HH.0.0.1, (주2).AC.5063-5071, '주님의 예언들'(마25:37-46)

※ (주2). The Lord’s predictions in Matthew (24 and 25), respecting the consummation of the age and His coming, and the consequent successive vastation of the church and the final judgment, are explained in the prefaces to chapters 26–40 of Genesis (n. 3353–3356, 3486–3489, 3650–3655, 3751–3757, 3897–3901, 4056–4060, 4229–4231, 4332–4335, 4422–4424, 4635–4638, 4661–4664, 4807–4810, 4954–4959, 5063–5071).

 

 

CHARITY (마25:37-46)

 

5063

In the preface to the preceding chapter an explication was given of what the Lord said concerning the judgment upon the good and the evil, in Matthew 25, verses 34 to 36. Then follow these words:

 

37이에 의인들이 대답하여 이르되 주여 우리가 어느 때에 주께서 주리신 것을 보고 음식을 대접하였으며 목마르신 것을 보고 마시게 하였나이까 38어느 때에 나그네 되신 것을 보고 영접하였으며 헐벗으신 것을 보고 옷 입혔나이까 39어느 때에 병드신 것이나 옥에 갇히신 것을 보고 가서 뵈었나이까 하리니 40임금이 대답하여 이르시되 내가 진실로 너희에게 이르노니 너희가 여기 내 형제 중에 지극히 작은 자 하나에게 한 것이 곧 내게 한 것이니라 하시고 41또 왼편에 있는 자들에게 이르시되 저주를 받은 자들아 나를 떠나 마귀와 그 사자들을 위하여 예비된 영원한 불에 들어가라 42내가 주릴 때에 너희가 먹을 것을 주지 아니하였고 목마를 때에 마시게 하지 아니하였고 43나그네 되었을 때에 영접하지 아니하였고 헐벗었을 때에 옷 입히지 아니하였고 병들었을 때와 옥에 갇혔을 때에 돌보지 아니하였느니라 하시니 44그들도 대답하여 이르되 주여 우리가 어느 때에 주께서 주리신 것이나 목마르신 것이나 나그네 되신 것이나 헐벗으신 것이나 병드신 것이나 옥에 갇히신 것을 보고 공양하지 아니하더이까 45이에 임금이 대답하여 이르시되 내가 진실로 너희에게 이르노니 이 지극히 작은 자 하나에게 하지 아니한 것이 곧 내게 하지 아니한 것이니라 하시리니 46그들은 영벌에, 의인들은 영생에 들어가리라 하시니라 (마25:37-46) Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee hungry and fed thee, or thirsty and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger and gathered thee, or naked and clothed thee? When saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? But the king shall say to them, Verily I say to you, Insofar as ye did it to one of the least of these my brethren, ye did it to me. Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me ye cursed into the eternal fire, prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry and ye gave me not to eat, I was thirsty and ye gave me not to drink, I was a stranger and ye gathered me not, naked and ye clothed me not, sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say to you, Insofar as ye did it not to one of these least, ye did it not to me. And these shall go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into life eternal (Matt. 25:37–46).

 

 

5064

In the prefatory remarks to the preceding chapter (n. 4954–4959), it was explained what is signified in the internal sense by “giving meat to the hungry and drink to the thirsty,” by “gathering the stranger, clothing the naked, and visiting the sick and him that is in prison”—that it is the essence of charity which is involved and is thus described. By the “hungry,” the “thirsty,” and the “stranger” is signified the affection of good and truth; and by the “naked,” the “sick,” and “those who are in prison,” self-acknowledgment (see n. 4956, 4958).

 

 

5065

As the same things are thrice repeated in what has already been quoted and explained, it is unnecessary to show in detail, or word by word, what these expressions signify in the internal sense. In this place I will merely state what is signified by the answer made both by those on the right hand, and by those on the left—that they had not seen him hungry, thirsty, a stranger, naked, sick, and in prison; and afterward what is signified by the “king,” and also by the “righteous and eternal life,” and by the “cursed and eternal fire.”

 

 

5066

The answer made by those on the right hand:

 

37주여 우리가 어느 때에 주께서 주리신 것을 보고 음식을 대접하였으며 목마르신 것을 보고 마시게 하였나이까 38어느 때에 나그네 되신 것을 보고 영접하였으며 헐벗으신 것을 보고 옷 입혔나이까 39어느 때에 병드신 것이나 옥에 갇히신 것을 보고 가서 뵈었나이까 Lord, when saw we thee hungry and fed thee, or thirsty and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger and gathered thee, or naked and clothed thee? When saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?

 

signifies that if they had seen the Lord himself, every one of them would have performed these offices; yet not from love toward him, but from fear because he was to be the judge of the universe; thus not for his sake, but for the sake of themselves; thus not from within or from the heart, but from without and in act only.

 

This is as when one sees a king whose favor he desires to gain in order that he may become great or rich, and therefore bears himself submissively toward him. It is similar with those who are in holy external worship, in which they as it were see the Lord, and submit themselves to him, believing that in this way they will receive eternal life; and yet they have no charity, and do no good to anyone except for their own sake, thus only to themselves. They are like persons who in outward form pay court to their king with much respect, and yet deride his commands because at heart they disregard him. These and similar things are what are signified by those on the right hand so answering; and as the evil also do the like things in outward form, therefore they who were on the left made nearly the same answer.

