The idea of “least” is not addressed directly in Swedenborg, but a central idea is relatively clear from several references to Matthew 25:40:
And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’
Swedenborg says the “brethren” are those who share a desire for good from the Lord; the implication is that even the one who is in the smallest degree of that desire is still one of the brethren. In other words, someone who is the least of a group is still in the group – and that’s more important than the “least” ranking.
It follows then, that the least degree of a spiritual state would still have in it the essence of that state, and woud still represent the whole.
We say that, though, with the warning that this reasoning is drawn from Swedenborg, but is not directly stated there, so it is speculative.
Passages from Swedenborg
Arcana Coelestia (Elliott) n. 1594
[4]To the extent therefore that a person acknowledges and believes that he really is what he in fact is, he departs from self-love and its desires, and loathes himself. To the extent that this happens he receives from the Lord heavenly love, that is, mutual love, which is willing to serve all. These are the people meant by the least who become the greatest in the Lord’s kingdom, Matt. 20:26-28; Luke 9:46-48.
Arcana Coelestia (Elliott) n. 10217
[4] The expressions ‘the children of Israel’ and ‘the seed of Abraham’ were not used to mean his descendants but spiritual truths and forms of good, which are countless and also for the most part beyond description. This becomes clear from the consideration that they were no greater in number than any other nation, as also Moses bore witness,
Jehovah has desired you, that He might choose you, not because you are more in number than all peoples; indeed you are fewer than all peoples. Deut. 7:7.
Arcana Coelestia (Elliott) n. 4191
Every joining together is effected through love and charity, as anyone may recognize, for a joining together spiritually is nothing other than love and charity. Love to the Lord, it is evident, causes one to be joined to Him; and so does charity towards the neighbour, as is clear from the Lord’s words in Matthew,
Insofar as you did it to one of the least of these My brothers you did it to Me. Matt. 25:40.
This refers to charitable works.
Arcana Coelestia (Elliott) n. 4959
- The reason the Lord speaks of all these things being done to Himself is that He is present in those kinds of people, which is why He also says,
Truly I say to you, insofar as you did it to one of the least of these My brothers you did it to Me. Matt. 25:40-45.
Arcana Coelestia (Elliott) n. 5067
- Since therefore the Lord is not concerned about external things, only about those that are internal, and a person bears witness to internal ones not through worship alone but through charity and acts that express it, the Lord replied,
Truly I say to you, Insofar as you did it to one of the least of these My brothers you did it to Me.
The word ‘brothers’ is used to describe those in whom the good of charity and life is present; for since good itself is present in them, the Lord resides with them. These are the ones who are meant, strictly speaking, by the neighbour. Yet the Lord does not present Himself even within these, for compared with Him they are worthless. But a person presents himself before the Lord by worshipping Him with his inner being.
Arcana Coelestia (Elliott) n. 5409
The Lord Himself therefore uses the word ‘brothers’ to describe truths and resulting forms of good which exist in agreement with one another by virtue of charity and faith, that is, to describe people who know truths and from these desire what is good: In Matthew,
The king will say to them, Truly I say to you, Insofar as you did it to one of the least of these My brothers you did it to Me. Matt. 25:40.
Arcana Coelestia (Elliott) n. 6756
Since spiritual brotherhood has its origin in love, that is, one person is another’s, and those who are governed by good abide in the Lord, and He abides in them, John 14:20, the Lord calls them brothers, in Matthew,
Jesus stretching out His hand over His disciples said, Behold My mother and My brothers; for whoever does the will of My Father who is in heaven is My brother, and sister, and mother. Matt. 12:49, 50.
In the same gospel,
Insofar as you did it to one of the least of My brothers you did it to Me. Matt. 25:40.
Arcana Coelestia (Elliott) n. 9210
If the end or intention is to do good for the sake of reputation, in order to acquire important positions or else monetary gain, the good that he does is not good because it is done for the sake of self and thus also originates in self. But if the end is to do good for his fellow citizen’s, country’s, or Church’s sake, thus for his neighbour’s sake, the good he does is good since it is done for the sake of good itself, which in general is the real neighbour, 5025, 6706, 6711, 6712, 8123, and so is also done for the Lord’s sake since such good does not have its origin in the person but in the Lord, and what originates in the Lord is the Lord’s. This is the good that is meant by the Lord in Matthew,
Insofar as you did it to one of the least of these My brothers you did it to Me. Matt. 25:40.
Arcana Coelestia (Elliott) n. 10336
[2] This is the reason for saying that the Lord is Goodness itself and Truth itself. It is clear from the Lord’s own words that He is Goodness itself,
Why do you call Me Good? Nobody is Good except the one God. Matt. 19:16, 17; Luke 18:18, 19.
And where the good deeds of love and charity are listed,
Insofar as you did it to one of the least of these My brothers you did it to Me. Matt. 25:40.
The word ‘brothers’ describes those who are governed by good, and so describes varieties of good, see 2360, 3803, 3815, 4121, 5409; thus ‘the Lord’s brothers’ are those who are governed by good that originates in Him, 4191, 5686, 5692, 6756.
Apocalypse Explained (Tansley) n. 394
The reason why these things are signified by those words is, because by blood is signified all violence offered to Divine good and Divine truth, thus to the Lord consequently, violence offered to those who live the life of charity and faith. To offer violence to them is to offer violence to the Lord Himself, according to the words of the Lord Himself in Matthew:
“Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me” (xxv. 40, 45).
Apocalypse Explained (Tansley) n. 746
[9] In Matthew:
“The King answering said unto them, I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it to one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me” (xxv. 40).
That those who have done the good works of charity are here called by the Lord brethren is evident from the words which precede the above. It must, however, be understood that although the Lord is their Father, still He calls them brethren; but He is their Father from the Divine Love, and brother from the Divine which proceeds from Him. The reason is that all in the heavens are recipients of the Divine which proceeds from Him, and the Divine which proceeds from the Lord, of which they are recipients, is the Lord in heaven and also in the church; and this is not of angel or man, but of the Lord in them; therefore the good of charity itself in them, which is the Lord’s own, He calls brother, as He also calls angels and men, because they are the recipient subjects of that good. In a word, the proceeding Divine, which is the Divine of the Lord in the heavens, is the Divine born of the Lord in heaven; therefore from that Divine, angels, who are its recipients, are called Sons of God, and since these are brethren, because of the Divine received in themselves, it is therefore the Lord in them who says “brother,” for angels, when they speak from the good of charity, do not speak from themselves, but from the Lord.
This then is why the Lord says, “Inasmuch as ye have done it to one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” The goods of charity, enumerated in the verses preceding, are therefore, in the spiritual sense, the brethren of the Lord, and are called brethren by the Lord, for the reason just given. The King, also, who thus calls them, signifies the proceeding Divine, which in one word is called Divine Truth or the Spiritual Divine, which in its essence is the good of charity.