Week 5    Day 3

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Turn the Other Cheek

Matthew 5:39

But I say to you, Do not stand against the wicked; but whoever shall slap thee on thy right cheekbone, turn to him the other also.

Apocalypse Explained 556:9

That one who is in Christian good will permit an evil person to take away [the understanding of truth and the sense of truth] as much as he can, is described by what the Lord says in reply on the same subject. The precept not to resist evil signifies that it is not to be resisted with violence, nor retaliated. For angels do not fight with the evil, much less do they return evil for evil, but they allow it to be done, since they are protected by the Lord, and therefore no evil from hell can do them harm. “Whoever shall slap thee on thy right cheekbone, turn to him the other also” signifies if anyone wishes to do harm to the perception and understanding of interior truth, it may be allowed to the extent of the effort. “The cheekbone” signifies the perception and understanding of interior truth, the “right cheekbone” affection for it and consequent perception of it, and the “left cheekbone” understanding of it. And as the “cheekbone” is mentioned, so is “slapping,” which means doing harm; for all things pertaining to the mouth, as the throat, the mouth itself, the lips, the cheekbones, and the teeth, signify such things as belong to the perception and understanding of truth, because they correspond to them. Therefore, by these objects in the sense of the letter of the Word, which consists of pure correspondences, these things are expressed.

Diary of Spiritual Experiences 2888

Concerning evil spirits of the interior world of spirits, that power to resist evils, even with violence, is granted. Today, as often previously, evil spirits and genii, with their eyes—as it were, the points of thoughts, which no man can know, and therefore cannot believe there are such things, or that such spirits exist—continually harassed me, and, indeed, held me in my more pleasant [states]. Thus it was a class of those who act from premeditation, but they were spirits and not genii, who are worse.

These [spirits] do nothing else than do [or produce] in the interior thought those things that do not come into the manifest thought of man, [but] merely into the idea of [his] thought as an effect. The result is that man cannot know that by such [spirits] [these] things are carried within the ideas of their thought, for he cannot conclude from the effect, so long as he is in the effect, unless he knows.

Such are the deceitful and evil in the interior world of spirits, namely, that the least ideas of thoughts with man—which he regards and calls simple ideas of thoughts—are their effects. This was given me to know from considerable and living experience. Man, while he is man, although of such a nature, still is not aware that such interior, natural thoughts exist. [But] when he becomes a spirit, in the other life, he is aware, when he is such; for certain evil and deceitful [spirits] are still in such [thoughts], for then they come into the manifest exercise of such thoughts, and know it.

Diary of Spiritual Experiences 2889-2890.

When such spirits infested me for a long time, by keeping me in my more pleasant [states] out of premeditated deceit, and this was granted me to perceive, then, in whatever mode I seemed to be able, I resisted by fighting them back, retorting evil upon them, although [it was] not of me, but I seemed [to act] as it were from myself.

Certain spirits spoke with me and said that it is not permitted to act so, as to resist evil with evil. They supposed that they ought to be wholly submissive and wait for direct help from the Lord. For they fall into such an opinion from the general law alone that they must not resist evil, but suffer all evils to be brought upon them, and so expect immediate liberation from the Lord. But they were told that it is not to be understood in that way, as that if anyone in the life of man—if a thief, a robber, a malefactor, wishes to take away anyone’s life, to steal deceitfully or by open force what is most dear and quite necessary to him, to burn it, and he [the sufferer is] alone—that then he would suffer this to happen, and expect immediate help from the Lord. And when he does not receive [it] he puts the blame on the Lord. Such is by no means the understanding of the general law [from Matthew 5:39], but it is lawful for anyone to resist evil, when there is no other help at hand, but only with the mind of resisting evil, not [with the mind] of hating him who does [it], nor with the mind of exercising vengeance. For then the Lord, by means suitable at that time, gives him the strength and mind to resist, and this resistance is regulated by the Lord.

When they did not understand, or wish to understand this—for they could not understand what it is to resist and return evil on anyone without hatred and vengeance—they wished to draw me into some arguments. [But] it was said to them that this is the truth and a general law, and if arguments should be formed against it, nothing would be understood concerning the law and that truth, but there would only be accumulations or arguments, hence, darkness of mind. - 1748, August 23.

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