Could there be reasons for the humble, vulnerable beginnings of Jesus’s life?

In this video from his Swedenborg and Life web series, host Curtis Childs and featured guests explore how the Divine design may have been at play from the very beginning of Christ's life.

(References: Apocalypse Explained 706 [12]; Luke 2:8-12; The Word 7; True Christian Religion 89, 90, 96, 766)

708. And the moon under her feet.- That this signifies faith with those who are natural and in charity, is plain from the signification of the moon, as denoting faith in which there is charity, of which we shall speak presently; and from the signification of feet as meaning things natural, of which see above (n. 69, 600:1, 632), - here, therefore, those who are natural, because it is said of the woman, who signifies the church, and the sun with which she was encompassed signifies love to the Lord from the Lord and love towards the neighbour, as shown in the preceding article. The woman encompassed with the sun therefore signifies the church with those who are celestial and thence spiritual, and the moon under her feet signifies the church with those who are natural and sensual, and at the same time in the faith of charity; for the goods and thus the truths of heaven and the church have an orderly succession, like the head, the body, and the feet in man. In the head of the Grand Man (Maximus Homo), which is heaven, are those who are in love to the Lord from the Lord, and these are called celestial; but in the body, from the breast even to the loins of that Grand Man, which is heaven, are those who are in love towards the neighbour, and they are called spiritual. But in the feet of the Grand Man, which is heaven, are those who are in the faith of charity obscurely, and these are called natural.

[2] But in order that this may be clearly apprehended, it must be understood that there are two kingdoms into which the heavens are divided, one called the celestial, and the other the spiritual; also that there are three heavens, the highest called the celestial, the middle called the spiritual, and the lowest the celestial-spiritual-natural.

But besides these divisions of the heavens, there is also the further distinction that there are those who receive light, that is, intelligence, from the Lord as a sun, and those who receive light and intelligence from the Lord as a moon. Those who receive the light of intelligence from the Lord as a sun, are those in whom the Intellectual and its Rational have been opened, and who have thence thought rationally concerning things that should be believed from a spiritual affection for truth. But those who receive light from the Lord as a moon, are those in whom the Intellectual and Rational have not been interiorly opened, but only the natural, and who in consequence have thought from the memory about what should be believed; and to think of those things from the memory is to think only about such things as have been heard from a master or preacher, which are called truths, and are also believed to be truths, although they may be falsities, for they are not seen from any further ground. If such had been in the faith of charity during their abode in the world, they, in the heavens, are under the Lord as a moon, for the light (lumen), which is the source of their intelligence, is like the light (lumen) of the moon at night, while the light (lux), which is the source of the intelligence of those who are in the heavens under the Lord as a sun, is like the light (lux) of day. What the difference is can be seen from the difference between the light of the sun in the day and that of the moon at night. The difference also is such that those who are under the Lord as a moon can see nothing in the light of those who are under the Lord as a sun, because their light (lux) is not genuine, but reflected light, which is capable of receiving falsities as well as truths, provided good appears in the falsities. Since all those who are in the heavens under the Lord as a moon are natural and sensual, and have nothing in common with those in the heavens who are under the Lord as a sun, and since they also are in falsities, in which, however, there is good, therefore the moon was seen under the feet of the woman, which means the faith of those who are natural.

