhelmed we might feel, God is there to sustain and protect us. In this regard, the number “ten thousand” represents every state of good and truth that God has laid up within us from the moment of our birth, and throughout our lives. These states, which are called “remains of good and truth” are God’s presence with us. They are being laid up in us continually as we are gradually prepared to receive what flows in from the Lord. Every true thought that has ever come to us and every loving emotion we have ever felt is part of this divine arsenal that the Lord has been building within us. Through this divine arsenal of goodness and truth the Lord fights for us against the evils and falsities that assail us—even when the odds appear to be overwhelming. ¹⁹

If we do not take up the struggle, if we choose to diminish, ignore, justify or excuse our evils, we become like tasteless salt. We may have plenty of truth, but if we have no desire to use that truth for self-examination and useful service, we are useless. As Jesus puts it, “Salt is good; but if the salt has lost its flavor, how shall it be seasoned?” (Luke 14:34). Jesus could not be more forceful in His use of language here. To be a disciple we must be willing to make a total commitment; we must be willing to surrender all selfish attachments, love God above all, and love our neighbor as ourselves. A partial commitment is useless. It is good for nothing, or as Jesus puts it: “It is neither fit for the land nor for the dunghill, but men throw it out” (Luke 14:35). ²⁰

These are powerful words. The call to one hundred percent commitment allows for nothing in between. One sometimes wonders whether this is asking too much of mere human beings who try and falter and try again. But God is continually there extending His invitation of support, and assuring us that no battle is too great for Him, and no situation in our lives, no matter how overwhelming it may seem to us, is too much for Him.

In His great mercy, God equips us for every battle. He builds the tower—though we think we are doing it; and He wages the combat—though it feels as though the effort is all our own. This is the continual message of the Lord’s Word. It is a spoken invitation, extended to everyone: “Come to the great supper. Everything is ready.” This is Jesus Himself reaching out with His message of love to all who are willing to hear it. “Come to the great supper,” He says. “Come and dine with Me.”

And so, this episode closes with a final invitation. It is an invitation to hear the Word of the Lord calling us to a new life of love, gratitude, and selfless service. It is an invitation to “come up higher.” As Jesus puts it in the closing words of this episode, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear” (Luke 14:35).

A practical application

Sometimes it may seem that the odds against us are overwhelming. It’s as if we are among the ten thousand who must go into battle against twenty thousand. But it’s reassuring to know that the Lord is on our side, and that He has perfectly equipped us for any battle we must face. Every truth we have learned with affection and every loving experience we have ever had will become the means through which the Lord will win every battle for us. At such times, it might be useful to remember this verse from the Hebrew scriptures: “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies” (Psalms 23:5) and combine it with the Lord’s words in this episode, “Come and dine with Me.” ²¹

Footnotes:

911. Send Thy sickle and reap, for the hour for Thee to reap is come, for the harvest of the earth is dried up, signifies that it is the time for collecting the good and separating them from the evil, because this is the end of the church. This is evident from the signification of "sending the sickle," as being to collect the good and separate them from the evil (of which presently); also from the signification of "the hour to reap is come," as being the time for doing this; also from the signification of "for the harvest of the earth is dried up," as being the last state or the end of the church, for "harvest" signifies the last state or the end, and "the earth" signifies the church. From this it is clear that "Send Thy sickle and reap, for the hour to reap is come, for the harvest of the earth is dried up," signifies that it is the time for collecting the good and separating them from the evil, because this is the end of the church. "To send the sickle and reap" means to collect the good and to separate them from the evil, because "the harvest of the earth" signifies the last state of the church, when the Last Judgment takes place and the evil are cast into hell and the good raised up into heaven, and thus they are separated.

[2] That the collecting, separation, and Last Judgment do not take place before can be seen in the work on The Last Judgment, and will be more fully explained in the appendix to this book. This is briefly set forth in the Lord's words in Matthew:

Jesus spake this parable: The kingdom of the heavens is like unto a man that sowed good seed in his field; but while men slept his enemy came and sowed tares, and went away. But when the blade sprang up and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. The servants of the father of the family came and said unto him, Lord, didst thou not sow good seed in thy field? whence then hath it tares? And he said unto them, An enemy hath done this. But the servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that going we collect them? But he said, Nay, lest haply while ye collect the tares ye root up at the same time the wheat with them. Rather let both grow together until the harvest; and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Collect first the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn. And His disciples came unto Him, saying, Explain unto us the parable of the tares of the field. He answering said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man; the field is the world; and the seed are the sons of the kingdom; but the tares are the sons of the evil one; and the enemy that soweth them is the devil; while the harvest is the consummation of the age; and the reapers are angels. As then the tares are collected and burned in the fire, so shall it be in the consummation of the age. The Son of man shall send forth His angels, and they shall collect out of His kingdom all things that cause stumbling and them that do iniquity, and shall send them into a furnace of fire; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then shall the just shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of the Father (Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43).

