MARITAL LIFE (Song of Songs 5:1-9) A. THE BEGINNING OF MARITAL LIFE As soon as the Church calls her Bridegroom to come to her and to eat from the garden inside of her, full of the Holy Spirit and watered from the fountain of the Holy Baptism, He immediately answers her call, without any hesitation, saying, “I have come to My garden, My sister, My spouse; I have gathered My myrrh with My spice; I have eaten My honeycomb1 with My honey; I have drunk My wine with My milk. Eat, O friends! Drink, yes, drink deeply, O beloved ones!” (Song 5:1). Without hesitation He descended to His garden, in which He always desired to be; for this particular call corresponds to His will. Since the beginning, God prepared the events of salvation, the subject of His delight, in spite of all the suffering, shame, and death that was involved. St. Paul said, “Who for the joy that was set before Him endured the Cross, despising the shame…” (Heb. 12:2). His bride calls Him to come to His gardens: the one He entered on the night before His Crucifixion and the one which contained His tomb. She asks Him to fill up in her flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ (Col. 1:24). Here she shares with Him in His suffering, crucifixion and burial; thus she does not hesitate to tell Him, “I have gathered my myrrh with my spice,” as if the events of the salvation are still active and extend into the lives of His children! Fr. Rufinus2 relates that the garden is where the Lord was crucified, where Solomon the Wise declares that the Bridegroom drinks wine mingled with myrrh, which was offered to the Lord at His crucifixion. The Lord immediately accepted her call, for He found that all what belongs to the bride was His. He addressed her as His garden, His sister and His bride. Inside of her He finds myrrh, spices, honeycomb, honey, wine, and milk. He also found the fruit of His Holy Spirit inside of her, so He ran to her. He found neither the wages of sin, nor adultery, nor any evil thing that He detests; for He said, “You shall not bring the hire of a harlot or the price of a dog to the house of the Lord your God for any vowed offering, for both of these are an abomination to the Lord your God” (Deut. 23:18). Before explaining what was inside the garden, St. Gregory questioned, “Whom does she call to feast on what he has prepared? [Him, from Whom and by Whom and in Whom all things consist (Col. 1:17), Who gives sustenance to everyone in due season (Lk. 12:42), Who opens His hand and fills with blessing every living creature (Ps. 145:16), Who descends as the bread of heaven (Jn. 6:14), gives life to the world, and from His own Source pours life upon every creature. “It is for Him that the bride sets her table. And the table is a garden, planted with living trees. We are the trees, and the food we offer Him is the salvation of our souls, as He Himself said when He took His fill of our human existence: ‘My food is to do the will of the Father’ (John 4:34). And the object of the divine will is clear, for ‘He desires that all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth’ (1 1 or “bread,” the Septuagint 2 Rufinus, A Commentary on the Apostolic Creed, p. 26 5 Tim. 2:4). It is our salvation, then, that is the food prepared for Him. The fruit is our free will, which offers God our souls, as it were, on a branch to pluck. “Here too we should consider that earlier it was the bride who enjoyed the fruit of the apple, saying: ‘His fruit was sweet to my taste’ (Song 2:3). Here, however, she herself becomes the sweet, ripe fruit, offered to the Husbandman for His enjoyment. “Now the phrase, ‘Let my beloved descend,’ is similar in construction to the prayer, ‘Hallowed by Thy name,’ and ‘Thy will be done.’ Just as the construction of these two expressions denotes a prayer, so it is with the prayer of the bride, ‘Let my beloved come,’ as she indicates to God the abundant fruit of her perfection.” His coming down, then suggests the operation of divine love, for we cannot be exalted to the Most High unless the Lord ‘lifts up the humble’ (Ps. 147:6) and exalts the meek. Hence the soul that is rising to heaven calls upon the assistance of the transcendent Godhead and begs Him to come down from His immensity and mingle with us here below. “And His reply comes through the Prophet: ‘Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; you shall cry and He will say, “Here I am”’ (Is. 58:9). Even before the bride has made her prayer, He hears her petition and attends to the preparation of her heart (Ps. 10:17). “He comes to her garden… and plucks the fruit of her aromatic spices, and is filled with the fruit of her virtues. He then tells of His feasting, saying to the bride: ‘I have come to my garden, my sister, my spouse…’1] St. Gregory of Nyssa He descends to the heart, dwells in it, and rests in it. He plucks its myrrh with spices, and harvests the fruits of the Cross (myrrh) with the blessings of His holy tomb (spices). He sees the cup of our bitterness as His cup, and the spices which we are buried