[3] So far concerning the faith of those in heaven who are under the Lord as a moon; we will also speak briefly of their affection, from which faith derives its life. Their desire to know truth and do good, is, like themselves, natural, deriving more or less from the glory of learning, and from reputation, which looks to honours and gain as rewards, differing in this from the spiritual desire to know truth and do good, which those have who in heaven are under the Lord as a sun; with these this affection is so separated from natural affection, that the latter is under the feet. This also is the reason why the moon, which signifies not only faith, but also its affection, was here seen under the feet. But a more complete idea of these things may be obtained from what is said and shown in Heaven and Hell under the following heads: "Heaven is divided into two kingdoms" (n. 20-28); "The Sun and Moon in Heaven," "Light and Heat in the Heavens" (n. 116-140); "The Correspondence of Heaven with all things of Man" (n. 87-102); also in the Doctrine of the New Jerusalem, concerning those who are in falsities from good (n. 21). That the sun signifies the Lord as to Divine Love, and thence love to the Lord from the Lord, and that the moon signifies the truth of faith, may be seen above (n. 401); moreover, concerning the heavens which are under the Lord as a sun, and those under the Lord as a moon, see also above (n. 411e, 422:3, 527). To this it may be added, that those heavens which are under the Lord as a moon are also three, a higher, a middle, and a lower, or, what is the same, an interior, a middle, and an exterior; still all in these heavens are natural. The reason why they are interior, middle, and exterior, is because the Natural is divided into three degrees in the same manner as the Spiritual; the exterior Natural communicates with the world, the interior with heaven, while the middle is conjunctive. Nevertheless, those who are in the heavens under the Lord as a moon cannot enter into the heavens that are under the Lord as a sun, because their interior sight or understanding is formed to receive the lunar light there, and not to receive the solar light. They are, comparatively, not unlike those birds that see in the night and not in the day time, consequently when they come into the solar light, which those have who are under the Lord as a sun, their sight is darkened. Those who are in these heavens are such as were in charity according to their religion, or according to their faith; but those who are natural, and not in the faith of charity, are in the hells under those heavens. From these things it is evident that the moon here means faith with those who are natural and in charity; and that the moon was seen under the feet, because those who are in the heavens under the Lord as a moon have nothing in common with those who are in the heavens under the Lord as a sun, even to the extent of not being able to ascend up to them.

632. And the holy city shall they tread under foot.- That this signifies that they will destroy all the doctrine of good and truth from the Word, is evident from the signification of the holy city, as denoting the doctrine of truth and good from the Word. In the sense of the letter the holy city means Jerusalem, which, in the Word, is everywhere called the city, and the holy city, but Jerusalem means the church, and a city, the doctrine of the church. That a city (civitas seu urbs) signifies doctrine, may be seen above (n. 223). The holy city therefore signifies the doctrine of Divine Truth, for Divine Truth is that which is called holy in the Word (n. 204); and from the signification of treading under foot as denoting to destroy altogether, especially by means of sensual and natural things, consequently by fallacies, which are called the fallacies of the senses, from which, when not unfolded, absolute falsities exist. The reason why such things are signified by treading under foot, is, that this is done by the soles of the feet, and the soles of the feet signify the sensual external things of man, and the feet his natural things. That this signification of the soles of the feet and of the feet is from correspondence, may be seen above (n. 65, 606); and in Heaven and Hell 96).

[2] It is said that "The nations shall tread under foot the holy city," because these words follow: "The court which is without the temple, cast out, because it is given to the nations." By the court is signified the external of the Word, of the church, and of worship, and the external of the Word is that which is perverted, and consequently adulterated and falsified by the nations, or by those who are in evils and falsities. For, as stated in the preceding article, the external of the Word, called the sense of its letter, is for children and the simple minded, and therefore is written according to appearances, thus for those who are sensual and natural; for children are first sensual, afterwards natural, and when they advance in age they become spiritual. But a man who does not become spiritual, as is the case with every one who lives in evil, cannot understand the Word spiritually, but merely naturally and sensually, and he who thus understands the Word perverts it, and explains it according to the falsities of his religion, and the evils of his life; this is the reason why it is said, they shall tread it under foot. Those who deny and despise the truths of heaven and of the church, also appear in the spiritual world to tread them under the soles of their feet, and this, as said just above, because the external Sensual of man corresponds to the soles of the feet, by means of which treading under foot is effected. It is said that the external Sensual of man does this, but this is the case only with the Sensual of those who are utterly sensual, and these are they who deny the truths of heaven and of the church, who also believe nothing but what they can see with their eyes and touch with their hands.

[3] These are they of whom it is said "to tread under foot"; and in the following places.

In Luke:

"They shall fall by the edge of the sword, and they shall be taken captive among all nations, and at length Jerusalem shall be trodden under foot of the nations, even till the times of the nations shall be fulfilled" (21:24).

These things are similar to those explained in the Apocalypse, where it is said "the court is given to the nations, and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months." For by "they shall fall by the edge of the sword" is signified that they shall perish by falsities; by "they shall be taken captive among all nations" is signified that evils will make a prey of the goods and truths of the church. By Jerusalem being trodden under foot is signified the destruction of the church as to doctrine, for Jerusalem signifies the church as to doctrine; by its being trodden under foot by the nations is signified its total destruction by evils of life and falsities of doctrine; even till the times of the nations be fulfilled signifies until the evil is consummated. (Concerning this see above, n. 624:2.) This consummation is also signified by forty and two months. Those words, like these in the Apocalypse, were also spoken by the Lord concerning the time immediately preceding the Last Judgment.

