Week 6    Day 5

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Sun and Rain on the Just and Unjust

Divine Providence 173

[T]he father in the heavens makes His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. Matt. 5:45.

By “the sun” here as elsewhere in the Word in its spiritual sense is meant the Divine Good of the Divine Love, and by “rain” the Divine Truth of the Divine Wisdom. These are given to the evil and to the good, “to the just and to the unjust,” for unless they were given, no one would have perception and thought. It has been shown above that there is only one life from which all have life, and perception and thought belong to life. Therefore, perception and thought are from the same fountain from which life springs. That all the light forming the understanding is from the Sun of the spiritual world, which is the Lord, has already been abundantly shown.

Divine Wisdom 12:4

That all things have been created for obedient service to life, which is the Lord, follows in its order from this, that men, and angels who are from men, have been created to receive life from the Lord, and are nothing but receptacles, although in the freedom in which they are kept by the Lord they do not appear to be receptacles. Nevertheless, they are so, both the good and the evil; for the freedom in which they are kept is likewise from the Lord. The life of men and angels is to understand, and from that to think and speak, and it is to will, and from that to do; and consequently these belong to life from the Lord, since they are the effects of life.

All things that have been created in the world have been created for the use, for the benefit, and for the delight of men, some more nearly, some more remotely. Since, then, these things have been created for man’s sake, it follows that they are for the Lord’s service, who is the life with men. It may seem as if these things were serviceable for the good, because they live from the Lord, and not for the evil. Nevertheless, created things furnish uses, benefit, and delight, both to the evil and the good, for the Lord says that:

He makes His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust (Matthew 5:45).

The evil have nothing of life from themselves, and... they are led by the Lord, even though they are ignorant of it and are unwilling to be led....

True Christian Religion 364:2

But how God inflows with the whole of His Divine life may in some measure be perceived in somewhat the same manner as seeing that the sun of the world with its whole essence, which is heat and light, flows into every tree, every shrub and flower, every stone both common and precious; and that the sun does not distribute its heat and light, dispensing a part to this object and a part to that, but each object draws its own portion from the common influx. The same is true of the sun of heaven, from which Divine love goes forth as heat and Divine wisdom as light. As the heat and light of the sun flow into human bodies, so do these flow into human minds and make them live according to the nature of their forms, each form taking what is necessary for itself from the common influx. To this the following words of the Lord are applicable:

Your Father makes His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust (Matt. 5:45).

Romans 12:14-21 (NKJV)*

Bless those who persecute you; bless, and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. Be of the same mind one toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion. Repay no one evil for evil. Provide honest things in the sight of all men. If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. Dearly beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay,” says the Lord.¹ Therefore, if thine enemy hungers, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

^* Apocalypse Explained 815:2
[T]he Gospels contain the words of the Lord Himself, all of which have concealed in them a spiritual sense, through which immediate communication with heaven is granted, while the writings of the Apostles contain no such sense, although they are nevertheless useful books for the church.

¹Leviticus 19:18

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