 

 

5067

As therefore the Lord cares not for external but for internal things, and as man testifies to his internal things, not by worship only, but by charity and its acts, the Lord answered:

 

내가 진실로 너희에게 이르노니 너희가 여기 내 형제 중에 지극히 작은 자 하나에게 한 것이 곧 내게 한 것이니라 Verily I say to you, Insofar as ye did it to one of the least of these my brethren, ye did it to me;

 

those are called “brethren” who are in the good of charity and of life; for the Lord is with them, because they are in good itself; and it is they who are properly meant by the neighbor. In these also the Lord does not manifest himself, for in respect to him they are vile; but the man manifests himself before the Lord, in that he worships him from within.

 

 

5068

That the Lord calls himself “king,”in these words:

 

인자가 자기 영광으로 올 때에 자기 영광의 보좌에 앉아 그들에게 이르시되 When the son of man shall come in his glory, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory, then shall the king say unto them;

 

is because the Lord’s royalty is the Divine truth, from which and according to which judgment is effected. But from and according to it the good are judged in one way, and the evil in another. The good, because they have received Divine truth, are judged from good, and thus from mercy; the evil, because they have not received Divine truth, are judged from truth, and thus not from mercy; for this they have rejected, and hence they continue to reject it in the other life. To receive Divine truth is not only to have faith, but also to practice it, that is, to cause that which is of doctrine to become of the life. It is from this that the Lord calls himself “king.” (That the Lord’s royalty is the Divine truth has been shown above, n. 1728, 2015, 3009, 3670, 4581, 4966.)

 

 

5069

That they on the right hand are called “the righteous”:

 

이에 의인들이 대답하여 이르되 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, etc.,

 

의인들은 영생에 들어가리라 The righteous shall go into eternal life;

 

signifies that they are in the Lord’s righteousness. All who are in the good of charity are called the “righteous”—not that they are righteous from themselves, but from the Lord, whose righteousness is appropriated to them. They who believe themselves righteous from themselves, or made so righteous that there is no longer anything of evil in them, are not among the righteous, but among the unrighteous; for they attribute good to themselves, and also feel self-merit on account of it, and such can never adore the Lord from true humiliation; so that those who in the Word are called the “righteous” and the “saints” are those who know and acknowledge that all good is from the Lord, and that all evil is from themselves, that is, is theirs from hell.

 

 

5070

The “eternal life” which is given to the righteous is life from good. Good has life in itself, because it is from the Lord, who is life itself. In the life which is from the Lord there are wisdom and intelligence; for to receive good from the Lord and thence to will good is wisdom; and to receive truth from the Lord and thence to believe truth is intelligence; and they who have this wisdom and intelligence have life; and as happiness is joined to such life, eternal happiness also is signified by “life.” The contrary is the case with those who are in evil. These do indeed appear—especially to themselves—as if they had life, but it is such life as in the Word is called “death,” and also is spiritual death; for they are not wise in any good, nor intelligent in any truth. This may be seen by everyone who takes the matter into consideration, for as there is life in good and in its truth, there cannot be life in evil and in its falsity, because these are opposite and extinguish life. Therefore the persons in question have no other life than such as belongs to the insane.

 

 

5071

That they on the left hand are called “cursed,” and their punishment “eternal fire,” as where it is said:

 

또 왼편에 있는 자들에게 이르시되 저주를 받은 자들아 나를 떠나 마귀와 그 사자들을 위하여 예비된 영원한 불에 들어가라 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me ye cursed into the eternal fire, prepared for the devil and his angels;

 

그들은 영벌에 들어가리라 These shall go away into eternal punishment;

 

is because they have averted themselves from good and truth, and have turned to evil and falsity. A “curse” in the internal sense of the Word, signifies a turning away (n. 245, 379, 1423, 3530, 3584). The “eternal fire” into which they must depart is not natural fire, nor is it torment of conscience, but is lust of evil; for the lusts in man are spiritual fires which consume him in the life of the body, and torment him in the other life. By these fires the infernals torture one another in direful ways.

 

[2] That “eternal fire” is not natural fire is evident. That it is not torment of conscience is because all who are in evil have no conscience, and they who have had none in the life of the body cannot have any in the other life. But that it is lust is because all vital fire is from the loves in man—heavenly fire from the love of good and truth, and infernal fire from the love of evil and falsity—or what is the same, heavenly fire is from love to the Lord and love toward the neighbor, and infernal fire is from the love of self and the love of the world. That all the fire or heat within man is from this source, anyone may know if he pays attention to the matter. It is for this reason also that love is called spiritual heat, and that by “fire” and “heat” in the Word nothing else is signified (n. 934e, 1297, 1527, 1528, 1861, 2446, 4906). The vital fire in the evil is such that when they are in the vehemence of their lusts, they are also in a kind of fire, from which they are in the ardor and fury of tormenting others; but the vital fire in the good is such that when in a high degree of affection, they also are in a kind of fire, but from it they are in the love and zeal of benefiting others.