D. THE MESSIAH AS THE BELOVED (Song 2:1 – 2:7) Since the soul has spoken with her relatives about the Lord Christ as her Bridegroom, praising His love, she then meets Him as the Good Shepherd. She also gets acquainted with Him as the King, who makes her as a queen sitting beside Him. Now, she meets Him in the garden, informally to commune with Him. He tells her, “If the world attracted you with all its temptations and you have requested its pleasures, I must descend to the valleys in the world so we may get to know each other.” “I am the rose of Sharon and the lily of the valleys” (Song 2:1). Sharon is a valley in Judea, a fertile region where there is plenty of water. However, there were no plantations in it because it was in a narrow land used as a road between Egypt and Syria. The valley of Sharon is of superior quality; there is plantation without anyone tiring himself in planting. In the same manner, our Beloved appears in our land. He came to us, not because of our righteousness, but with His grace. In the middle of the barren valleys, the Lord appears as a lily. St. Gregory of Nyssa described the lily as a straight flower rising to the heights, whose bud is far from the ground. Likewise the Lord came to our barren valleys to lift us up so that we may have the heavenly blossoms. This expression in the Septuagint says, “I am the flower of the field (plains) and the lily of the valleys.” Origen commented, [The field is a piece of land where the farmers plant. But the valleys are usually stony land, which was never planted. Thus, we understand that the field or plain represents the people whom the prophets and the Law have cultivated, and the stony valleys represent the Gentiles. The Bridegroom appears as a lily among the people, because the Law could not make anyone attain perfection (Heb. 7:19). In the Old Testament, the Word of God could not lead the people to progress toward perfection. In the valleys, which represent the Gentiles, He became like a lily1.] The Lord Jesus is the flower of the Jewish nation; for He directed the Law to Christ, the lily of the Gentiles, when they accepted Him as their Savior. He is the Christ of the whole world, for both Jews and Gentiles. St. Jerome said that the flower of the field, or the lily of the valley, is the Messiah who blossomed in Aaron’s rod; the blossom that brought forth the Holy Virgin Mary. The blossom itself does not carry life but carried “Life Himself1.” He also said, [Saying that He came from the wilderness refers to the virgin who presented to us God incarnate, without any marital relations. Let us sing with the Psalmist, “In a dry and thirsty land where there is no water, so I have looked for You in the sanctuary” (Ps. 63:1-2).2] St. Ambrose said: [St. Mary is the rod and Christ is the blossom of St. Mary who spreads the sweet aroma of faith in the whole world, for He appeared as blossom in the virgin’s womb, for He said about Himself, ‘I am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys.’ (Song 2:1). When you pluck a flower, it keeps its smell; and when it is crushed or cut in pieces, it smells even more. In the same manner, when the Lord 1 Origen: Commentary on Canticle, 3:4. 1 Epistle to Eustachim, 22: 18 2 Epistle to Theodora, 75:1 5 Jesus was hung on the Cross, He did not fail when bruised nor weaken when being torn. When pierced with the spear, He became more handsome with the Blood that shed from Him and carried a new beauty. He cannot die spiritually, but grants the dead the gift of eternal life. The Holy Spirit has descended on this rose which blossomed in the royal rod.3] This is our Beloved, and we are His bride. With His sufferings, He carries the sweet aroma smelled by those in the plains (the Jews) and the valleys (the Gentiles). What are we in relation to Him? “Like a lily among the thorns, so is my love among the daughters” (Song 2:2). Origen said, [Since He became the lily of the valleys, He wants His beloved to become also a lily to follow His example, meaning that every soul who gets close to Him and follows His example becomes a lily1.] St. Gregory of Nyssa says the soul is like a lily ascending to the Messiah, her true Vine-dresser. She rises above the cares of this life, the thorns of sin that choke the soul (Mark. 4:18) and the dirt of this life so she may become undefiled. In the eyes of God, the believer is like a gorgeous flower, which even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of them. She is beautiful not because of her self-righteousness but due to the grace of the Blood that flows inside of her. Although man accepted the thorns of sin, God still sees him as a lily. He descends to him and passes through the thorns to remove the curse from him! When the Beloved says, “Like a lily among the thorns,” He means that if she wants to be adorned with virtues, she must endure the sufferings of the thorns very cautiously. St. Ambrose said, [Virtues are surrounded with the thorns of spiritual evil, and no one can gather the fruits unless he approaches with caution2.] Origen sees here a true beautiful picture of the Church that is surrounded by heresies and heretics who unsuccessfully attempt to destroy the Church. St. Augustine3 relates that those who are doing well are a minority in the world, as lilies among thorns, which wait until the harvest when they are separated. THE NEED FOR THE BELOVED Although the human soul becomes a lily among the thorns, she does not become occupied with the thorns around her but with the Bridegroom who satisfies her, quenches her thirst and grants her rest. She sees Him approaching her and ascending the Cross, where she rests within His eternal love. When He offers her the sweet fruit of the Cross, she tells Him: “Like an apple tree among the trees of the woods, so is my Beloved among the sons. I sat down in His shade with great delight, and His fruit was sweet to my taste” (Song 2:3). Since she lives among the thorns and cannot rise to Him, He descends to her and becomes like an apple tree (a symbol of the incarnation). He dwelt among us, we the fruitless trees, and became like one of us. He was not fruitless like us, but became as the beautiful, sweet smelling apple tree. Its fruit is eaten and its juice is drunk. It is the tree of life from which we pick instead of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. 3 On the Holy Spirit, 38-39 1 Origen: Commentary on Canticle, 3:4. 2 Concerning Virgins, 1:8. 