in are like the spices of His burial. He sees us carrying His Cross and being buried with Him. He eats honeycomb and honey, as if he has entered the Promised Land that overflows with milk and honey. He eats the two kinds of food He had eaten with His disciples after His Resurrection, proving with many signs that He is living and active in His Church. He finds everything in our hearts to be as sweet and delicious as honey and the honeycomb. He also drinks His wine (His love that He pours in us by His Holy Spirit) with His undefiled milk (purity and holiness). He then calls His friends to enter with Him into His private garden to be filled and to rejoice with His bride. Who are those friends? They are the heavenly creatures who rejoice over one sinner who repents more than ninety nine righteous who do not need repentance (Lk. 15:7). These enter the heart with the Lord, not to reign, but as the soldiers of the Heavenly King and friends of the Bridegroom, saying with John the Baptist, “He who has the bride is the bridegroom, but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice” (John 3:29). These are some of the sayings of the Fathers about those friends and their work in the heart: The heart is Christ’s palace, where the king enters to rest; and with Him goes the angels, the spirits of the saints. There He dwells and brings His kingdom!2 St. Macarius the Great He does not stand by Himself but the angels go before Him saying, ‘Lift up your 1 Sermon 10 2 Sermons related to St. Macarius, 15 6 heads O you gates!’ (Ps. 24:7). Which gates are these? These are the gates of which David the Psalmist said, ‘Open to me the gates of righteousness.’ Open the gates to Christ so He may enter. Open the gates of purity, the gates of courage, and the gates of wisdom. Trust the message of the angels: ‘Be lifted up, you everlasting doors! And the king of glory shall come in’ (Ps. 24:7)1. St. Ambrose Therefore let us open our hearts to God and His angels, so that we may attain the heavenly joy! 1 On the Faith 4: 2:20. 7 B. SHADOWS IN THE MARITAL LIFE “I sleep, but my heart is awake; it is the voice of my Beloved! He knocks saying, ‘Open for me, My sister, My love, My dove, My perfect one; for My head is covered with dew, My locks with the drops of the night” (Song 5:2-3). What a precise picture of the relationship between God and man! Long ago man became slothful, neglecting his salvation in spite of all the warnings God gave him to be watchful. God wanted him to be a child of the light, but man was determined to spend his entire life in the night, even if his heart was awake. God gave the human race the natural Law to awaken their hearts so they would have no excuse. “Although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man, and birds and four footed beasts and creeping things” (Rom. 1:21-23). He gave them the written Law, but when they sinned against the Law, they fell under its condemnation. “For not the hearers of the Law are just in the sight of God, but the doers of the Law will be justified” (Rom. 2:13). The holy Law, together with the just and good commandment, revealed sin to me; then sin revived and I died (Rom. 7:9,12). God sent His prophets, but what did the human race do to them? The Lord Himself said, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!” (Matt. 23:37). Finally, the voice of my beloved is calling me! Finally, the Word of God Himself has descended to knock on the door of man’s heart! He stands beseeching the human soul to open for Him. The Sun of Righteousness descends and enters our life, which we darkened, so that He may shine on those of us who are in darkness and in the shadow of death and awaken us from sleep! The conversation here is directed to the soul who calls the Messiah her Bridegroom. After a while, she becomes lukewarm in loving Him. Overcome by sleep, she could not stay awake on the night of His suffering, although her heart became a dwelling for the Holy Spirit. Despite being so lukewarm in her love to Him, God, the Lover of Mankind, looks at her heart and does not cease to descend to her door to call her and say, “Open for Me, My sister, My love, My dove, My perfect one.” The voice of the Beloved is gently rebuking her so He does not hurt her feelings, but encourages her and calls her His sister, love, dove, and perfect one. He does not reprimand her for sleeping, but rather gives her hope and encouragement. Repeating His request: “Open, open for me…” clarifies the repeated call to the human race in both Old and New Testaments. God does not change, and His call does not change; for He asks the heart to open for Him and accept Him! Repeating the call is a declaration of the perfect freedom of the soul. Although He is the Creator, the Lord, and the King, He does not force Himself on us, but pleads with us to open for Him. In the Book of Revelation He says, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock, if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him and he with Me” (Rev. 3:20). Even when He went to His