from WL Worcester (H Blackmer, ed.), 
The Sower.  Helps to the Study of the Bible in Home and Sunday School
 
(Boston: Massachusetts New-Church Union, n.d.)

Table of Contents
 

 

Lesson 22

John 14:1-11  The Many Mansions

The Story

Primary and Junior

They were still at the table of the Last Supper, where the Lord had washed the disciples' feet; where He had told them that one of them should betray Him, and they had asked eagerly, "Is it I?" Before they left the large upper room, the Lord said many things to them, helpful, comforting things, to give them courage in the days that were to come, when He would have gone where they could not follow for a time. "Let not your heart be troubled. . . . In My Father's house are many mansions."

Just try and think for a moment how many! Think of all the countries of this earth and their millions of people, and the thousands and thousands of years that people have lived here. Then look up in the great sky some night and see some of the other planets, earths which belong to our sun, most of them much larger than our earth. Then look again and see all the thousands of stars, most of which have earths about them, and then try to think of the many heavenly homes that the Lord is preparing for His children in the other world. You cannot do it. Only the Lord with His infinite love can include so many.

We will think a little of these homes as Swedenborg tells us about them. We learned in the lesson about Lazarus a little about the sleep of death that comes to everyone, and the gentle awakening by the Lord in the other world. The part of the other world where all are first received is called the world of spirits. Little children are taken at once to angels' homes. Older persons linger in the world of spirits; there all hidden things of their lives and hearts are opened, and all evil things must be given up by those who will go to heaven. Good and evil separate from each other, and the good are taught by angels and prepared for their heavenly homes.

The mansions which our Heavenly Father has prepared for us will so exactly agree with what we love and enjoy, that we shall know that they are ours the minute we see them, though we may see others much more grand. And besides the home, there will be about us the kind of people we most love; and also the work that is waiting for each one of us to do is the work that we love best and can do best; for all in heaven have work to do, no one can be idle, for the laziness and indolence must all be left behind. Neither will there be the rush and worry we so often put into our work here, for neither has that a place in heaven, and we shall be able to do more work and better work without it. But we shall feel there that what we are doing is the Lord's work and that we are fitted better than anyone else to do just this particular thing; this will make it full of life and interest.

There are times of rest and recreation there. There will be heavenly music and heavenly beauty of every kind, perfect safety, and the way always open for us to do our best. No sickness, no suffering, no wickedness. We shall all be at the age of most perfect usefulness; the aged will be young again, and the children will grow up to be men and women.

We are told too of the many delightful things that surround the children. How they have beautiful gardens which they take care of, and that they are so bright and beautiful when the children are good, but lose their beauty if the children let selfish things come into their hearts. Then their clothes are also beautiful if they do what is right, but if they do something wrong spots come on their clothes, and they can only be made clean by their doing what is right again. I suppose we can hardly imagine the beautiful games and plays that the children enjoy there in that heavenly land.

If the growth of children is made so beautiful in the other world, what do you suppose is gained by children who grow up here? A greater strength to resist evil. There, that they may know and feel that the Heavenly Father is always protecting them, from evil, they are allowed at times as they grow older to feel their selfishness, and to realize that it is only by the Lord's help that they are saved from it. In this way they learn to be humble, and realize their dependence upon Him. Here in the temptations of this world, we can gain a different, perhaps a greater strength, and we may have an even greater sense of our dependence upon the Lord, as our need of His help has been more keenly felt. For some the gentler way is best, and for others the harder, and the Lord alone knows what is best for each one.

Teachers can read about children in heaven in H. 329-345; about the houses of angels in H. 184-190; and about the entrance into heaven in T. 622.


1. What are the "many mansions" of which the Lord speaks?

2. Tell me about the homes to which little children go in heaven.

3. How did the Lord tell us that we may find and know "the Father" of whom He spoke?

4. Who is meant by "the Comforter," in verses 16 and 26?

5. Where were these words spoken by the Lord? Who were present to hear them? Were they spoken also for others? (John 17:20)

Spiritual Study

Intermediate

These precious and tender chapters (John 14-17) are less suitable for reading with little children, but older students should read them entire. The chapters describe the union of the Lord's Humanity with the Divine, and our conjunction with the Divine in Him - the means by which this conjunction is accomplished, and its effects.

"Let not your heart be troubled." In the conjunction with Him, of which the Lord is speaking, there is trust and peace, which takes away fear and trouble from the heart. See also verse 27, and John 16:33. (E. 365)

"In My Father's house are many mansions." Conjunction with the Lord is heaven. We think of the many homes of heaven, which the Lord prepares in His great love. We think also of heavenly uses, as many as there are kinds of good men and women, or can be to eternity, for each angel's home is in his use. They are all mansions in the Father's house, for all heavenly uses and joys are from, and are included in, the Lord's great love and joy of use. (H. 7, 186)

The question of Thomas and the Lord's answer. (Verses 5-7) What is said of Thomas after the Lord's resurrection (John 20:24-29) shows that he was of a natural mind, and speaks for those of natural mind, who need external evidence of heaven. How are God and heaven made real to such natural minds? In the Lord's Divine Human life. Here is all the tangible evidence that any mind can need. (T. 370)

Philip's saying and the Lord's reply. (Verses 8-14) We have found Philip at other times a type of an intelligent understanding of heavenly things. His saying, "Lord, show us the Father, and it sufficeth us," expresses the desire to understand this subject of conjunction with the Lord. And in His reply the Lord explains some things to our understanding. Read very carefully what the Lord says about the relation of the Father (the Divine within Him, which was His life) and the Human nature which was showing the Divine to men in words and works. Compare the Lord's words with words which you might use if you were explaining to someone what your soul is and where it is. "My soul is in me," you might say; "it is my soul that speaks the words and does the works; knowing me you know my soul." The promise of greater works (verse 12) means that as the Human nature of the Lord was united with the Divine, His power to do good works, and the power from Him which enabled men to do good works, increased. "If ye shall ask any thing in My name, I will do it," teaches that the power of usefulness will increase without limit as one comes into accord with the Lord. The verses which follow (15-21) teach that the practical way to come into accord and conjunction with the Lord is by obedience to His commandments. To those who thus do their part, His Spirit enters with comfort to their souls, and the Lord makes Himself known, not by an outward but by an inward way. (A. 6674, 9310)

The question of Judas and the words which follow. (Verses 22-31) The name Judas among the apostles, like Judah among the tribes, stands for a quality of love; and here for a good love and not a selfish one, for it is "Judas, not Iscariot" who speaks. His question leads to still deeper instruction regarding conjunction with the Lord as He makes Himself known not to outward sense, not to understanding, but to the perception of a loving and obedient heart. To such a heart He gives comfort and enlightenment (verse 26) and peace (verse 27). The disciples should not grieve, and we should not grieve, that the Lord is no longer present to outward sense; for by His glorification, by the union of His Human nature with the Divine, the power and peace and other blessings of conjunction with Him are increased for men. (Verse 28) To them and to us it should be a help in days when the power of the world is strong, to look forward to the conjunction with Him, of which the Lord has spoken. (Verses 29, 30) "Arise, let us go hence." Perhaps at this point they arose from the table, and the Lord continued speaking as they went to the garden of Gethsemane. In a deeper sense the command expresses the Lord's purpose and our purpose to press on to the conjunction which has been described, by loving the Lord and doing His commandments in this world. (A. 1013, 10578)

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