[4] In Ezekiel:

"Is it a small thing to you? Ye eat up the good pasture, and ye tread down with your feet the residue of your pastures; ye drink the sediment of waters, ye disturb the rest with your feet; and so my flock feed upon what ye have trodden with your feet, and drink that which is disturbed by your feet" (34:18, 19).

The good pasture signifies every thing that spiritually nourishes, especially the Word, and the cognitions of truth and good thence, To eat it up, and to tread down the rest with the feet, signifies to destroy it so that it may not appear, also to destroy it that it may not exist, and this is done by reasonings from the corporeal-Sensual, and from the natural man separated from the spiritual. This then is what is meant by treading under foot. The sediment of the waters signifies truths defiled by falsities, for waters denote truths, and to drink thereof signifies to learn and to receive; to disturb the rest of the waters by the feet signifies to confound by reasonings from the natural man truths not defiled by falsities, feet denoting natural things with man. The signification of my flock drinking what is trodden down and disturbed with the feet is therefore evident.

[5] In Daniel:

The he-goat "threw" the ram "to the ground, and trod upon him, nor was there any one to take the ram out of his hand; afterwards one horn grew from a little one to the host of the heavens, and cast down of the host and of the stars to the earth, and trod upon them" (8:7, 9, 10).

The he-goat there signifies faith separated from charity, and by the ram faith united to charity, thus charity. The signification of the goats and sheep in Matthew (25:31-46) is similar. The one horn which from a little one increased immensely signifies justification by faith alone; by the host of the heavens are signified all the truths and goods of heaven and of the church, and by the stars are signified the knowledges of good and truth. Therefore by treading under foot the ram and also the host of the heavens, is signified altogether to destroy charity, and with it all the truths and goods of heaven and the church, and this by means of the corporeal-Sensual. For those who are in faith separated from charity, that is, who believe that they shall be saved by faith alone, whatever their life may be, become corporeal-Sensual, and are consequently immersed in falsities in regard to all things of the Word and of the church. For their perception of the Word is only according to the ultimate sense of its letter, nor do they see any thing of it interiorly; in fact, if they utter truths from the Word, still they have a false perception of them. This therefore is the signification of the he-goat casting down to the earth of the host of the heavens and of the stars, and treading them under foot. That charity towards the neighbour, that is, the good of life, is in like manner destroyed by them, is meant by the goat throwing the ram to the ground, and treading upon him. For those who are in faith separated from charity, and meant by the he-goat, make faith the essential and charity the non-essential, therefore they live for the body and the world, and are solicitous about themselves only, and not at all for their neighbour, and those who do this, cast charity down to the around, and tread it under foot, charity being meant by the ram.

[6] In Luke:

"Some" seed "fell upon the way, which was trodden underfoot, or the fowls of heaven devoured it" (8:5).

The seed signifies Divine Truth, or the truth of the Word; by falling upon the way and being trodden under foot is signified to be received only by the corporeal-Sensual, and not interiorly. For that which is received in the spirit and heart is meant by the seed which fell into the good ground. The fowls of heaven which devoured the seed signify falsities, for all evils and therefore all falsities reside in the corporeal-Sensual, unless therefore man becomes spiritual, and thinks from that, he simply thinks falsities from evil. Concerning the nature and quality of the corporeal-Sensual, and of sensual men, see the Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 50); also above in this work (n. 342, 543, 550, 552, 554, 556, 559, 563, 569, 570, 580).

[7] Again in Isaiah:

"I will make known to you what I will do to my vineyard; in removing the hedge thereof, that it may be eaten up, and in breaking through the wall thereof, that it may be trodden under foot" (5:5).

The vineyard there signifies the church of the Lord, which is called the spiritual church. By removing the hedge, and breaking through the wall, is signified to falsify and thus to destroy the truths that defend the church, the wall and the hedge about the vineyard denoting the same as the wall and the bulwarks around Jerusalem. By eating up and treading under foot the vineyard, is signified to vastate the church, so that no good and truth can spring up therein, and thus to destroy it.