disciples walking on the sea amidst the storm, He did not force Himself on them, but the Evangelist said, “Then they willingly received Him into the boat” (John 6:20). St. Athanasius used this gentle description of the Lord Jesus toward the 8 human soul to refute the violence of the Arians, saying, [The Lord comes to everyone, but He does not force anyone to open, for He knocks the door saying: ‘Open to Me, My sister…’ If one opens to Him, He will enter, but if one is late in responding, He will leave. He uses the method of persuasion and advice, and not violence and force1.] He convinces the soul to open for Him through love, for she is His sister, and He is her older Brother who can help her. He became the firstborn among many brethren (Rom. 8:29), and conquered death and became the first-fruits of those who have fallen asleep (1 Cor. 15:20). Let us open our hearts to the One who opened the door of life! Due to the strong friendship between them, He continues and begs her to open for Him, for He calls her His friend. He used the same title for Abraham, the father of believers (2 Chron. 20:7, Is. 41:8). Since God said to His friend Abraham “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am doing?” (Gen. 18:17), it is more appropriate for the believer, being a friend of God, to completely open his heart to God. He attracts her to open the door of her heart by calling her His dove, for she carries the Holy Spirit, Who came in the form of a dove inside her and gave her the capability to open her heart. Finally, He encourages her to be “the perfect one” without guile, thus she cannot close the door in front of His face. In the same manner God deals with us, declares His love to us (not through commandments but through His friendship), reveals the potentials of His Holy Spirit working in us, and encourages us to reach our goal! Finally, He pleads with us as the One who carries our suffering and pain for our sake. He said: “For my head is covered with dew, and my locks with the drops of the night” (Song 5:2). Although our life is full of darkness and sleep, through love He will penetrate through that darkness to bear the pains of the night. The Lord Jesus entered the garden of Gethsemane at night. While His disciples slept, not watching even one hour (Matt. 26:40), He entered in the deep and received the cup of suffering to drink for the sake of the entire human race. In the garden He was sorrowful and deeply distressed, saying, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful even to death” (Matt. 26:38). His sweat was dripping like drops of blood! He communes with her and pleads with her to open to Him for the sake of what He had endured for her. His head was covered with dew and His locks with the drops of the night. He carried the divine wrath in His body and as Isaiah the Prophet said, “Surely, He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgression, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed” (Is. 53:4-5). In spite of all this love, she presented inappropriate human excuses. She neither called Him her Lord nor even called Him by His name, but said: “I have taken off my robe; how can I put it on again? I have washed my feet; how can I defile them?” (Song 5:3). All these are excuses for not opening her heart to the One who truly loves her. This is a picture of the lukewarm person who does not wish to weary himself to meet the Lord Jesus; the One who greatly suffered for his sake! How easy it is for her to put on her robe and her shoes! She was more occupied with the comfort of her body than enjoying her Bridegroom. She resembled 1 The History of the Arians by St. Athanasius, 33 9 those who gave excuses for not attending the wedding feast (Matt. 22:5). Although she took off her robe, the Lord Jesus Himself is the eternal robe who covers us, as St. Paul said, “You have put on Christ” (Gal. 3:27). This is the best robe whom the Heavenly Father put on His son who returns to Him (Lk. 15:22). This is the robe presented from God’s hand, as Zechariah says, “I will clothe you with rich robes” (Zech. 3:4). Even if she has taken off her robe, He will give her His Holy Spirit to put on as the secret of life in her. He commanded His disciples, “Behold, I send the promise of My Father upon you, but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high” (Lk. 24:49). Although she has washed her feet, let us realize that the One who knocks at her door is her Lord who washed His bride’s feet (Jn. 13:5). She washed her feet with her self-righteousness to relieve her conscious; however, when the Lord’s hands extend to wash her feet, she will have rest in His eternal kingdom. That is why the Lord Jesus said to Peter, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me” (Jn. 13:8). Let us rise from our ego and proceed to our Bridegroom who covers us with His Blood, puts His Holy Spirit inside of us, and washes our inner life so we live sanctified for Him. 10 C. MARITAL LOVE IS RESTORED THROUGH THE CROSS Since the soul does not listen to the