3 Reply to Fastus the Manichean, 8:16 6 Truly, the earth has dried up because we ate from the tree of disobedience. The Beloved, the obedient Son, came from among the thorns, passed through our sufferings and carried the curse of the thorns so that we may sit at His feet resting in the shade of the Cross of His love among the tribulations of this world. In the world there are many unfruitful trees, but there is only one true tree: the tree of the spiritual apple, full of satisfaction. Since the apple tree refers to the divine incarnation, the unfruitful trees refer to the heresies and strange doctrines. There is no rest for us except in the Word Incarnate, away from all heresy. Origen said, [The bride desires to sit under the shade of the apple tree, meaning that the Church becomes under the refuge of the Son of God; or meaning that the soul flees from all strange doctrines to cleave only to the Word of God. Then she finds His fruit sweet to her taste, through continuous meditation in God’s Law, digesting His words as a clean animal does1.] In the past the Gentiles sat in the shades of death (Is. 9:2, Matt. 4:16), for they sat under the tree of disobedience; but now they enjoy the shade of the Grantor of life by their sitting under the Cross of obedience. In the Old Testament the Jews sat under the Law, through literal understanding; but now we are allowed to enter under the shade of Christ by tasting the spiritual understanding of the Law that edifies us. Here is Origen’s contrast between the shade of the Law and the shade of Christ: [It is apparent that every soul in this present life needs shade, because of the heat of the sun withers seeds with no roots. The shade of the Law provided some protection against the heat; however the shade of Christ, under whom the Gentiles live, that is faith in the incarnation, provides perfect protection from the heat, and moreover, it removes the heat completely. Satan, who used to burn those who were under the shade of the Law, was seen falling like lightning, during the time of Christ. But this shade will be completed at the end of ages, for as we said that at the end of all ages, we no longer see Christ dimly in a mirror but face to face.2] St. Mary, representing the Church, as a perfect member, sat under the shade of the Almighty through the divine incarnation, as the angel told her, “The power of the highest shall overshadow you, and the Holy One born of you is called the Son of God.” Hence, the believer was able to sit under the shade of the Lord and eat His sweet fruit after his mouth was embittered because of sin. The Psalms say that for the sinful, “his throat is an open tomb” (Ps. 5:9). The bride opened her mouth, not as a tomb carrying the death of sin, but rather eating the Body of the Grantor of life and tasting the sweetness of his fruits. She also says, “I opened my mouth and panted, for I longed for your commandments” (Ps. 119:131). Origen said, [His fruit is sweet to my taste applies to the soul who has no defilement in her mouth, and does not follow those whom was said, ‘Their throat are open tombs.’ The mouths that utter words of death and destruction are called tombs. These utter words against the true faith, purity, justice and dignity.3] IN THE HOUSE OF PERFECT LOVE The soul sitting with her Beloved under the Cross, tasting His infinite love, asks Him to go in the deep to be quenched from the springs of His deep love. She says: “He brought me to the banqueting house, and His banner over me was love. Sustain me with cakes of raisins; refresh me with apples, for I am lovesick” (Song 1 Origen: Commentary on Canticle, 3:5. 2 Origen: Commentary on Canticle, 3:5. 3 Origen: Commentary on Canticle, 3:5. 7 2:4-5). The banqueting house is the house of new life1 granted to us through the sufferings of the Lord Jesus Christ. The banqueting house symbolizes the house of feasting and wisdom, where one receives the teachings of the truth in the divine wisdom. He is revived daily, for one is acquainted with the mysteries of God as if they are new every day. Origen said [The wine which is extracted from the true vine, the Lord Jesus, is continuously new. The understanding of the the spiritual well-educated is continuously renewed, that is why the Lord Jesus said to his disciples, ‘But I say to you, I will not drink the fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom’ (Matt. 26:29). Understanding the hidden mysteries and declaring the mysteries is continuously renewed through the wisdom of God, not only to human beings but also to angels and the heavenly hosts.2] When the Lord enters with the believer to the banqueting house and reveals the mysteries of new wisdom to him, then love is understood as a sign of victory of her Beloved King. The believer then raises the banner of love. The Lord has completely ruled over the believer, for the Septuagint says, “Put in me the virtue of love” (Song 2:4). When the soul enters the house of her Beloved, she is obligated to abide by the rule of His house: love. However, because she does not know how to apply it, she asks him to plan the life of love, that is, to receive true love from God. Through this reign of true love she learns how to love God, her parents and her brothers. One is obligated to love God from all the heart, soul, and strength; to have unlimited and unconditional love, and to love one’s neighbor as one’s self (Mark 12:30; Deut. 6:4). If one prefers his love for himself (his salvation) more than his love to his brothers, then his love is not perfect. One must love his parents by honoring them in the Lord. The love of a husband to his wife is much different than a child’s love for his parents or a shepherd’s love for his people. Truly, in the house of love we receive the nature of true love from its source: God Himself. Therefore, we need to learn the law of practical love. The bride then cries, declaring her need to love saying, “Sustain me with cakes of raisins; refresh me with apples, for I am lovesick” (Song 2:5). After entering the banqueting house and accepting true love, she declares that she has become lovesick. It is impossible that this love sickness pertains to physical love, for according to Eastern tradition, a female cannot say that she is lovesick; only the male can. On the other hand, how can one tell someone besides her beloved to refresh her and sustain her? Can the cakes of raisins and apples cure the wounds of her love or heal her sickness? These are the cries of one inside the church (the banqueting house), for she asks from the servants of Christ to pour the love of Christ inside her and to let His sweet aroma spread. She asks for the apple, a symbol of the Holy Body and the secret of her spiritual revival! He alone can satisfy her heart with His love. The source of the lovesickness, as Origen said,1 is Christ Himself. For He is the living Word of God, sharper than a two edged sword that enters into the depths of the soul, and wounds it with the divine love. 1 See Commentary on Song 1:2. 2 Origen: Commentary on Canticle, 3:6. 