Читать книгу Swedenborg: Harbinger of the New Age of the Christian Church онлайн | страница 5

Our Lord's coming in the flesh bringing the light of the Divine presence down among men caused a judgment on those to whom the light came, both in this world and in the world of spirits where the evil were assaulting the gates of heaven itself. His resistance to their assault upon His human nature at the same time cast them down in the spirit world to their home beneath, even as He declared—I beheld Satan as lightning fallen from heaven. But the Lord came not merely for judgment. He came also for a light to enlighten the Gentiles. The Gentiles were all people ​outside of the Jewish race. And indeed it was among these outside nations that His light was chiefly accepted and His Church established, on the faith that He was the Christ, the Son of the living God. In Him at last was seen Man in the image and likeness of God. He first did the will of the Father on earth as it is done in heaven, therein giving man the example for all time, abiding in him and by His Holy Spirit giving him the will to follow, as he will receive it. The world was ripe for the beginning of this realization of what living in the image and likeness of God might mean, as is evident from its marvellous spread during the early centuries; but only for the beginning. The young man thought he desired eternal life, the life of the kingdom of heaven. But when told to renounce all that he had of this world, he was very sorrowful, for he had great possessions. It was not difficult for the first disciples to give up worldly possessions, of which they had no great store—to forsake their nets and follow their Lord. But for this they at once asked what reward they should have in heaven, and disputed among themselves which should there be the greatest. Doubtless in this claim for ​reward in His kingdom the Lord saw the tares sown with the wheat and foresaw the sad end of this first age of His Church. None knew so well as He the slow and painful steps by which man must be led out of the natural self-seeking life of this world into the spiritual self-devoting life of the Father's kingdom.