voice of the One who greatly loves her, He extends His wounded hands on the Cross so she may see, in her mind, the scars of the wounds of love which He endured for her. Then she yearns for Him saying: “My Beloved put His hand by the latch of the door, and my heart yearned for Him. I arose to open for my Beloved and my hands dripped with myrrh, my fingers with liquid myrrh on the handles of the lock” (Song 5:4-5). After the resurrection the disciples were scared and locked their doors. They did not know that the locked doors could not prevent the Lord from coming to them to show them His hands and side for them to rejoice (Jn. 20:20). He opened an inner latch inside their hearts so they may touch the wounds of His love. In the same manner the Lord extends His wounded hand through the latch to reveal the mystery of His love to His believers, so they may yearn for Him. This latch is nothing but the Lord’s side and His wounds. Through it, the Lord extends the hand of His love to reveal His inner bowels inflamed with love, so we may also yearn for Him. He first loved us, therefore, we have to love Him back (1Jn. 4:19). The latch has special memories, mentioned in the Old Testament, which are symbolic of the Lord’s work of salvation in the life of His bride. We mention some: 1. Through a latch (window), Abimelech realized that Rebecca was Isaac’s wife and not his sister (Gen. 26:8). Similarly, through the Lord’s wounds the Church is declared as the bride of the Lord Jesus Christ. 2. Through a window, the two spies descended from Rahab’s house (Josh. 2:15). Through a window, David also escaped and was delivered from the hands of Saul and his messengers (1Sam. 19:21). Through a window, we descend from the pride of this world to cross its gates and be delivered from all the wiles of the devil. 3. From a window, a scarlet cord was tied; the means by which Rahab and all her household were saved (Josh. 2:18), and a symbol of the Blood of the Lord Jesus that saves all people. 4. The window also symbolizes the destruction of evil as well as salvation. When Isabel, the evil queen, decorated herself with the ornaments of the world, she was thrown from a window and dogs licked her blood (2 Kings 9). When Ahaziah the evil king depended on Beelzebub, the god of Ekron, instead of the living God, he fell from the lattice of his upper room in Samaria, fell sick, and died (2 Kgs. 1:2). In her praise, Deborah also requested from the mother of King Sisera to look through her window (Jud. 5:28) to see why her son’s chariots and their rattling had delayed. He and his chariots were destroyed. 5. Through this latch the believers yearn for God’s redeeming love, while the unbelievers mock these wounds, resembling Michal, King Saul’s daughter. When she looked through the window and saw King David dancing before the Lord, she despised him in her heart (2 Sam. 6:16, 1 Chron. 15:29). The bride who enjoys the Lord’s hand in hers and realizes the mystery of His Cross opens for her Beloved. She cries with the prodigal son saying, “I will rise and go to My Father” (Lk. 15:18). With true repentance and bitter tears, she declares her yearning for the One who loves her, and says, “My hands dripped with myrrh, my fingers with liquid myrrh.” St. Gregory said, [The myrrh resembles the death which Christ has died for 11 us. We have touched Him, through repentance, and have accepted to die with Him, so He may open for us the everlasting doors1.] “I opened for my Beloved, but My Beloved had turned away and was gone. My heart went out to Him when He spoke. I sought Him but I could not find Him; I called Him but He gave me no answer. The watchmen who went about the city found me. They struck me, they wounded me; the keepers of the walls took my veil away from me. I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if you find my Beloved, that you tell Him I am lovesick! What is your beloved more than another beloved, O fairest among women? What is your beloved more than another beloved, that you so charge us?” (Song 5:6-9). After a long sleep, she went to open for her Bridegroom; but He had left her. Why did He do that? He chastens the one who is late in responding. In His chastisement, He seems as though He has left us for a while, but this shows His concern for us. Abbot Daniel2 gave two reasons for forsaking us: 1. God may forsake us for a little while so we may remember our weaknesses, and we may realize that our pure heart is a free gift from God. 2. When He forsakes us, our inner goal is revealed and we look for the Holy Spirit. This becomes like a test in perseverance, strong determination and true zeal. When we have spiritual happiness and purity, we become very cautious in preserving them. We are always careful to preserve that which we have not easily attained. Abbot Daniel said, [David the Prophet relates that when God temporarily forsakes us, this is for our own good. That is why he asked God not to permanently forsake him. He said, ‘Do not forsake me utterly!’ (Ps. 119:8). In other words, he said, ‘I know that You may forsake Your saints for their own good and for testing them. So I do not ask that You do not forsake me, for it is good that I feel my weakness. “It is good for me that I have been afflicted” (Ps. 119:71). It is not good for me if there is no opportunity for battle. The devil cannot dare to fight me unless I am depending on his protection. I ask that You forsake me for a little while, but not for long; for when You forsake me for a little while, it is for testing my love.] Abbot Daniel spoke of spiritual lukewarmness due to God’s temporarily forsaking us temporarily to test our faith and to purify us. This is not true forsaking, but it is considered divine concern. St. John Chrysostom compared God’s position to a nanny who holds her baby’s hand. She walks with him for a while, then, she takes her hand away to let him walk by himself. She still looks at him with her heart, her thoughts, and her eyes; and her hands are ready to support him. The human soul said, “I sought him but I could not find him” (Song 5:6), although He was not standing beside her, but rather inside of her. He waits to see her struggle for Him to say with Jacob, “I will not let you go until you bless me” (Gen. 32:26). “I called him, but he gave me no answer,” although He is busy arranging everything for my salvation. The soul wanders around the world seeking the One she loves, although He is inside of her. St. Augustine said that he foolishly went to seek Him outside himself, in nature and in books, although God was inside of him, in his inner depths. Who are the guards who went about the city, found her, struck her, wounded her, and took her veil away from her? 1 Sermon 12 2 By the author: John Cassian on Spiritual Lukewarmness, p. 110 (in Arabic). 12 1. If the speaker here is the believer in the Church of the New Testament, then he is rebuking the Jews and their leaders, who represent the watchmen in the city of Jerusalem and those who are responsible for keeping the word of God. They were the ones who ought to preach the Messiah; however, they attack the Church and wound her. In spite of all these insults the believer does not deviate from looking toward his Bridegroom but, on the contrary, he says he is wounded with the love of the Heavenly Bridegroom, saying, “I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if you find my Beloved, that you tell him I am lovesick” (Song 5:8). This is the fifth time that the church of the Gentiles rebuked the Jews: A. First Rebuke (Song 1:5): the Church of the Gentiles rebuked the Jews because they said that she was black like the tents of Kedar, and that she had no roots and did not receive the Law, nor did the prophets come from her. She answered that although she was black because of her pagan origin, yet she is in the bosom of the Father, who embraced her and beautified her through His Son Jesus Christ and made her like the curtains of Solomon. B. Second Rebuke (Song 2:7): Starting to unite with the Lord who put His left hand under her head and embraced her with His right hand, the Jews attempted to ruin this unity and destroy it. Nevertheless, she declared that the day will come when she Lord will be revealed and declare the reality of their unity. C. Third Rebuke (Song 3:5): Since the Bridegroom entered the tomb, the Jews mocked Him saying, “Get out of the tomb, so we may believe in You.” The Church replied saying, “Do not think that He died and His mission is abolished, but He is living! He has risen from the dead, and has raised me with Him and I have ascended from the wilderness as white as pillars of smoke scented with myrrh and frankincense. Through Him, I ascend to the Father! D. Fourth Rebuke (Song 3:11): The Church clarified to the Jews that although they crown Him with thorns and mock Him, He is crowned as the Bridegroom of the whole creation on the day of His wedding. E. Fifth Rebuke (Song 5:8): The Church declares to the Jews that though her children may go through periods of lukewarmness and though it may seem that the Lord has forsaken them, yet the Church is alive and full of love. She struggles until the Lord removes their lukewarmness. 2. The watchmen who went about the city refer to the ministers of the Church, the city of God; and the keepers of the walls refer to the preachers of the Word. All the ministers have to hide behind the Word of God when preaching to the lukewarm. Those souls that have become lukewarm feel chastised and wounded by the ministers of the word of God, which is like a sword that kills evil and expels it from their souls. It is also like a mirror that reveals the weakness of man. The wounds and the chastisement were neither made to annoy those souls nor to mock them, but they were the wounds of love which lead to repentance. As St. Paul said, “For if I make you sorrowful, then, who is he who makes me glad but the one who is made sorrowful by me?” (2 Cor. 2:2). In any case, when the soul is no more lukewarm she returns to the Fatherly bosom in Christ Jesus, and she witnesses to the