1 Commentary on John, 36 8 Let the sick be wounded, for when they are wounded, they become well!1 St. Augustine The Holy Bible teaches that God is love (1John 4:8). He has pointed His Only Son ‘the chosen arrow’ (Is. 49:2), toward the chosen ones. The head of the arrow is the faith that binds those who shoot the arrow with those who are hit; as if the soul rises up with divine elevations and sees inside her the arrow of sweet love. It is a nice wound and sweet suffering where life hits the soul, for through the tears of the arrow the soul opens the door which is her inner self2. St. Gregory of Nyssa When one is inflamed with true love for the Word of God, one accepts to be wounded with what the Prophet calls “the chosen arrow.” One can say that the soul is lovesick only when she longs and pants for Him by day and by night to the extent that she cannot speak about anything but Him, listen to anyone but Him, think about anything but Him, has no other desire but to be with Him and has no hope in anything but Him. The soul says in truth, “I am lovesick.” She is wounded by Him, about whom it was said, “He has made Me a polished shaft: in His quiver He has hidden Me” (Is. 49:2). God can wound our souls with these shafts and arrows. He can hit us with these healing wounds. As long as God is love, then they say about them, “I am lovesick.” Truly, this is dramatic love, for one says, “I have accepted the wounds of love!” When one pants toward the wisdom of God, that is, when one is able to look at the beauty of His wisdom, he says, ‘I am lovesick with His wisdom.’ The one who is dazzled with the power of His word and His might can say, ‘I am lovesick with His might.’ This is the same soul who said, ‘The Lord is my light and salvation whom shall I fear, the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?’ (Ps. 27:1) When one is inflamed with the love of God’s justice and meditates on His care, he says ‘I am lovesick with His justice.’ The one overwhelmed with His compassionate love says the same things. All this is the sickness of love, which the bride declares saying, ‘I am lovesick.’ 3 Origen These are the sicknesses of love when one is hit with this polished shaft, the Lord Jesus. He puts His left hand under our heads to direct us away from the temporal matters, and draws us toward the heavenly things with His right hand. Therefore one calls to Him: “His left hand is under my head, and His right hand embraces me” (Song 2:6). This means that He chastises us with His left hand, then all temporal and carnal matters seem trifle before us. And with His right hand He pities us and opens our heart to desire the heavenly matters. In any case, the Lord puts His chastening under our heads, for without it, our heads would not be stable. He also surrounds us with His right hand so our hearts are filled with hope in Him! These are the sicknesses of the true, healing and divine love. When one enters the banqueting house and is pierced with the chosen shaft, one feels His infinite love, whether in His chastisement or His compassion. In both cases, one feels that her head is lying on His left hand and surrounded by His right hand. Thus, one is embraced in His divine bosom, and is face to face with Him, so she 1 On Ps. 144:7. 2 Sermon 4. 3 Origen: Commentary on Canticle, 3:8. 9 can receive all the kisses of His divine mouth. She is cautious that no one interrupts this deep relationship, and says: “I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, by the gazelles or by the does of the field, do not stir up nor awaken love until it pleases” (Song 2:7). She carried the same feeling that St. Peter had on the mountain of Transfiguration when he said, “Lord, it is good for us to be here” (Matt. 17:4). This statement cannot apply to carnal love, for how can a girl ask her friends not to awaken her beloved? Is this her job? However, this is a marvelous picture of the mother Church who asks her children (the daughters of Jerusalem) to remain in the divine bosom and not to trouble the Lord, resting in their hearts, by committing sin or evil! This is the voice of the mother Church to every believer who is called a “daughter of Jerusalem” to remain in the divine bosom, and not to trouble the Lord who wants to rest in their hearts! This is the voice of the mother Church to every believer looking toward the heavenly Jerusalem as her mother, charging her by the gazelles of the fields which the Lord has blessed (Gen. 27:27). For she is the field of the Lord (1 Cor. 3:9) to remain attached to the divine love living inside her.1 This is the voice of the Church directed to the Jews, the daughters of Jerusalem, who saw the Messiah on the Cross and buried in a tomb. He appeared in weakness, but rose on the third day by His own free will. He said, “I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again” (John 10:18). Unfortunately, the Jews have failed to accept the Crucified Christ, waiting for another Christ according to their desires. 1 St. Gregory of Nyssa sees that the bride addresses the souls under her direction, asking them to pass through this world (field) not giving attention to the outside temporary forces, but to concentrate on the inner purity by sacrificing themselves (Commentary on Song of Songs, Sermon 4). 10 Chapter2 THE FIANCÉ SEEKS HIS BELOVED (Song 2:8 – 3:11) A. HE HIMSELF DESCENDS TO HER (Song 2:8 –14) “The voice of my Beloved, Behold, He comes leaping upon the mountains, skipping upon the hills. My Beloved is like a gazelle or a young stag. Behold, He stands behind our wall; He is looking through the windows, gazing through the lattice” (Song 2:8-9). The Gentile Church gently rebukes the Jewish nation saying, “I became acquainted with the word of God, the voice of the Beloved, who became incarnate through the Jews (nephew). I have known Him through the Law and the shadows of prophecies. He came leaping joyfully through the Law; and in the fullness of time He came like a gazelle, carrying our nature, hiding in it, standing behind our wall and talking directly with us.” She accepted the message of His incarnation through the Law and the prophets, and was able to recognize His voice (John 10:3-4). St. Gregory of Nyssa said, [The majesty of the Word has gone to the Church first through the prophets. Finally, through the declaration of the Gospel, all the shadows of the symbols were abolished, the middle wall was destroyed, and the atmosphere of the inner house was connected to the heavenly light. There was no more need for the window lights as long as the True Light has lighted the inside with the light of the Gospel.] MEETING ON THE MOUNTAIN Since the Church knew the Incarnate Word through the Old Testament Law and the prophecies, here is a catholic (universal) calling