December21

“We Have Come to Worship Him”: Live from the Lord and with Him

And◦ when Jesus was··born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of Herod the king, behold◦, there came▫ Magi from the east into Jerusalem, saying, Where is He who is born King of the Jews? For◦ we have seen◦ His star in the east, and are come to worship Him. (Matthew 2:1-2)

There is a love of ruling arising from love of the neighbor, and a love of ruling arising from love of self. Those who are in the love of ruling from love of the neighbor seek dominion to the end that they may perform uses to the public and to individuals; and to such, therefore, dominion is entrusted in the heavens. Emperors, kings, and noblemen who have been born and brought up to positions of authority, if they humble themselves before God, [can be in this love.] (True Christian Religion 405.1-2)

“To follow the Lord” has a similar signification as “to go or to walk after Him.” That “to go or walk after the Lord,” signifies to acknowledge, to obey, and to act and live from Him and with Him... To acknowledge the Lord’s Divine Human and to do His commandments is to follow Him, because only those who do this can be conjoined to the Lord. (Apocalypse Explained 864.1-2)

A “star” signifies the knowledges of internal good and truth, which are from the Lord. (Arcana Coelestia 9293.3)

The signification of “journeys,” [is] what is progressive of spiritual life ... thus the order of that life ... it denotes receiving the life of heaven, because that life is a gift of the Lord to man by means of the temptations...

The life of heaven is to be led of the Lord by means of good. In order that a man may come to that life, good must be implanted by means of truth; that is, charity by means of faith. So long as this is being done, the man is in the way to heaven, but is not yet in heaven. And in order that at that time the truths which are of faith may be confirmed, and may also be conjoined with good, the man is let into temptations, for these are the means of the conjunction of good and truth. When therefore the man is in good, that is, in the affection of doing good for the sake of good, thus for the sake of the neighbor, he is uplifted into heaven, for he is in the order of heaven, and is led of the Lord by means of good. From all this it can be seen what is meant by “the life of heaven.” (Arcana Coelestia 8559)

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