The Bible

 

Lucas 6:46-49 : The Wise and the Foolish Builders (Luke)

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46 En wat noemt gij Mij, Heere, Heere! en doet niet hetgeen Ik zeg?

47 Een iegelijk, die tot Mij komt, en Mijn woorden hoort, en dezelve doet, Ik zal u tonen, wien hij gelijk is.

48 Hij is gelijk een mens, die een huis bouwde, en groef, en verdiepte, en leide het fondament op een steenrots; als nu de hoge vloed kwam, zo sloeg de waterstroom tegen dat huis aan, en kon het niet bewegen; want het was op de steenrots gegrond.

49 Maar die ze gehoord, en niet gedaan zal hebben, is gelijk een mens, die een huis bouwde op de aarde zonder fondament; tegen hetwelk de waterstroom aansloeg, en het viel terstond, en de val van datzelve huis was groot.

Commentary

 

Don't Make Assumptions

By Todd Beiswenger


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We make assumptions all the time. Quite commonly we assume what other people are thinking about us, and we take it personally! Instead of assuming, have the courage to ask questions! You'll be amazed at how many things you will no longer be offended over or outraged about.

(References: Arcana Coelestia 794; Exodus 32:1; Genesis 7:17-24; Isaiah 8:6-8; Luke 6:46-49)

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #793

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793. From this point onwards to the end of the present chapter the subject is the people before the Flood who perished. This becomes clear from the details in the description given. People who possess the internal sense can recognize instantly, and indeed from any single word, what the subject is, better still from the combination of many. When the subject changes different words instantly appear, or else the same words combined differently. The reason is that some words are peculiar to spiritual matters, others peculiar to celestial; or what amounts to the same, some are peculiar to things of the understanding, others to those of the will. For example, 'desolation' is a word used of spiritual things, 'vastation' of celestial; 'city' is used of spiritual, 'mountain' of celestial; and so on. The same applies to combinations of words. And what is bound to amaze everybody, the difference in Hebrew is frequently just a matter of vocalization. In what belongs to the class of spiritual words the first three vowels [of the alphabet] are normally prominent, but in the case of what is celestial the last two. The fact that these verses contain a different subject is also discernible from the repetition discussed already. That is to say, the statement, 'And the waters grew stronger and stronger over the earth', is a repetition of what has already been stated in the previous verse. It is also discernible from everything that follows.

  
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Thanks to the Swedenborg Society for the permission to use this translation.