to climb the mountain of the Holy Bible to meet the Fiancé who is coming to propose to His bride. The Psalmist says, “His foundation is in the holy mountain” (Ps. 87:1), and “I will lift up my eyes to the hills, from whence comes my help?” (Ps. 121:1). Origen states that the one who wants to meet the Word of God on the mountains and on the hills has at first meet Him on the highly mountains of the New Testament books and on the hills of the Old Testament books, which were hidden for long time. In the book of Jeremiah the Lord sends fishermen and hunters to hunt people from every mountain and every hill (Jer. 16:16). This is a prophecy about the missionary work of the Church, where she fishes for souls through the Holy Bible, so they may enjoy the blessings of salvation. On these holy mountains, the soul meets the Word of God, sees her Fiancé, and hears the voice of His proposal to her. Then she experiences His love, discovers His divine mysteries and sees His glory. The soul rises with Moses on Mount Horeb to see the burning bush (Ex. 3:2) and understand the mystery of the incarnation. She sees St. Mary (the bush) carrying the coal of fire without being burnt. She rises with Moses on the mountain not to receive the Ten Commandments engraved on two tablets of stone, but to find the Word of God, the Logos Himself, in her heart! She sits with the multitudes to see the Lord Christ going up the mountain, 11 opening His mouth and speaking directly and openly to her (Matt. 5:1). She climbs with Him up Mount Tabor to see Him transfigured, realizes the majesty of His divinity and hears Him speaking with Moses and Elijah about salvation. She rises with the Word of God on the mountain of temptation, seeing Him tempted by the devil, whom He conquered for her sake! The believer realizes why the Lord Jesus was called a Stone cut which became a great mountain (Dan. 2:34). The Church is called Mount Zion because it refers to God’s dwelling place among His people. She hears the two angels warning Lot, “Escape for your life! Do not look behind you nor stay anywhere in the plain. Escape to the mountains, lest you be destroyed.” (Gen. 19:17). COMPARING THE GAZELLE AND THE YOUNG STAG What does the bride compare her fiancé to? “My Beloved is like a gazelle or a young stag. Behold, He stands behind our wall; He is looking through the windows, gazing through the lattice” (Song 2:9). 1. The Lord Jesus is compared to the gazelle (deer). The word “gazelle” in Hebrew means “beauty.” The Lord Jesus proposed to mankind, and pours His beauty on them who defiled their inner nature and spiritual beauty by sinning. He summarized this act of salvation in a sweet conversation with mankind: “‘And when I passed by you and saw you struggling in your own blood, I said to you in your blood, “Live!” Yes, I said to you in your blood, “Live!” I made you thrive like a plant in the field; and you grew, matured, and became very beautiful. Your breasts were formed, your hair grew, but you were naked and bare. When I passed by you again and looked upon you, indeed your time was the time of love; so I spread My wing over you and covered your nakedness. Yes, I swore an oath to you and entered into a covenant with you, and you became Mine,’ says the Lord God. ‘Then, I washed you in water; yes, I thoroughly washed off your blood, and I anointed you with oil. I clothed you in embroidered cloth and gave you sandals of badger skin; I clothed you with fine linen and covered you with silk. I adorned you with ornaments, put bracelets on your wrists, and a chain on your neck. And I put a jewel in your nose, earrings in your ears, and a beautiful crown on your head. Thus, you were adorned with gold and silver, and your clothing was of fine linen, silk, and embroidered cloth. You are pastry of fine flour, honey, and oil. You were exceedingly beautiful and succeeded to royalty” (Ezek. 16:6-14).What a beautiful message from the Lord Savior to the Church. He passed by her and found her naked and struggling in her own blood. He completely sanctified her, spread His wing over her (He made her His bride), clothed her nakedness with His blood, washed her in the baptismal water, anointed her with the Holy Myron oil, put His life in her, gave her His Gospel, the source of her salvation, adorned her with the works of the Holy Spirit, put His holy yoke around her neck, made her His sweet aroma, sanctified her ears, beautified her by hearing the divine promises and the heavenly praises and satisfied her with the heavenly bread. In brief, He made her “exceedingly beautiful,” and she became worthy to become a queen reflecting the splendor of the Savior in her life. St. John Chrysostom said: [The Great and Strong One desires an adulteress. I speak of the human nature. If one desires an adulteress, he is condemned; so why does God desire an adulteress to be His bride? He did not send one of His servants, nor an angel, nor an archangel, nor a cherub, nor a seraph; but He Himself, who loved her, 12 came down to her. He does not lead her as an adulteress to the heavens, but He Himself descended to her. As long as she cannot go up to heaven, He descended on earth for her. He came to the adulteress, and was not ashamed to hold her while she was drunk.1] In other words, the Lord came to us as a gazelle to make us a beautiful perfect gazelle, who can live up in the highest, that is, in the heavenly places. For the Psalmist said, “He makes my feet like the feet of deer, and sets me on high places” (Ps. 18:33). 2. St. Augustine said, [He made my love perfect so that I may ascend above the world full of thorns and darkness. He lifts me above the high hills and directs my focus on the heavenly dwelling, so that I may be filled with all the fullness of God (Eph. 3:19). 2] 3. Origen says that the word “gazelle,” in Greek, means his eyes are very sharp. He comments on that: [Who can see as Christ sees? He is the only One who sees the Father and knows Him. It was written that the pure in heart shall see God; this is through the revelation of Christ to them (John 6:6). The nature of the gazelle is not only to see very sharply, but also to grant others to see as well. Therefore, Christ is compared to the gazelle and to the deer, not only because He sees the Father, but also because He makes Him seen to those whom He heals. We should not consider ‘Seeing the Father,’ with any physical understanding or think that God can be seen, for God cannot be seen with physical eyesight, but with spiritual. Then to those whom He gives the power to see, He grants the spirit of knowledge and wisdom so that they may see God. He told His disciples, ‘He who has seen Me, has seen the Father also.’ (John 14:9).” 