power of this act before unbelievers, who question: “What is your beloved more then another beloved, O fairest among women? What is your beloved more than another beloved, that you so charge us?” 13 You are beautiful and you lack nothing. Who then is this Beloved with whom you are occupied? Who is this Beloved whom you charge for being united with Him? Perhaps these questions are a prophecy about the Jews accepting the Lord Jesus at the end of days. A day will come when the Jews will realize that they were wrong in asking for an earthly kingdom and temporal gains. They will realize that they need eternal salvation and to taste the heavenly love of God. 14 5 MUTUAL MARITAL LOVE (Song 5:10-7:13) A. THE BRIDE PRAISES HER BRIDEGROOM (Song 5:10-16) When the world discovers the bride’s love for her Bridegroom and realizes how it affects her inner life, the world begins to wonder about how extraordinary the Bridegroom is. The bride testifies to her Bridegroom, not with mere words but with her life. She knows, touches, unites, and experiences the unseen God., giving a truthful and practical testimony, saying: 1. “My Beloved is white and ruddy” (Song 5:10). How sweet is the Savior, the Bridegroom; in Him are two colors: white and red, each complimenting the other. He is white, but not the pale, lifeless white mentioned by St. Paul concerning Ananias the high priest: “God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! For you sit to judge me according to the Law, and do you command me to be struck contrary to the Law?” (Acts 23:3). By disobeying the commandment and the Law, he became under the judgment of death, without life. He lost his blood, the sign of life, and became as pale as the dead. Conversely, the Savior of the Church is white and pure, but bears a certain redness: the sign of life, vitality and strength! He does not bear this redness apart from the whiteness, for this is a sign of murder and bloodshed, as mentioned in the book of Revelation (Rev. 6:4). Sin is described as scarlet and crimson (Is. 1:18). But He is “Who is this who comes from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah, the One who is glorious in His apparel, traveling in the greatness of His strength… I who speak in righteousness, mighty to save” (Is. 63:1). The word “white” means “splendor.” for He is the Sun of Righteousness who shone on us, who were sitting in the darkness, to make us enter through His Holy Spirit to the perfect light of the knowledge of the Father. Through the worthiness of His red Blood, He carried us in His splendor to the bosom of the Father. Thus, His splendor is mingled with His redeeming act that is his whiteness with his redness, until we carry the reflection of His splendor inside us, so we may enter to His Father. In the book of Daniel His clothes were as white as snow (daniel 7:2). Also, in the Transfiguration “His clothes became white as the light” (Matt. 17:2). These clothes are His Church, for He dwells inside of her. He reflects all of His whiteness and splendor on His Church, as with the heavenly creatures who are continuously in His presence (Mark 16:5, Acts 1:10). We will appear in heaven with white clothes (Rev. 3:4, 7:9), and we are also commanded to have white garments: “Let your garments always be white” (Eccles. 9:8). The Holy Bible mentioned many appearances of angels, but did not describe their clothes. However, in the events of the resurrection and ascension, the Bible confirmed that the angels appeared with white clothes. For our sake, they appeared to show us that through the Lord’s Resurrection and Ascension, we are have been washed and have become whiter than snow (Ps. 51:7). Our sins, which are like scarlet, are buried in the tomb; then the Lord raises us like snow (Is. 1:18). That is why Daniel the Prophet said, “purge them and make them white” (Dan. 11:35). Thus, the Church sees her Bridegroom and she rejoices in His splendor and 15 Blood. The devil, however, fears the splendor of the Savior and the Blood of His Cross, which is why the Church calls Him the: 2. “Chief among ten thousand” (Song 5:10). He became known among people and the devil. The Church knows Him as a “Banner to the people” (Is. 11:10). He was lifted on the Cross, and He drew everyone to Himself to pour His splendor on them and to sanctify them with His Blood. The devils then cried, “Come down from the Cross!” because He through it, He destroyed their kingdom and “Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it” (Col. 2:15). 