Someone asked, what is meant by the verse in the Bible, “Now he that hath a purse, let him take it, and likewise a scrip; and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment and buy one”. Jesus said, that he was ‘not come to send peace upon earth, but a sword’.
By sword is meant that He combats temptation. Form the power of divine truth He fought and subjugated all the forces of hell. To do so with a Sword means that it was done face to face, and power against power. The power of divine truth is concise and cuts through all falsity and it carries with it the love of Good. This causes those in evil to run and hide in caves for they are in the love of hate; as the Word indicates, the presence the Lord and His angels cause them to be as one suffocating and burning. The people and the church at that time were immersed in falsities, because religion had become very external, and thus without life. But the Lord came and changed all this and redeemed Man; the Lord fought to reveal interior truths to mankind which had been lost. It is essential to know that the false beliefs and loves of evil cannot be removed except by combats from truth and love; to do this and be victorious means to overcome temptations.
In Luke Jesus said to the disciples, “Now he that hath a purse, let him take it, and likewise a scrip; and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment and buy one”.
In the internal sense of the Word purse and scrip means to understand and gain spiritual knowledge of truthful doctrines. Garments in this case has to do with the ability to discern one’s own inclination to evil. Only by coming to see these inclinations, and how evil is tempting them, can we perceive the ‘game’ evil is trying to get over on us, and thus, to untangle and reject the trick of evil; – for our core self, which is always connected to God, abhors evil and turns away from it with great determination. In this way evils can be removed. So, in general, by the purse and garment is meant to do the inner work of arming ourself and preparing ourself with truth from the Word and in our heart to fight evil; and, by a sword, is meant to do battle against temptation. ‘The sword’ means to fight from a passion for God, and for truth, and to remove evil.
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