1] 4. The gazelle or the deer is known for the swiftness of walking (2 Sam. 2:18). The Word Incarnate, who came in the fullness of time (many years after the fall of man), was not slow to save us. He came to prepare salvation; in the fullness of time, He descended to us before we even began to seek Him. 5. St. Augustine said that the deer are not only swift in motion but also in running toward the brooks of water. On the way, he kills the serpents and becomes thirstier for the water brooks. David the Psalmist said, “As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for you, O God” (Ps. 42:1). All the believers assemble with one spirit, panting for the love of God as a deer panting for the water brooks. The Son of God came as a deer thirsty for our love. Along the path of salvation, because of His love to us, He destroyed the old serpent, (Satan). 6. One of the habits of deer is jumping over rocks (2 Sam. 22:34, Hab. 3:19). The Bridegroom did not ask for the easy road but swiftly and joyfully accepted to suffer for our sake. St. Paul said, “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the Cross, despising the shame…” (Heb. 12:2). 7. According to the Mosaic Law, the deer (or the gazelle) was considered a clean animal, which was lawful to eat of (Deut. 12:22, 14:5). Therefore when the Fiancé proposes to the bride, He offers His Body and Blood as a dowry for her; this is the source of her sanctification and eternity! 8. As the Fiancé was compared to the gazelle His bride, who carried his 1 St. John Chrysostom: The Church Loves You, two sermons for Etropius, 1966, p. 53-54 (in Arabic). 2 On Psalms 18 (17): 34 1 Origen, Commentary on. Song 3: 12 13 characteristics, is also compared to the gazelle. The Psalmist says, “The voice of the Lord makes the deer give birth” (Ps. 29:9). In God’s speech with Job in the storm, He said, “Do you know the time when the wild mountain goats bear young? Or can you mark when the deer gives birth? Can you number the months that they fulfill? Or do you know the time when they bear young? They bow down, they bring forth their young, they deliver their offspring. Their young ones are healthy, they grow strong with grain; they depart and do not return to them” (Job 39:1-4). Origen states that these verses speak of the spiritual gazelles. The voice of the Lord, who is Christ the Word of God, grants the gazelles the life of perfection (Ps. 29:9). He is the Source of her perfection. In the Lord’s talk with Job about the gazelles, He emphasized His personal care with all the believers. He cares for them spiritually, and when they beget virtues, He nurtures them, as a gazelle. In Song of Songs, He also compares us, our inner life and our virtues to the gazelle. This is our behavior in Christ Jesus. In the book of Proverbs, the wife is compared to the gazelle and her children to the doe, being the image of the Church, the true bride, the loving wife to her Bridegroom, full of grace. Therefore, it was said, “As a loving deer and a graceful doe…” (Prov. 5:19). 9. Comparing Him with the small gazelle confirms His incarnation, for the infinite God became an infant, emptying Himself for our sake. 10. His comparison with the gazelle reminds us with the title of Psalm 22 “To the chief musician. Set to the deer of the dawn.” This is the psalm that describes the detailed events of the crucifixion and the resurrection. What does he mean by “the deer of the dawn” except the new life that the Savior has offered us by His resurrection on Sunday morning? He came leaping on the mountains, jumping on the hills to help us enter into the power of His resurrection, that is, to accept the new life we have in Christ Jesus. St. Paul said, “And raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (Eph. 2:6). 11. At last, mentioning “mountains of Bethel” refers to the holy books for the house of God (El), that is the Church. We cannot experience the beauty of the house of God and cannot accept His incarnation, resurrection or His work in us without the work of the Church (the house of God). HIS STANDING BEHIND OUR WALL 1. Since the Savior descended to us and proposed to us, He came even to the wall we built out of our disobedience to Him. He came to the veil that separated us from the Holy of Holies, and stood resisting even to bloodshed (Heb. 12:4). He conquered it and opened a heavenly road through which we can walk. Since we were the ones who built this veil we are unable to ascend to Him. Therefore, He descended to us and tore the veil of the temple on the Cross so that He could appear with His resurrection through the window that He had made. 2. The wall refers to our human nature, for He descended to us hidden behind our nature so that we would not fear Him, but rather accept Him, love Him and unite with Him. THE CALL TO RESURRECTION The fiancé descended to the house of his bride, aware of the many traps laid for her, which prevent her from going outside alone and ascending to His house. He, who cannot be trapped by sin or death, conquered sin under His feet, and trampled 14 over death by His death. He asks His fiancé to fearlessly depart with Him and experience the new life of resurrection, which became hers. He tells her, “Rise up My love, My fair one, and come away” (v. 10). Do not fear, be of good cheer, for I have overcome all the evils of the world and the dominion of death. Origen commented on the call of the Lord Jesus to His fiancée saying, [He tells her that, so that she may despise the windows which Satan has opened in front of her, and not fear all the traps.] He called her, with authority to cleave to Him and become His meek dove carrying the fruits of the resurrection in her life. He said, “Rise up, My love, My fair one, and come away. For lo, the winter is past. The rain is over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth. The time of singing has come, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land. The fig tree puts forth her green figs, and the vines with the tender grapes give a good smell. Rise up, My love, My fair one, and come away!” (Song 2:10-13). This is a call to the first resurrection: the resurrection of the human soul from the death of sin and its release over the carnal lusts to live according to the spirit and not according to the flesh. Origen said, [The Word of God talks to the beautiful soul and appears to her through the readings of the Holy Bible and listening to the teachings, as though from the windows. He appears as a tall great Person talking with the previous words, bowing to her and asking her to go out of the carnal lusts, so she may deserve to listen to the voice saying, ‘You are not in the flesh but in the spirit…’ (Rom. 8:9).] The Word of God could not call her His relative nor be united with her (1 Cor. 6:17), and