The Lord by this parable illustrates all that is said in this chapter of Revelation (in verses 14 to 19) respecting the Son of man having a sickle in His hand and reaping, and that the earth was reaped by Him and the angels. For this parable teaches that the "sower" means the Lord, who is here called "the Son of man;" that the "reapers," or "those that reap," mean the angels; also that "the tares shall be cast into a furnace of fire and the good seed gathered into the barn;" and that this could not be done until "the consummation of the age" (which signifies the last state of the church), "lest the wheat should be rooted up at the same time with the tares."

[3] As this parable of the Lord contains arcana respecting the separation of the evil from the good, and the Last Judgment, it is important that its particulars should be explained. "The kingdom of the heavens" signifies the Lord's church in the heavens and on earth; for the church is in both. "The man who sowed good seed in his field" means the Lord as to the Divine truth, which is the Word, in the church; "the man," who is called in the following verses "the Son of man," is the Lord as to the Word; "good seed" is Divine truth; and "field" the church where the Word is. "While men slept his enemy came and sowed tares, and went away," signifies that while men are living a natural life, or the life of the world, evils from hell secretly, or while they are unconscious of it, introduce and implant falsities, "to sleep" signifying to live a natural life or the life of the world, since such a life is sleep as compared with spiritual life, which is wakefulness. The "enemy" signifies evils from hell, which influence that life when it is separated from spiritual life; "to sow tares" signifies to insinuate and implant falsities; "and went away" signifies that it was done secretly and when they were unconscious of it. "But when the blade sprang up and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also," signifies that when truth increased and brought forth good, falsities from evil were mingled with it; "the blade springing up" signifying truth such as it is when it is first received, "fruit" signifying good, and "tares" falsities from evil, here these mingled with truths.

[4] "The servants of the father of the family came and said unto him, Lord, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? whence then hath it tares?" signifies those who are in truths from good perceiving that falsities from evil have been mingled with them, and complaining, "the Lord's servants" signifying those who are in truths from good, "the father of the family" signifying the Lord as to truths from good ("father" the Lord as to good, and "family" the Lord as to truths); the "good seed," the "field," and the "tares," having the same signification as above. "And he said unto them, An enemy hath done this," signifies that such falsities were from evil in the natural man. "But the servants said to him, Lord, wilt thou then that going we collect the tares?" signifies the separation and casting out of falsities from evil before truths from good are received and increase. "But he said, Nay, lest haply while ye collect the tares ye root up at the same time the wheat with them," signifies that thus truth from good and its increase would also perish; for truths are mingled with falsities with the men of the church, and these cannot be separated and the falsities cast out until they are reformed.

[5] "Rather let both grow together until the harvest; and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, Collect first the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn," signifies that the separation and casting out of falsities from evil cannot be effected until it is the last state of the church; since it is then that the falsities of evil are separated from the truths of good, and the falsities of evil are delivered up to hell, and the truths of good are conjoined with heaven, or what is the same, the men who are in them. This takes place in the spiritual world, where all who are of the church from its beginning to its end are in this way separated and judged. The "harvest" signifies the end or the last state of the church; "to bind into bundles" signifies to conjoin together particular kinds of falsities from evil; "to burn" signifies to deliver up to hell; and "to gather into the barn" signifies to conjoin with heaven.

[6] "He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man" signifies the Divine truth from the Lord. "The field is the world" signifies the church everywhere. "The seed are the sons of the kingdom" signifies that the Divine truth is with those who are of the church. "The tares are the sons of the evil one" signifies falsities with those who are in evil. "The enemy that soweth them is the devil" signifies that their falsities are from evil, which is from hell. "The harvest is the consummation of the age" signifies the last time and state of the church. "The reapers are angels" signifies that the Divine truth from the Lord is what separates. "The Son of man shall send forth angels, and they shall collect out of His kingdom all things that cause stumbling," signifies that the Divine truth from the Lord will remove those things that hinder the separation. "They that work iniquity" signifies those who live wickedly. "And shall send them into a furnace of fire" signifies into the hell where those are who are in love of self and in hatred and revenge. "There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth" signifies where there is what is direful from evils and falsities. "Then shall the just shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of the Father" signifies that those who have done the Lord's commandments shall live in heaven in heavenly loves and their joys; those are called "just" who acknowledge the Lord and do His commandments. Such was to be the state of the angels after the Last Judgment, because the superior power which had before been on the side of hell was then restored to heaven, which was a source of joy to the angels with unceasing increase.

