CHAPTER XXVIII Of the thirst of the Lord Jesus as He hung upon the Cross
CHAPTER XXVIII
Of the thirst of the Lord Jesus as He hung upon the Cross
I BLESS Thee, and give thanks to Thee, O Lord Jesus Christ, Fountain of living water, and Source of that wisdom that maketh wise unto salvation, for the exceeding great thirst which Thou didst suffer upon the Cross, when, by reason of Thy sacred and precious Blood having been poured forth, and all the natural fluids of Thy Body having been exhausted by Thy grievous tortures, Thou didst—besides Thy burning thirst for our salvation—endure an agony of bodily thirst; and as one utterly poor and needy, didst ask for drink, saying, “I thirst.” But even this small request there was none who would heed; none was there who would even offer a cup of cold water to Him Who made all water to flow. Nay more, some of the bystanders, on hearing what Thou hadst said, were not only not moved to pity, but became yet more unmerciful; and that they might gratify the venomous hatred of their wicked hearts, filled a sponge with vinegar mingled with gall, and put to Thy sweet Mouth that most bitter draught, which was not fit to be given as drink to a dog.
I laud and honour Thee for Thy most gracious self-restraint in accepting and tasting that most nauseous draught, which by way of expiatory penance for the sin of our first parents, Thou didst taste, in order that as the tasting of the forbidden fruit brought death into the world, so Thy tasting of this bitter draught might be to us a healing remedy.
But woe be to thee, thou impious people of the Jews, of all races of men the most stiffnecked and full of wickedness! How couldst thou sink to such a depth of depravity as to release Barabbas and crucify Christ? How couldst thou be brought to such a pitch of madness as to offer vinegar to One Who asked for a drink to stay His thirst? Put it before the High Priest or the Ruler of thy people, and see if he would drink it. What has Christ done to thee, or wherein has Jesus of Nazareth wronged thee? Answer me, I pray thee. Did not God cause manna to fall from heaven for thee; did not God draw for thee water from the stony rock, that thou mightest eat and drink to the full? And now, in return for the sweet manna that He gave thee, thou offerest Him wine mingled with myrrh; and in return for the abundant water which He gave thee, thou offerest not a drop to Christ, when He is athirst. Even now, did He will it, Christ could make all thy water brackish; and deprived of bread and water thou wouldst soon perish for lack of that, which, asked for pity’s sake, thou now refusest to give. If Christ had willed to have not a nauseous but a refreshing draught, how willingly and how swiftly would the angels, who, when His threefold temptation by the evil one was ended, ministered food to Him, have ministered to Him the life-giving dew of Heaven, more refreshing far than all the water upon earth. But He would not assert Himself, or show His power: He willed rather to work a wonder of patience and endurance, that so He might set an example to those who are professed to poverty.
Do thou, then, O disciple of Jesus, drink deeply from this bitter cup as a cure for the indulgence of thy appetites; for if thou wouldst sup with Christ in the Kingdom of His Father, thy heart must not be set upon dainty food, or draughts of costly wine; thou must not long for soft beds or fine clothes. Such things are out of keeping with the spotless life of Jesus, and with His most bitter Passion. Be on thy guard against yielding to the lusts of the flesh; keep thy sensual impulses in check by being moderate in thy food; and if thou shouldst have exceeded by taking too much or too dainty food, then by daily toil and nightly vigil chasten thyself for thy fault, keeping ever sorrowfully in mind the bitter cup of Christ.
O Jesus, Heavenly Manna, and most sweet Nectar, Thou to Whom, when Thou wast grievously athirst in Thy agony on the Cross, vinegar and gall were given to drink, nor would anyone give Thee even a drop of water, by which Thou mightest have been refreshed; grant that at my meals I may be careful to remember this bitter cup of Thine, that so I may not be too anxious about bodily nourishment, but may earnestly apply my mind to the holy words which are being read. May I learn to take only so much food as is needful for me; may I take it in Thy fear, and may I devoutly thank Thee for all Thy benefits bestowed upon me. May I be content, and that not grudgingly, with the food set before me, no matter how scanty or uninviting it may be: nay more, may I feel myself unworthy of even the poorest scraps, and shrink from living in idleness at the cost of other men’s labours. Grant that I may hunger after the meat that perisheth not, but endureth unto everlasting life. Grant that I may thirst after the fountain of life eternal, and that I may from time to time be fed with a crumb of that living bread which is set before those who eat at Thy Table in Heaven, and may be allowed to taste, be it ever so little, of its inward savour; that so I may be able experimentally to understand how refreshing is that Spirit, O Lord, which Thou as a free gift dost shed forth upon the children of grace.