call her beautiful unless He sees her picture renewed every day (2 Cor. 4:16). He would not have seen her capable of accepting the Holy Spirit, who descended on the Lord Jesus in the form of a dove (Matt. 3:6), nor have called her His dove unless she has realized the love of the Word of God and desired to be released with Him saying, “Oh, that I had wings like a dove! For then, I would fly away and be at rest” (Ps. 55:6). I fly with my emotions, with my spiritual understanding, and rest when I realize the treasures of His wisdom and knowledge (Col. 2:3). Those who mortify their earthly desires become partakers in the likeness of His death (Col. 3:5, Rom. 6:5). Those who accept the power of the Holy Spirit and are sanctified and filled by the Holy Spirit become doves like Him, for He appeared in the form of a dove. They rise with the wings of the Holy Spirit and fly from the earthly to the heavenly places. In order for the appropriate time to come, he interferes in a logical way saying, “For lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone” The human soul does not unite with the Word of God until the winter of her worries and the storms of her vice are over. She is no more shaken by every wind of doctrine (Eph. 4:14). When the storms of the lusts subside, then the flowers of the virtues begin to blossom. Then the voice of the dove is heard, which refers to the wisdom uttered by the Word, the hidden wisdom of God in a mystery (1 Cor. 2:7). The turtle-dove is mentioned because this bird spends its time in hidden and secluded places. He loves mountainous desert and hidden sections of the forest, so it can be far from the multitudes. What fits this age and its luxuries? He says, “The fig tree puts forth her green figs” The spiritual person, to whom the fig tree refers, does not carry yet the fruits of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, etc. (Gal. 5:23), but carries green figs. The different kinds of trees symbolize the souls of the believers; for it is 15 written, “Every plant which my Heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted” (Matt. 15:13). St. Paul also described himself as working with God in His vineyard, saying, “I planted and Apollos watered” (1 Cor. 3:6). The Lord Jesus also said, “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit” (Matt. 12:33). The different varieties of trees symbolize the different virtues of the soul. Hence, in the soul, the fig tree produces green figs and the vine produces tender, sweet-smelling grapes. The vinedresser is the Heavenly Father, who prunes the vineyard until it brings forth more fruits (John 15:1). It is strange that He calls her to experience the resurrection by saying, “Rise up… the time of singing has come.” This means the time of pruning has come, referring to the crucifixion, where the sinful deeds and carnal lusts of the old man are removed until they carry more spiritual, heavenly fruits. He takes her through suffering to the Cross so that she may bear the fruits of the resurrection. He separates her from the coldness of the spirit, so she may enter the spring of the new life, resurrected in Christ Jesus. This invitation to the resurrection is directed to the whole world, to both Jews and Gentiles. The fig tree refers to the Law, for through the descent of the Word to the world, the Law was not interpreted through the letter but through the Spirit. The Jews who accepted the Lord Christ carried the fruit of the Spirit with a heart love open to the whole world. They ceased using the Law for boasting with the Gentiles as before. He says, “The fig tree has brought forth green figs,” and “The time of singing has come,” referring to the time of pruning the vine, or the Old Testament. To the Jewish nation, therefore, it is essential to prune its proud branches until they accept the membership of the Gentiles and the pleasant aroma of Christ fills the whole world. It is important to prune the vine from the earthly and temporal concepts until it comprehends the spiritual and heavenly meanings. THE RESURRECTION: OUT FROM THE COLD AND INTO THE WARMTH St. Gregory of Nyssa relates that the spring where the flowers appeared and the smell of the figs and vine spread were God’s creation. David the Psalmist said, “You have made summer and winter” (Ps. 73:17). The cold winter season is over and the warm spring has come. In the winter man was in the coldness of paganism. His nature changed to evil solid nature like that of the gods they worshipped. “Those who look to the true God accept the characteristics of the divine nature inside them; similarly, those who look to the pagan gods become like stones rather than human beings. By worshiping the idols, they become stagnant rocks unable to progress. ‘The Sun of Righteousness’ shone amidst the cold bitter winter and the spring appeared. The wind of the south abolished that stagnation, and warmth spread to all those on whom the rays have fallen.” Although the cold winter of paganism had changed man into stone, the divine Word, the “Sun of Righteousness” shone and transformed the cold stones into warm water. Similarly, our Lord said, “God is able to raise children of Abraham form these stones” (Matt. 3:9). In this spring, which the Lord has done by His resurrection, the Divine Word calls His bride to rise, saying, “Rise up, My love, My fair one, and come away” This call is directed to the bride to rise and proceed toward the road of perfection. The Lord said to the paralytic, “Arise, take up your bed and go to your house” (Matt. 9:6). The Word did not ask him only to carry his bed, but also to go to 16 his house. By going to his house, he meant to grow and progress toward the road of perfection. He also commands his bride, “Rise up and come away.” This order carries power that the Groom offers to His bride by rising and proceeding toward the road of perfection. “My love, My fair one” His calling is arranged very precisely, as St. Gregory says, [Notice the order of the words, how each word is associated with the previous word. All the words are interrelated as if in a chain. The bride listens to the commandment, carrying power to implement it. She rises then she comes away, then she cleaves to Him and becomes beautiful and is called a dove. How can you see a beautiful picture in a mirror unless this mirror accepts the reflections of a beautiful form? In the same manner, the mirror of the human nature cannot be beautiful unless the beautiful God approaches her, and is formed in her through the image of divine beauty. When the human nature fell and obeyed the serpent, it took on its form. But now, when the human nature rises and gives its back to sin, she carries the image of goodness, for she looks at the true beauty that is