[8] In Jeremiah:

"Many shepherds have destroyed my vineyard, they have trodden my field under foot, they have made my field of desire a wilderness of solitude" (12:10).

Here also the church of the Lord is signified by vineyard and similarly by field. To destroy, to tread under foot, and to make a wilderness of solitude, signifies so to destroy as to leave nothing of the good and truth of the church.

In Isaiah:

"Our enemies have trodden thy sanctuary under foot" (63:18).

Enemies signify evils of life. By treading the sanctuary under foot is signified to destroy the truths of doctrine from the Word, and this also by means of the corporeal-Sensual, for all those who are in evils of life are corporeal-Sensual.

[9] So in David:

"The enemy pursueth my soul, and overtaketh and treadeth down my life to the earth, and maketh my glory to dwell in the dust" (Psalm 7:5).

Enemy here also signifies evil, in general the devil, that is, hell, whence evil comes. By treading down life to the earth and making glory to dwell in the dust, is signified to destroy, by means of the corporeal-Sensual, all the truths of heaven and of the church, for these make spiritual life, and are also signified by glory. "Dust" is also used in reference to the corporeal-Sensual, which also is meant by walking upon the belly and eating dust, as is frequently said of the serpent.

[10] Similar things are signified by treading under foot in these passages.

In Isaiah:

"I will make" the hypocritical nation "to be trodden under foot as the mire of the streets" (10:6).

In Micah:

"The enemy of Jehovah" shall be for a treading under foot, as the mud of the streets" (7:10).

In Zechariah:

"They shall be as mighty men treading under foot the mire of the streets in the war, they shall fight because Jehovah is with them, and they shall make them ashamed that ride upon horses" (10:5).

In Malachi:

"Then ye shall tread the impious under foot, and they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet, in the day when I shall do this"(4:3).

In Isaiah:

"The crown of pride, the drunkards of Ephraim, shall be trodden under foot" (28:3);

"I have trodden the people under foot in my anger, and made them drunk in my wrath, and I have made their victory to descend to the earth" (63:6).

In David:

"By thee will we drive away our enemies, in thy name will we tread them under that rise up against us" (Psalm 44:6);

again:

God "shall tread down our enemies" (Psalm 60:12, 108:13).

In these passages treading under foot also signifies to destroy, which is done by those who are corporeal-sensual, for those who are of such a character tread under foot all things of heaven and of the church, for they are in lowest things, and their thoughts cannot be elevated upwards by the Lord, because they themselves depress them to the earth, and there they lick the dust; such are all those that deny the Divine. For all the evils which man has from birth reside in his natural and corporeal-Sensual, unless therefore he suffer himself to be raised out of them by the Lord - and this takes place through divine media, which are the truths and goods of faith and of love, or through truths and goods of doctrine and of life - he remains in his evils implanted in the natural and corporeal-Sensual, and then he treads under foot the celestial and spiritual things that pertain to heaven and the church.

[11] Treading upon the lion, the asp, serpents, and scorpions, means not only to destroy the evils and falsities signified by these, but also not to be harmed by them. This is meant in David:

"Thou shalt tread upon the lion and asp, the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under foot" (Psalm 91:13);

so in Luke:

"Behold I give you power to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and upon all the power of the enemy, so that nothing shall by any means hurt you" (10:19).

The reason why it is so expressed in the Word is, that those who are in the hells sometimes appear before the eyes of good spirits and angels in the forms of various beasts and serpents, according to the species of the evil and thence of the falsity, in which they are; it is their thoughts proceeding from the intention of their wills that present those appearances. The exhalations from their evils and falsities continually rise up through the lands that are over those hells, or by which those hells are covered; to walk therefore upon those places is dangerous for those who are only natural, and still more for those who are corporeal-sensual, for the exhalation arising therefrom and the contagion infect those who walk there. But those whom the Lord leads may walk with safety upon that land without being infected or infested, because the interiors of their minds, or of their thoughts and affections, are raised by the Lord above their corporeal-Sensual, which corresponds to the soles of their feet. From these things it is evident what is meant, in the proper sense (in sensu proprio), by treading upon the lion, the asp, serpents, and scorpions without being hurt by them, and also why it is so said in the Word. The signification of a lion and of serpents and scorpions has been stated and shown elsewhere.