[7] It remains to give some explanation of the Lord's words respecting the separation of the evil from the good, namely, "Rather let both grow together until the harvest; and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, Collect first the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn." This signifies the separation of the evil from the good when the Last Judgment is at hand. Why they were not separated before may be seen in the work on The Last Judgment 59, 70), to which I will here add, that it is according to Divine order for things that must in the end be separated to grow in connection; and that when the end is reached separation is easily and as it were spontaneously effected. This might be illustrated by a thousand lessons of experience in both worlds, and also from correspondences in the animal and vegetable kingdom; from which it can be seen as in a general mirror why the evil were not separated from the good until near the time of the Last Judgment; and this is the signification of the things in Revelation here explained, that the angel said to Him that sat upon the cloud, "Reap, for the hour for Thee to reap is come, for the harvest of the earth is dried up."

[8] Also in the following passages the "harvest" signifies the last state of the church, when the old church has been laid waste, that is, when there is no longer any truth or good left in it that has not been falsified or cast aside. In Joel:

At the valley of Jehoshaphat will I sit to judge all the nations round about. Send forth the sickle, for the harvest is ripe; come, get ye down, for the wine-press is full, the vats overflow, for their wickedness is great (Joel 3:12, 13).

This chapter treats of the falsification of the truth in the Word, and the devastation of the church by it; and this verse treats of the last state of the church, when judgment takes place; and this state is described, as in Revelation, by "sending forth the sickle, for the harvest is ripe," the "harvest" being that last state; also by "the wine-press is full and the vats overflow," as in this chapter of Revelation, Revelation 14:19-20. That judgment then takes place is plainly declared, "the valley of Jehoshaphat," where judgment is executed, signifying the falsification of the Word.

[9] In Jeremiah:

Cut off him that soweth in Babylon and him that handleth the sickle in the time of harvest (Jeremiah 50:16).

And in the same:

The daughter of Babylon is like a threshing-floor; it is time to thresh her; yet a little while and the time of her harvest shall come (Jeremiah 51:33).

Here, too, "the time of harvest" means the last state of the church, when there is no longer any good or any truth; its devastation is described by "cutting off him that soweth and him that handleth the sickle in the time of harvest;" also by "threshing as on a threshing-floor," "Babylon" meaning those who seek dominion by means of the holy things of the church.

[10] In Isaiah:

I will bewail for Jazar, the vine of Sibmah; I will water thee with my tears, O Heshbon and Elealeh; for upon thy vintage and upon thy harvest the battle shout hath fallen (Isaiah 16:9).

Here again, "harvest" signifies the last state of the church, for "the battle shout" signifies the end, because it was a custom to exult and call out when the vintage was finished and the harvest was gathered in; but here it signifies to lament, because it is said to have fallen. "Jazar, the vine of Sibmah," and "Heshbon and Elealeh," signify men of the external church who explain the Word to favor worldly loves, for these places had been given for an inheritance to the tribes of Reuben and Gad, and these, because they dwelt beyond the Jordan, represented the external church. "The vine of Sibmah" signifies the church of such; and their destruction when the Lord should come and accomplish judgment is also described in that chapter.

[11] In Jeremiah:

The harvest is past, the autumn is ended, and we have not been saved; because of the bruising of my daughter I am bruised (Jeremiah 8:20, 21).

Here again the "harvest" signifies the last state of the church. "Because of the bruising I am bruised" signifies grief that there is no longer any good and truth, "daughter" signifying the affection of truth, and thus the church, for that affection is of the church and the church is from it.

[12] In Isaiah:

It shall come to pass when the harvest, the standing corn, is gathered, and his arm reapeth ears, and there shall be left in it gleanings, as in the shaking of an olive tree, three berries in the top of the bough, four or five in the branches of the fruit-bearing one. In the day shalt thou make thy plant to grow, and in the morning shalt thou make thy seed to blossom; the harvest shall be a heap in the day of possession, and desperate sorrow (Isaiah 17:5, 6, 11).

This chapter treats of the knowledges of truth and good belonging to the church, and of their destruction. These are here signified by "Damascus," of which this chapter treats, and by "Aroer." Their destruction is described by "there shall be left in it gleanings, as in the shaking of an olive tree, three berries in the top of the bough, four or five in the head ¹ of the fruit bearing one," also by "the harvest shall be a heap in the day of possession," that is, that there shall be no more than a single heap; therefore it is added, "and desperate sorrow." This makes clear that "harvest" signifies here the last state of the church. That state is signified also by "morning," for when the last state of the church is at hand it is morning to those who are to be of the New Church, and evening and night to those who are of the old church. That this is what "morning" here means is evident from the last verse of this chapter, where it is said:

About the time of evening behold terror; before the morning it is not (Isaiah 17:14).

"Terror" signifies destruction.

[13] In Joel:

The husbandmen were ashamed, the vine-dressers howled for the wheat and for the barley, because the harvest of the field hath perished (Joel 1:11).