the dove. When she approaches the light, she carries image of the light. Through this light, she carries the form of the beloved dove. The dove symbolizes the presence of the Holy Spirit.] This is the source of being fruitful in the spring. Through His resurrection He came close to us. We then come close to Him and carry His beauty (My fair one) to become His dove (for the Holy Spirit dwelled in our inner life). REPETITION OF THE CALL TO RESURRECTION The Lord repeats His call to His fiancée saying: “Rise up My love, My fair one and come away! O My dove, in the clefts of the rock, in the secret places of the cliff. Let Me see your countenance, let Me hear your voice, for your voice is sweet, and your countenance is lovely” (Song 2:13-14). Why does He repeat this calling to His fiancée to rise? St. Gregory of Nyssa1 said that He calls the risen bride to rise again, for it is appropriate for her to go from glory to glory (2 Cor. 3:18). She looks at herself and finds that she is less than her expectation. Although she is a dove because she is perfect in Christ, yet He calls her to become a dove, that is, to become more perfect. When she rises, he calls her to rise giving her strength for continual progress. The first time He calls her to “Rise up and come away” Now He calls her to come to the clefts of the rock, in the secret places of the cliff. Since winter had past, when she was in seclusion, she needed to come out of the lusts of the flesh and of the entire world. He calls her to meet Him inside the eternal invisible forts! As St. Paul the Apostle saw the Person of the Lord Jesus in the rock (1 Cor. 10:4), the Groom here asks His bride to come out from the visible world to see the glory of Christ, the true Rock, with an unveiled face (2 Cor. 3:18), to talk with Him, and to live with Him. Her entrance to the Rock to meet the Groom refers to her security. There the old serpent is shut out, for the Book of Proverbs says, “There are three things which are too wonderful for me. Yes, four which I do not understand: the way of an eagle in the air, the way of a serpent on a rock…” (Prov. 30:18). Origen commented, [There is no way for a serpent on a rock, that is, there is no trace for sin on the rock which is Christ; for He alone is without sin. Since the souls take refuge inside the Rock, they go peacefully to the place of the forts, i.e. they meditate on the spiritual and eternal 1 Sermon, 5. 17 matters1.] In the Psalms, David compares the Rock to the land where the soul walks toward God, saying, “He put my feet on the rock…” (Ps. 40:3). To Solomon, the Rock is like a cover of protection for the soul to enjoy the inner mysteries of wisdom. The Lord Jesus Himself is called “the Way” (John 14:6), where the believers walk through. Also, St. Paul calls him the Forerunner: “Where the Forerunner has entered for us, even Jesus…” (Heb. 6:20). In the same manner, God told Moses, “I will put you in the cleft of the rock, and will cover you with My hand while I pass by. Then I will take away My hand, and you shall see My back…” (Exod. 33:22-23). This rock is Christ, and is not completely closed but has a cleft from where God reveals Himself to the people, for no one knows the Father except the Son (Matt. 11:27). None can see what is behind God, i.e. the events of the Last Day, until one enters the cleft in the rock through the revelation of the Lord Jesus Himself. The Lord’s call for resurrection is a call to meet Him with an unveiled face. “Let Me see your countenance, let Me hear your voice.” This saying does not imply that her face is hidden from Him or her voice is not heard. He wants her to be united with Him, so she appears in intimacy before Him, as an unveiled bride speaking openly with her Groom Origen commented on this call11: [Under the cover of the rock, the word of God calls the soul which became his relative, to enter the fort, which means reflecting on the invisible eternal matters. Here, He says, ‘Let Me see your countenance.’ Definitely, there is no trace for the old mask which was covering her face, but she was able to reflect on God’s glory without fear saying, ‘And we beheld His glory, the glory as of the Only-Begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth’ (John 1:14). She deserved to hear what was said about Moses, “Moses spoke, and God answered him by voice” (Exod. 19:19). His saying “Let me hear your voice” is fulfilled in her. Truly, she enjoys such a great praise when God tells her, “Your voice is sweet”! David the Psalmist said, “May my meditations be sweet to Him” (Ps. 104:34). The voice is sweet when it utters the word of God and interprets the true faith and teachings, revealing God’s judgments. However, when the voice utters silly talk, inappropriate humor, or idle words which one has to give an account of in the Day of Judgment (Matt. 12:36), then the voice is no longer sweet. Christ does not listen to such a voice! The perfect soul sets a guard over his mouth and keeps watching over the door of his lips so that whatever she utters is seasoned with salt and gives grace to the hearers (Col. 4:6). Only then does the Word of God say, “Your voice is sweet.” He also says, “Your countenance is beautiful.” We can realize the kind of countenance the Lord described as beautiful when we comprehend what St. Paul meant when he said, “For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known” (1 Cor. 13:12). No doubt, this kind of face is renewed every day (2 Cor. 4:16) according to the image of his Creator (Col. 3:10), without guile and sanctified like the Church, with no spot or wrinkle, so that He might present it to Himself (Eph. 5:27). In other words, the souls who attain perfection form the body of the Church that appears beautiful when the souls are persistent to attain the beauty of perfection. When the soul is troubled, the face is marred; when the soul is calm, the face is peaceful and gentle. In the same manner the face of the Church becomes beautiful or miserable according to the traits 1 Commentary on Canticle of Canticles, 3:15. 11 Origen: Comm. on Song 3: 14. 