Lord Jesus Christ, our heart feels sweet

After introducing the focus in the Lord's table meeting, we may sense that the spirit of the meeting is not strong enough. In this case we need to strengthen it. Hymns, #154, "It passeth knowledge, that dear love of Thine," may be considered a strengthening hymn concerning the Lord's love. To choose a hymn such as #171, "Lord Jesus Christ, our heart feels sweet/ Whene'er we think on Thee," would not be appropriate, because it turns from the Lord's love to the Lord Himself. It is more suitable to serve as a concluding hymn, which is not for uplifting the spirit but for drawing the meeting to an end.

After singing this hymn and praying, we may call and sing Hymns, #171, "Lord Jesus Christ, our heart feels sweet," and continue to pray. The praise in the bread-breaking meeting should be consistent and connected. When we pray based on a certain hymn, we should pray according to the sequence of the hymn, one verse after another. Although each person prays over only one section, the spirit should be connected with those who pray before and after. If we sing econ that same night, Lord Jesus" (Hymns, #213), the prayers of praise should emphasize the Lord Himself directing us to remember Him before His going to the cross. If we sing "Alas! and did my Savior bleed?" (Hymns, #104), our prayer can go in three directions: the Lord's suffering on the cross (stanzas 1 and 2), the response of the universe and creation (stanza 3), and man's loving response to Him (stanzas 4 and 5).

The second part of verse 2 says, "He has no attracting form nor majesty that we should look upon Him, / Nor beautiful appearance that we should desire Him." Very few people would pay any particular attention to a tender plant. In one sense, the Lord Jesus is beautiful. There are a number of hymns in our hymnal concerning His beauty (Hymns, #170-178). However, in another sense, Jesus is not beautiful. He has no beautiful appearance that we should desire Him.

As we have seen, Christ is the Triune God—the Father, the Son, and the Spirit—and He is the embodiment of God. Christ is many other items, such as the reality of the plants mentioned positively in the Bible. Christ is the real cedar tree (Lev. 14:4; 1 Kings 6:9), the real hyssop (Lev. 14:4; Psa. 51:7), and the real henna flower (S. S. 1:14, ASV). The chorus of #171 in Hymns says,

Lord, like the pretty henna-flower,
In vineyards blossoming Thou art;
Incomp'rable Thy beauty is,
Admires and loves our heart!

At the time the Song of Solomon was written, the henna flower was used by women as a cosmetic. We should take Christ as our beauty. Christ is also the apple tree (S. S. 2:3). The word translated "apple" in Song of Solomon 2:3 is actually the word for a juicy and nourishing tropical fruit. We need to be beautified with Christ as the henna flower and nourished with Christ as the fruit. Moreover, we can sit under His shadow to rest, enjoy, and relax (S. S. 2:3). Christ is also the plant of renown in Ezekiel 34:29.

Christ is the reality of everything positive. Colossians 2:16-17 says, "Let no one therefore judge you in eating and in drinking or in respect of a feast or of a new moon or Sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come, but the body is of Christ." Christ is the reality of the Sabbath and the festivals in the Old Testament. Christ is also our food (John 6:32-35), our drink (John 4:10-14), and our real joy. He is the air, the breath, the soil, and our good land. This is our Savior.