Sermon on Accommodation of the Lord's Truth
by Rev. J. Hugh Odhner November 8, 2009
“Amen, Amen, I say to you, We speak what We know and testify what We have seen, and you do not receive Our witness. If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?”(John 3:11-12)
We are all familiar with the word “amen” so often used in the Old and New Testaments and at the end of prayers, sermons, and Scripture readings. In the Old Testament we find “amen” frequently in the Psalms, and several times in other Old Testament books. In the New Testament “amen” is used 52 times in the synoptic Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, 25 times in the book of John, and also in Revelation.
The word “amen” is of Hebrew origin meaning “so be it.” It is derived from a Hebrew verb meaning to be firm, confirmed, reliable, faithful, to have faith, to believe. From the Hebrew it was taken into the Aramaic and Greek of the New Testament, and from the Greek into Latin and thence into English and other languages. Common English translations of the word amen include: "Verily", "Truly" and “certainly,” as well as “truth.” (In all English translations it is sometimes hard to know when the original word is “amen.”)
We are told in the Third Testament that the word “amen” signifies divine confirmation from the truth and that since the Lord is the Truth Itself therefore He so often said, 'Verily (or Amen) I say unto you', as in our text today. Also, because the Lord is the Truth Itself, in some places in the Word He calls Himself the “Amen,” as we read in Isaiah 65:16:
So that he who blesses himself in the earth Shall bless himself in the God of truth (literally, Amen); And he who swears in the earth Shall swear by the God of truth (literally, Amen)
and in Revelation 3:14:
These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God.
Here the Lord calls Himself the Amen and also the faithful and true Witness. This comes from the signification of "amen," as being truth; and also from the signification of "the faithful and true Witness," which means, in reference to the Lord, everything of faith from Him; for “witness," in reference to the Lord signifies the Divine Truth which is from Him (see AE 228).
In our text from John 3:11 it says: “Amen, Amen, I say to you, We speak what We know and testify what We have seen, and you do not receive Our witness.”
Notice the repetition of the word “amen.” Some English translations translate these words as “verily, verily, I say to you,” or “truly, truly, I say to you,” or “very truly, I say to you,” or “most assuredly, I say to you,” or “I tell you the truth.” The repetition of the word amen, is important both for the natural meaning and also for the spiritual meaning. As to the natural meaning, when we hear a word repeated like this, it indicates added emphasis, that we need to pay attention to what is coming next. That is why some translations say “most assuredly” or “I tell you the truth!” It may be the equivalent of saying “now listen, this is really important,” or for those of us who have been in the military, having the drill sergeant say, “listen up, people!” So in the natural sense, the Lord is stressing that what He is about to say is very important for us. He really wants our attention.
As to the spiritual sense, we are told in the Third Testament that when a word, or phrase, is repeated in the Word, it is done because the repetition means that both good and truth are involved. The word “amen” by itself refers to the Lord’s Divine Truth, but when it is repeated it refers to the Lord's Divine Truth and also to His Divine Good. This repetition occurs here because the Lord has been talking to Nicodemus in the previous verses about the necessity of being born again, and being born again or regenerated is from the Lord's Divine Mercy or Love, by means of His Truth. The Lord saves us because He loves us, and He does this by means of His Word which He gives to us.
In the previous verses, that is, John 3:3-10, the Lord was speaking about the necessity of being born again. Now in verse 11, He says that “We speak what We know and testify what We have seen, and you do not receive Our witness.” The Lord’s speaking, testifying, and witness, all have reference to His Divine Truth, because what the Lord speaks, testifies, and witnesses is His Divine Truth, that is, His Word. In the Apocalypse Explained 228, it says that “’witness’ signifies the Lord in respect to Divine truth in heaven and in the church.”
The Lord's Divine Truth, such as it is in itself is too great or beyond the comprehension of any angel or any person. To use the words of Psalm 139:6, “Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain it.” For this reason, all Divine Truth, is accommodated to our understanding. Concerning this accommodation, we read in the Arcana Coelestia or Heavenly Secrets 8920:
"As regards truth in an accommodated form, it should be recognized that when Divine truth comes down through the heavens to people, as the Word came down, it undergoes accommodation to all on its way down, both for those in heaven and for those on earth. … unless Divine Truth or the Word appeared in an accommodated form it would be unintelligible. For if it were above people's level of perception it would not pass into the understanding thus not into faith. This is why Divine truth has been given to mankind such as it is in the Word in the letter."
The Lord was referring to this need for accommodation of His Divine Truth, when he said in John 3:12, “If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how [will you believe] if I tell you heavenly things?” At the time He was talking to Nicodemus, but His words are meant for all of us. How can we truly believe anything unless we can understand or comprehend it? This is why the Lord has given us a revelation that can make sense to us, if we are seeking the truth and willing to live according to it. What is important is our motivation in seeking the truth.
Our third lesson, from Arcana Coelestia 8783, spoke of truth being hidden from the wise and revealed to the simple. By the simple are not meant those who are stupid or of lower intelligence, but those who have humility and innocence, that is, those who are willing to follow the Lord. That is why the simple are compared to the babes of whom the Lord spoke when He said, “I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to babes.” (Luke 10:21)
All truth is accommodated by the Lord in His Word to our state of comprehension. His truth is open to those who are seeking it in a spirit of humility and innocence; those who have a willingness and openness to live the truth when they see it. On the other hand the Lord's truth is hidden from us when we trust in our own intelligence and set ourselves up above others. When we do this, when we think that from our education or experience or IQ that we are smarter or in some way better than others -- when we set ourselves up above others in this way -- then the Lord cannot reveal His truths to us. And then spiritually we are not simple but stupid.
The Word teaches that there are three things that follow in order; accommodation, application, and conjunction. There must be accommodation before there is application; and there must be accommodation and application together before there is conjunction. Accommodation on God's part was that He became Man and gave us His Divine Truths in His Word. Accommodation on our part is taking the time to approach Him in His Word and to seek Him and His Truths in His Word. Application on God's part is perpetual in His effort to save us and can join us to Himself. Application on our part involves applying ourselves to understanding and living according to the Divine Truths in the Lord's Word. And so far as this is done, conjunction is effected. (see TCR 370)
The Lord always accommodates Himself to us. We may ask ourselves, do we accommodate ourselves to the Lord? Do we spend any time seeking Him in His Word? If not, why not? Amen.
Readings: Isaiah 65:8-9, 11-12, 14-19; John 3:9-17; Arcana Coelestia 8783