18 of the believers and their ambitions. It is written, “The mark of a happy heart is a cheerful face” (Sirach 13:26) and “A glad heart makes a cheerful countenance, but by sorrow of heart, the spirit is broken” (Prov. 15:13). A heart filled with the Spirit of God rejoices because the fruit of the Spirit are love and joy (Gal. 5:22). There are also worldly sayings which say that the wise is beautiful and the evil is ugly.] The “secret places of the cliff” describe one gate in front of another. Isaiah expressed this by saying, “…God will appoint salvation for walls and bulwarks” (Is. 26:1). The inner wall refers to the city and the outer to stronger shields. The Word of God calls the soul to be detached from the carnal cares to learn the mysteries of the life to come. She is sheltered and puts her hope in eternity and is not worried by temptations. The Lord’s call to the Church and the soul to experience the resurrection is a call to be released from the ego and carnal matters and cross over to the new, heavenly life. This crossing is an entrance to the “secret places of the cliff,” i.e. to the bosom of the Heavenly Father in which the Church takes refuge as the dove for Christ. The risen Christ wants His believers to enter into the bosom of the Father and declares to them the divine mysteries. He says, “No one has seen God at any time. The Only-Begotten Son who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him” (John 1:18), “All things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you” (John 15:15), and “Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me, will be with Me where I am, that they behold My glory” (John 17:24). He calls her to be united with Him (the True Rock) and to enter to the bosom of the Father, the secret places of the cliff, to be with Him forever. These are the eternal refuges that impart beauty on the Church, making her voice sweet and her countenance beautiful! In the same manner, the Fiancé calls His bride to rise from carnal thoughts to spiritual ones, so she may no more be a silly dove (Hosea 7:11). He sees us pure and meek, and longs for us to pray to Him and cleave to Him. He continually sees her face and hears her voice. 19 B. HE WARNS HER FROM THE SLANDERERS (SONG 2:15) Although the Word of God descended to man, stretched forth His hand to him and was accepted by man, He still warns him from the slanderers who want to destroy his union with Him: “Catch us the foxes, the little foxes that spoil the vines, for our vines have tender grapes” (Song 2:15). Repeating the word “foxes” is a warning, for they quietly crawl from the small holes to spoil the vine at the beginning of its growth. Thus they spoil large quantities of the coming fruits. Although they are small, they ruin man’s growth and maturity. WHAT ARE THESE LITTLE FOXES? 1. This warning from the Lord Jesus is directed to the believer, or to the soul, who desires to be united with Christ. These little foxes are the sins that we may consider small, such as white lies, improper joking, or anything (friends, books, places, etc.) that may be harmful to our bodies and our spirits. Therefore, we must keep our inner doors closed from any little fox, abstaining from every form of evil (1 Thess. 5:22). Origen said, [These little foxes are the evil powers of Satan which destroy the flowers of virtues and ruin the fruits of faith through evil thoughts and misconceptions1.] And [Definitely, at the moment of sin, an evil spirit works in the heart of man. We welcome him to enter in our lives by our evil motives.2] St. Mark the Ascetic said, [Satan tempts us with small sins, as if they are trifle, but then they will lead us to bigger sins.3] 2. This warning is directed from the Lord Jesus to the Church. Origen said, [These words are directed to the teachers in the Church, and the orders are given to them by removing the foxes that ruin the vines. By “foxes” we mean the teachers who teach heresy, mislead the simple hearts, and ruin the vine of the Lord without producing the flower of the Orthodox faith. Therefore, the orders are given to the Church teachers to rebuke those foxes and to let those who attack the word of truth, while still young and beginning, to submit to the truth and reveal it.4] THE LITTLE FOXES IN THE HOLY BIBLE5 It is written in the Psalms, “But those who seek my life to destroy it, shall go into the lower parts of the earth. They shall fall by the sword; they shall be a portion for jackals” (Ps. 63:9-10). Those are the evil teachers who like to deceive people, speaking idle words to destroy them. They use the temporary earthly wisdom to drive the righteous souls down to the pit instead of lifting them up toward the heavenly and eternal matters. Instead of becoming the portion of the Lord, they become a portion of the foxes (evil and satanic teachings). To those He says, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head” (Matt. 8:20). The Lord has no place to rest in such hearts because they become as holes for the devils (foxes) to rest in. 1 Origen: Commentary on Songs 3:15 2 Origen: Homily on Numbers 4:3 3 Two topics about the spiritual Law, 94; Philokalia 1966, p. 126 4 Origen: Commentary on Canticle 3:15 5 Origen: Commentary on Canticle 3:15 20 When Herod became a deceiver, the Lord Jesus called him a fox (Luke 13:31). In the book of Judges “Samson went and caught three hundred foxes; and he took torches, turned the foxes tail to tail, and put a torch between each pair of tails. When he had set the torches on fire, he let the foxes go into the standing grain of the Philistines, and burned up both the shocks and the standing grain, as well as the vineyards and olive groves” (15:4-5). This represents the true and faithful teacher who knows how to collect all the heresies and tie their tails, showing how the heresies contradict one another. When the fire of the truth is inflamed, then the fields of evil and heresies are burnt. In the book of Nehemiah, Tobiah the Ammonite mocked Nehemiah saying, “Whatever they build, if even a fox goes up on it, he will break down their stone wall” (Neh. 4:3). This is a symbolic picture of what the world does when the Gospel is spread: the believers, the living stones, are released from the captivity of sin to become walls and temples on a heavenly level. The world mocks the Gospel saying that it was not built on philosophical basis, considering that any fox, or any earthly excuse, is able to destroy it. The Holy Bible warns us from the little foxes, but we should not fear them because God grants us authority to trample on serpents, scorpions and every power of the enemy (Luke 10:19). In Christ Jesus, we say, “Happy shall he who takes and dashes your little ones against the rock” (Ps. 137:9). Since its inception, we have been struggling to conquer evil and bury it under the feet of the Lord Jesus, our Rock. THE HUNTERS OF THE LITTLE FOXES St. Gregory of Nyssa wrote that the hunters of the little foxes are the angelic hosts or the saintly apostles.1 Perhaps they are the angelic hosts who accompany God in His descent to the earth and work for His kingdom. It was said, “The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle” (Ps. 24:8). They may represent the apostles who were sent to catch these wild animals from the hearts of men to give the Son of Man a place to rest His head. 1 Sermon 5 on Song of Songs
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