Like an apple tree among the trees of the forest is my beloved… Song of Solomon 2:3-6 (ESV)
A few months earlier, Joe and I discussed music for worship services and he asked if I could shape my message for this 3rd Sunday of Easter around an arrangement entitled, “Jesus Christ the Apple Tree”. He told me this music is usually done around Christmas, but he wanted to do it after Easter. Sounded great.
The notion of Jesus as the Apple Tree intrigued me. The music – which we still plan to do once we are back together – speaks to a fruitful life in Christ, of faith that knows His glory, of happiness found in Christ; when weary, to sit and rest under the shadow of Jesus Christ the apple tree; and how His fruit can make a soul thrive and revive a dying faith.
This wonderful imagery led me to this scripture in the Song of Songs. On the surface, it’s a love story between king and bride, but the Church has historically seen this love story as an allegory of sorts for the love of Christ for His Church. After all, we are the Bride of Christ in the scriptures.
In this scene, the Groom brings the Bride to a house or hall for a wedding celebration. As a king, a banner would have been there as a sign of the king’s authority and protection, and the Bride feels safe under his care.
Early Church teachers and scholars saw in this scripture Jesus Christ the Apple Tree. He is our refreshment and shade for His people. One Church father wrote: Reading this, the Church is glad and rejoices, saying with great delight, “I sat in his shadow, and his fruit was sweet to my taste.” – Ambrose, “Shade for the Church”
The banquet hall is literally, in the Hebrew, a “house of wine” where the Beloved “set love before” the Bride, like a banner – the word is a verb, like “he bannered me with love.” The king served fine wine for such an occasion, and all that was offered to the Bride, all that was set before her, was to show his love. Her response is to feel “sick” (ESV) or “faint” (NIV) with love. In essence, her feelings are so intense – love “hurts” sometimes. But it is interesting that another possible translation is “wounded”. The Church elders saw in this being wounded by love for the Christ wounded for love, knowing that by His wounds we are healed. This leads into v. 6 where the faint Bride is embraced by the One who loves her.
There is a work of art, Virgin and Child Under an Apple Tree, by Cranach the Elder. The Christ child is on Mary’s lap holding bread and an apple as they take shade under an apple tree. The idea is to show how Christ redeems us from sin (reversing the affects of the legendary apple eaten in disobedience), and is our source of healing, renewal and refreshment.
Another song came to mind when I read this scripture: His Banner Over Me is Love, especially the verse: He brought me to his banqueting table, His banner over me is love.
Here we are in a time when we are told to stay safe and stay home. We Christians, however, can sit in safety and rest as those who are at home with Jesus, reassured by His banner over us. In Him we find a new identity as those made in love to love and be loved.
The Iona Community in Scotland has a blessing: God made the world in love, filled the earth with lovely things in love, made the creatures in love, and made us in love – and to the world there came God’s Son, King of love.
This is the King who offers us bread and drink at his banqueting table, who refreshes our souls when we grow weary of the isolation and the daily news and daily routine. He gives us the fruits of love to strengthen us, His loving arms ready to catch us when we are sick or weak. Our happiness is not dependent upon what we can or cannot do, where we go or cannot go, what we earn or cannot earn, who or what we like or dislike, but is found in Jesus Christ the Apple Tree, the King of love.