Sermon Notes - Third Sunday after Easter - Christ and His Church - Anglican Orthodox Communion Worldwide - 30 April 2023, Anno Domini

The Third Sunday after Easter.

The Collect.

 

A

LMIGHTY God, who showest to them that are in error the light of thy truth, to the intent that they may return into the way of righteousness; Grant unto all those who are admitted into the fellowship of Christ’s Religion, that they may avoid those things that are contrary to their profession, and follow all such things as are agreeable to the same; through our Lord Jesus Christ.  Amen.

 

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 AM come into my garden, my sister, my spouse: I have gathered my myrrh with my spice; I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey; I have drunk my wine with my milk: eat, O friends; drink, yea, drink abundantly, O beloved. 2 I sleep, but my heart waketh: it is the voice of my beloved that knocketh, saying, Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled: for my head is filled with dew, and my locks with the drops of the night. 3 I have put off my coat; how shall I put it on? I have washed my feet; how shall I defile them? 4 My beloved put in his hand by the hole of the door, and my bowels were moved for him. 5 I rose up to open to my beloved; and my hands dropped with myrrh, and my fingers with sweet smelling myrrh, upon the handles of the lock. 6 I opened to my beloved; but my beloved had withdrawn himself, and was gone: my soul failed when he spake: I sought him, but I could not find him; I called him, but he gave me no answer. 14 His hands are as gold rings set with the beryl: his belly is a bright ivory overlaid with sapphires.15 His legs are as pillars of marble, set upon sockets of fine gold: his countenance is as Lebanon, excellent as the cedars.16 His mouth is most sweet: yea, he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem. (Song 5:1-6, 14-16)

 

Just as our communion with our Lord began in a garden at Eden, so does our walk with Him as our Bridegroom end in the Garden of the open Tomb.

 

The Song of Solomon is a beautiful story of Christ and His Church. It is written in metaphor and parable. It reveals the intimacy of expression and deep love which Christ has for His Church and which His Church should have for Him.

 

“I am come into my garden, my sister, my spouse:” Sadly, we often doubt the presence of Christ with us. He loves His Bride so much, and us individually, that He cannot let us out of His sight. How can we allow His presence to go without acknowledgement. Is it possible, when we need Him most, He is right beside us as He was to Mary Magdalene at the Tomb, the two travelers on the Road to Emmaus, and the fearful disciples aboard the ship on the stormy Galilean Sea? So, He must announce He has come to us! In fact, He often stands at the door and knocks while we remain oblivious to His coming. In speaking to the churches of Revelations, He says, “I stand at the door and knock.” (Rev 3:20). Unfortunately, that places Him OUTSIDE – not INSIDE – the greater number of churches.

 

“I have gathered my myrrh with my spice; I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey; I have drunk my wine with my milk: eat, O friends; drink, yea, drink abundantly, O beloved.” He has done all required for the dowry of His Bride. He has received the myrrh of the burial and the sweet spices of His resurrection. Because He has drunk His wine (Cup of Suffering) with His milk (Morning Joy), He insist the entitlement for us to do so as well, for all that is His is all of His Bride’s, too. We are ‘beloved’ to Him. What a special title we have from such an exalted Lord and King.

 

“I sleep, but my heart waketh: it is the voice of my beloved that knocketh, saying, Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled: for my head is filled with dew, and my locks with the drops of the night.” The Bride is not so watchful as the Groom. She sleeps while He has suffered the dews of the night. But she does, indeed, hear His Voice and knows the Voice. And the Bride is not only a Bride, but a Sister as well. “My mother and my brethren are these which hear the word of God, and do it.” (Luke 8:21)

 

“I have put off my coat; how shall I put it on? I have washed my feet; how shall I defile them?” What deplorable excuses the Church makes to cover its unwillingness to bear the cross. It is not convenient! It is not the proper time! I have been sleeping and need rest to regain my bearings? Today’s church is quick to act on matters involving power and pelf, yet slow to do those things necessary to nurture wisdom and knowledge of God in her members. It is a small thing to build a two million dollar Taj Mahal, but quite a burden to put one’s self out to bring the sheaf to the barn.

 

“My beloved put in his hand by the hole of the door, and my bowels were moved for him.” He will use His charms and His Spirit to beckon and to lure us and, yet, we still are slow to respond. If we are too slow, He will not linger at the door always. The term ‘bowels’ here is used in the same manner the term ‘heart’ is used today. Our hearts are moved for Him because His heart was first moved for us. “We love him, because he first loved us.” (1 John 4:19)

 

“I rose up to open to my beloved; and my hands dropped with myrrh, and my fingers with sweet smelling myrrh, upon the handles of the lock.” Too slowly does the church arise to open its door to Christ, and too often is Christ OUTSIDE the Church and not INSIDE. (Rev 3:20). Her hands are full of the myrrh of repentance, but the lock of the door is the sin that has kept Him out.

 

“I opened to my beloved; but my beloved had withdrawn himself, and was gone: my soul failed when he spake: I sought him, but I could not find him; I called him, but he gave me no answer.” The Spaniards have a beautiful name and title for Christ: “Jesus es el Senor!” or ‘Jesus is a Gentleman’. And so He is. He does not intrude where He is not welcome. We may avoid Christ to the point that He will not answer without prevailing prayer. She awoke from sleep when He called, else He would have departed for ever. Now she must be chastened for her reluctance to watch and wait.

 

“His hands are as gold rings set with the beryl: his belly is as bright ivory overlaid with sapphires. His legs are aspillars of marble, set upon sockets of fine gold: his countenance is as Lebanon, excellent as the cedars.” The precious stones mentioned are those stones of the foundation for New Jerusalem. (Rev 21:19,20) The gold rings are symbols of authority. His is tall and majestic as the Cedars of Lebanon. “His mouth is most sweet: yea, he is altogether lovely. This ismy beloved, and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem.” From His mouth we have heard only kindness and loveliness. He is my Friend that sticketh closer than a brother. (Pro 18:24)  He is the only One for the Church for there can be no other. She LOVES Him, and so must we all.

 

Perhaps we should stop to consider well what a marvelously wonderful Savior we have. He is madly in love with His Bride, the True Church. Should that love go unrequited by those who are showered with love without merit?