The devastation of the church as to good and truth is here meant by "the harvest of the field hath perished;" "husbandmen" mean those who are in the good of the church, and "vine-dressers" those who are in its truths; "wheat and barley" mean good itself and truth itself; grief on account of devastation is signified by "they were ashamed and howled."

[14] "Harvest" signifies the last state of the church, because "corn," which is the harvest, signifies the good of the church and truth from good, and "field" the church itself. That all things pertaining to natural nourishment, such as wheat, barley, oil, wine, and the like, signify such things as pertain to spiritual nourishment has been shown above in many places; and the things that pertain to spiritual nourishment have reference in general to good and truth and knowledges of them, thus to doctrine and to a life according to these knowledges. Therefore it is said in Jeremiah:

A nation from afar shall eat up thy harvest and thy bread, it shall eat up thy sons and thy daughters, it shall eat up thy flock and thy herd, it shall eat up thy vine and thy fig-tree; it shall impoverish thy fortified cities, in which thou dost trust, with the sword (Jeremiah 5:17).

"A nation from afar" means the falsity of evil destroying; "from afar" signifying what is far away from good and truth. "Harvest" and "bread" signify nourishing truths and goods of the church; "sons and daughters" goods and truths generating; "flock and herd" goods and truths spiritual and natural, "vine and fig-tree" the internal spiritual church, and the external natural church; the "fortified cities in which they trust" signify doctrinals from self-intelligence; "to be impoverished with the sword" signifies to be destroyed by falsities of evil.

[15] As "harvest" signifies all things that spiritually nourish man, and these have reference to the truths of doctrine and the goods of life, so "harvest" signifies the church in general and in particular; in general, in these words in the Gospels:

Jesus said to His disciples, The harvest is plenteous but the laborers are few; pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest that He send laborers into His harvest (Matthew 9:37, 38; Luke 10:2).

The "harvest" here means all with whom the church was to be established by the Lord, thus also the church in general; and "laborers" mean all who will teach from the Lord.

[16] Likewise in John:

Jesus said to the disciples, Say ye not there are yet four months and then cometh the harvest? Behold I say unto you, Lift up your eyes and look on the fields that they are white already for harvest. And he that reapeth receiveth reward and gathereth fruit unto life eternal. For herein is the saying true, that there is one who soweth and another who reapeth. I sent you to reap that whereon ye have not labored; others have labored, but ye have entered into their labor (John 4:35-38).

This was said by the Lord of a New Church to be established by Him. That the establishment of that church was then at hand is meant by "Lift up your eyes and look on the fields that they are white already for harvest." To teach those who were to be of that church, or as the Lord says elsewhere, "to collect and gather into the barn," is signified by "reaping." That it is the Lord who teaches, thus who collects and gathers, and not themselves (for it was the Lord, by means of the angels, that is, by means of Divine truths from the Word, who prepared for reception those whom the disciples converted to the church), is meant by "there is one who soweth and another who reapeth; I sent you to reap that whereon ye have not labored; others have labored, but ye have entered into their labor."

[17] The increase of the church with man in particular, and with men in general by the Lord, is also described by "harvest" in Mark:

Jesus said, So is the kingdom of God as if a man should cast seed upon the earth, and should then sleep and rise night and day, and the seed should spring up and grow up he knoweth not how. For the earth beareth fruit of herself, first the blade, then the ear, then the full corn in the ear. But when the fruit hath come forth straightway he putteth forth the sickle, because the harvest is ready (Mark 4:26-29).

"The kingdom of God" means the church of the Lord in the heavens and on the earth; and the implantation of it with all who receive truths and goods from the Lord, not from self, is described by these words, every particular of which corresponds to spiritual things and signifies them; as that "a man casts seed upon the earth, that he then sleeps, and rises night and day, that the seed springs up and grows up he knows not how;" for "seed" signifies the Divine truth, "to cast seed into the earth" signifies the work of man, "to rise day and night" and finally "to put in the sickle" signifies in every state. The rest signifies the Lord's work; and the "harvest" the implantation of the church in particular and in general. For it is to be known, that, although the Lord works all things, and man nothing from self, yet He wills that man should work as if from self in all that comes to his perception. For without man's cooperation as if from self there can be no reception of truth and good, thus no implantation and regeneration. For to will is the Lord's gift to man; and because the appearance to man is that this is from self, He gives him to will as if from self.

[18] Such being the signification of "harvest" two feasts were instituted with the sons of Israel, one of which was called the feast of seven weeks, which was that of the harvest of firstfruits; and the other the feast of tabernacles, which was the feast of ingathering of the fruits of the earth. Of these the first signified the implantation of truth in good, and the other the bringing forth of good, thus regeneration. But the feast of unleavened bread, or the Passover, which preceded, signified deliverance from the falsities of evil, which is the first thing of regeneration.

Footnotes: