whole church. Their punching him repeatedly, spitting in his face, whip-
ping him, and beating his head with a cane meant that they had done the
same to the divine truths in the Word. Their putting a crown of thorns
on him meant that they had falsified and contaminated those divine
truths. Their tearing up his clothes and casting lots for his undergarment
meant that they had split apart all the truths of the Word but they had
not split apart its spiritual meaning, which was symbolized by the Lord’s
undergarment. Their crucifying him meant that they had desecrated and
destroyed the entire Word. Their offering him vinegar to drink meant
that everything they offered him had been completely falsified; therefore
he did not drink it. Their piercing his side meant that they had com-
pletely annihilated everything true and everything good in the Word. His
being buried meant his casting off what was left from his mother. His ris-
ing on the third day meant the glorification, the union of his human
nature with the divine nature of the Father.
From all this it is clear that “carrying injustices” does not mean tak-
ing them away; it means representing the desecration of the Word’s truth.
This point can also be illustrated by comparisons. (I make compar- 131
isons for the sake of ordinary people, who see more in a comparison than
they do in a deductive analysis based on the Word and on reason.)
When any citizens or subjects obey the commands and orders of
their king, they are united to him. If they endure oppressive circum-
stances for him, they are more deeply united to him. If they suffer death
for him, as happens in battles and wars, they are still more deeply
united to him.
In the same way, doing the other person’s will is how a friend is
united to a friend, a child to a parent, or a servant to the head of the
household. If the friend, child, and servant defend their superiors against
enemies they are more deeply united to them. If they fight for their supe-
riors’ honor they are even more deeply united to them.
Take for example a young man and the young woman he hopes to
marry. When he confronts people who are destroying her reputation,
surely he becomes more united to her. What about when he is injured
fighting a rival? It is a law inscribed on nature that under these circum-
stances the couple will become more deeply united.
The Lord says, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays
down his life for the sheep. For this reason the Father loves me” (John
10 : 11 , 17 ).
§131 the lord the redeemer & redemption 183