Week 6    Day 2

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Love Your Enemies

Arcana Coelestia 9256

That benefits ought to be imparted to those who are outside the church, is also meant by the Lord’s words in Matthew:

You have heard that it was said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor... but I say to you, Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, and benefit those who hate you. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more? (Matt. 5:43-47)

Here also by “enemies” and by “those who hate” are meant in the spiritual sense those who are at variance in respect to the goods and truths of faith, and in general those who are outside the church, because the Jewish nation regarded these as enemies, whom they were permitted to utterly destroy, and to kill with impunity. That these are meant in the spiritual sense by “enemies” is plain, because it is said, “if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more?” For all were called “brethren” who were born of Jacob, thus who were within the church.

[2] As further regards those who are outside the church, and are called “gentiles,” they are indeed in falsities of doctrine, but from ignorance, because they do not have the Word. And yet, when they are instructed, they are in a clearer and consequently more inward perception about the heavenly life with man than are Christians. The reason is that they have not confirmed themselves against the truths of faith, as have very many Christians; and therefore, their internal man is not closed, but, as with little children, is readily opened and receptive of truth. For those who have confirmed themselves against the truths and goods of faith, as do all who live an evil life, close in themselves the internal man above, and open it beneath. The result is that their internal man looks only at those things which are beneath, that is, it looks into the external or natural man, and through this at the things in the world and at things around their body and on the earth; and when this is the case, they look downward, which is to look toward hell.

Arcana Coelestia 3605:2, 4

[2] That in the internal sense “to hate” is to be averse to, is because... good does not even know what hatred is, being the direct opposite of it... But instead of hatred... those who are in good feel a kind of aversion.

[4] It is in the same way that “anger,” “wrath,” and “fury” are in the Word predicated of Jehovah or the Lord. Above all other peoples the Jewish and Israelitish people were such that as soon as they observed anything unfriendly, even in their associates, they believed it lawful to treat them cruelly, and not only to kill them, but also to expose them to wild beasts and birds. And therefore, because the inflowing mercy of the Lord was turned with them into such hatred, not only against their enemies, but also against their companions, they could not believe otherwise than that Jehovah also entertained hatred, was angry, wrathful, and furious; and for this reason it is so expressed in the Word according to the appearance; for such as is a man’s quality, such the Lord appears to him....

But what the quality of hatred is with those who are in love and charity, that is, who are in good, is evident from the words of the Lord in Matthew 5:43-45 [quoted on page 1].

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