3. “His head is like the finest gold; His locks are wavy, and black as a raven” (Song 5:11). Since gold refers to the heavenly life, the finest gold describes His divinity, “For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily” (Col. 2:9). The Father appointed Him the Head of the Church “From whom all the body, nourished and knit together by joints and ligaments” (Col. 2:19). He is the Son of God and the Word of God, Who has the authority to allow the whole body of Christ to enter the heavens. Since the Head is heavenly and the body is connected to the Head, the body too must live on a heavenly level. This is the mystery of her love for her Bridegroom. He takes her to the heaven, i.e. to the bosom of the Father, through uniting with her. His hair surrounding the Church is the community of saints, who are like the hair of the Lord, whom one hair cannot fall without the Father’s permission. They live by Him, thus none of His hair becomes white, but His hair is dark black as the crow. The believer does not get old, but his youth is renewed like the eagle’s. This is the work of the Holy Spirit, Who grants fellowship between the Head and the members, so that all the members are strengthened by abiding in the Head Who never weakens. The Lord Jesus is the same, yesterday, today, and forever (Heb. 13:8). His Church is also timeless and neither ages nor is affected by earthly events! 4. “His eyes are like doves, by the rivers of water, washed with milk and fitly set” (Song 5:12, Septuagint). He is the fearful King Who scares the enemies. His eyes are like flames of fire (Rev. 1:14) that examine the hidden matters. When He appears to His believers, however, they see His eyes like that of a simple dove, full of innocence1. “You are of purer eyes than to behold evil” (Hab. 1:13). Fr. Victorinus, bishop of Pateu in the third century, says that the water refers to many nations, which returned to God, through Baptism2. Thus, describing His eyes as doves on the water refers to the incarnation of the Lord and the declaration of a new, holy generation through the Holy Baptism. Being washed in milk refers to God’s concern to present undefiled faith as food for their souls. St. Ambrose said, [The Lord is baptized in milk, meaning that He is baptized in sincerity, and those who are baptized in milk are those who have the undefiled faith.] Being fitly set, or being settled in their places, refers to God’s care for His Church and His children. He keeps His eyes on every member until He brings them into the fellowship of His glory. We can also say that the eyes of Christ are His priests and ministers, who guide the human race towards Christ. They have spiritual insight enlightened by the 1 St. Gregory of Nyssa, Sermon 14 2 Ante-Nicean Fathers, Vol. 7 16 Holy Spirit, like a dove, to make everyone enter into the baptismal water, where they wash their sins and are granted undefiled faith like milk. They are fitly set, that is, they have a place in the Head, Christ. Through Him, they can care for the salvation of souls. Comparing them to the eyes of Christ is a literal comparison, for in the Old Testament a prophet was known as a “seer” (Amos 7:12), who could see what the others could not through the spirit of prophecy. Sometimes the prophet was also called “a watchman” (Ezek. 3:17, 33:7), who can stand on a tower to warn the people when the enemies came. 5. “His cheeks are like a bed of spices, like banks of scented herbs” (Song 5:13). The cheeks of the Lord Jesus were mocked and smitten, as the Prophet Isaiah mentions, “I gave My back to those who struck Me, and My cheeks to those who plucked out the beard” (Is. 50:6). This face, which the Lord did not hide from the shame of spitting (Matt. 27:3), is the proof of His sacrificial love; thus the Church compares it to a bed of spices (sweet-smelling plants) and banks of scented herbs, which bear the fragrance of life. 6. “His lips are lilies dripping liquid myrrh” (Song 5:13). We mentioned earlier that the Bridegroom is the Lily of the valleys, and by uniting with Him the believers also become lilies. Alternatively, the cheeks of the Bridegroom here are compared to the lily. What does that mean? The lily refers to royal glory, for the Lord explained this when He said, “Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these” (Matt. 28:29). The lips of the Lord Jesus declare glorious teachings, or in other words, they present the word of life able to let the believer enter into the glorious eternal life. David the Psalmist said, “Grace is poured upon Your lips” (Ps. 45:2). These lips carry a scented aroma and drip with myrrh. St. John the Evangelist described the words coming from His lips when he said, “No man ever spoke like this Man” (John 7:46). Everyone witnessed and marveled at the gracious words which proceeded out of His mouth. And they said, “Is this not Joseph’s son?” (Lk. 4:22). Dripping liquid myrrh means that His words are mingled with the bitterness of His suffering and burial, for He was embalmed with myrrh. Whoever hears Him desires to enter in the fellowship of His suffering and dying with Him. St. Gregory of Nyssa wrote, [Myrrh flows from His body and fills the souls of those who accepted Him. This is a clear symbol of mortifying the body1.] St. Gregory also said that the lips overflow with lilies and myrrh, which represent the Apostles, who are the Lord’s mouth, witnessing to the Word of His Gospel: the Lily of the valleys. They enter with the believers into the liquid myrrh, which is the mortification and burial of the self to be baptized and granted the power of the Resurrection. St. Peter overflowed with lilies, which is the Word of God, in the house of Cornelius and filled the souls of those who heard him with myrrh, for they were buried with Christ in Baptism and had died to the world. 7. “His hands are rods of gold set with beryl” (Song 5:14). The rods or circles refer to eternity, for they have no beginning and no end. His hands are eternal, perpetually satisfying the soul and the body. His hands are also heavenly, being made of gold. He holds His bride, and puts her hand in His heavenly hand to pour His work on her so she may carry His power and heavenly capabilities to 1 Sermon 14 17 pass over with Him into heaven. The Old Testament mentions beryl several times (Ezek. 1:16, Dan. 10:6) to refer to the power of laying the foundation, for the works of His hands are faithfulness and truth, which build His bride on steadfast faith and truth. 8. “His body is carved ivory inlaid with sapphires” (Song 5:14) The belly refers to God’s deep love and compassion, as was mentioned in Jeremiah, “My heart yearns for him, I will surely have mercy on him, says the Lord” (Jer. 31:20). This compassion is like carved ivory, for ivory is extracted from the elephant through suffering. Being inlaid with sapphires refers to his love being heavenly and eternal, for sapphire is a heavenly color. 9. “His legs are pillars of marble set on bases of fine gold” (Song 5:15). The legs refer to the ability of walking steadfastly, and the fine gold refers to the heavenly nature. The one who unites with the Bridegroom can walk steadfastly toward heaven and crush all the powers of the devil, conquering death and sin. St. Ambrose commented, [His legs are pillars of marble set on bases of fine gold, for Christ walks inside the souls and makes His ways in the minds of His saints, as if they are golden bases and foundation of precious stones, which have the traces of the footsteps of the Word of God.] 10. “His countenance is like Lebanon, excellent as the cedars” (Song 5:15). Lebanon is a tourist place with excellent weather, where newlyweds go for their honeymoon. In the same manner, the compassionate, smiling countenance of the Lord Jesus makes the soul, who wants to live a spiritual marital life with the Lord, rejoice. David the Psalmist said, “You are fairer than the sons of men” (Ps. 45:2). Also, in the record that Pilate sent to Herod about the Lord Jesus, it was written that, “He had desired for a long time to see Him” (Lk. 23:8). The mystery of His beauty lies in Him being “youth like cedar.” which is known by its length, straightness, and sweet smell. In the same manner, the Lord Jesus appears to the soul as a youth who never ages. It is amazing that the Lord Jesus in His humility carried our human nature, sharing with us all the stages of our growth, except the aging process. He became a fetus, then an infant, a child, a youth, and then a man, but He ascended before growing old. It was not befitting for Him to become old so that His Church would not bear the spirit of spiritually growing old. It is written by divine inspiration, “Your youth is renewed like the eagle’s” (Ps. 103:5). In the Church rites, it was written that the Church and St. Mary are like “the vine that does not grow old.” A Christian does not grow old at all, but as the days pass by, his youth abounds more. “Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day” (2 Cor. 4:16). Also, St. Paul wrote, “And have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him” (Col. 3:10). Truly the body may weaken and may get old, but the spirit remains strong and active (Matt. 26:41, Mk. 14:38). 11. “His mouth is most sweet, yes, He is altogether lovely. This is my Beloved, and this is my Friend, O daughters of Jerusalem” (Song 5:16). David the Psalmist said, “How sweet are Your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth” (Ps. 119:103). Thus, the believer finds in the words of Christ special sweetness, because His words are spirit and life. Whoever eats of these words comes back to the Lord hungry for Him and whoever drinks from Him is more thirsty for Him. 18 When one listens to the words of the Lord Jesus, his heart yearns for knowing the divine mysteries, and he remains sitting at the Lord’s feet, without leaving Him, saying, “I have seen the consummation of all perfection, but Your commandment is exceedingly broad” (Ps. 119:96). The sweetness of His words lies in its power and authority, so He does not give mere commandments or warnings, or advice, but gives power to implement the words. Then the commandment lifts man to enter into the knowledge of the mysteries of heaven, and the soul is elevated from glory to glory, continuously carrying the mystery of an endless new power. Finally, when the bride feels unable to describe her Bridegroom, she says, “He is altogether lovely.” This is her true Beloved whom she seeks; He satisfies her, and in Him she finds all her love and desires!
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