MAY 1

“I am a rose of Sharon, a lily of the valleys.” (Song of Solomon 2:1)

While the material world holds various forms of beauty, Jesus Christ embodies all spiritual beauty to an extraordinary degree. Among flowers, the rose is considered the sweetest, yet Jesus is infinitely more beautiful in the garden of the soul than any rose could ever be in earthly gardens. He takes the foremost position as the fairest among ten thousand. He is like the sun, while all others are merely stars; compared to Him, the heavens and the day appear dark, for the King in His beauty surpasses all.

When He calls Himself “the rose of Sharon,” it signifies the best and rarest of roses. Jesus is not just “the rose,” but “the rose of Sharon,” similar to how He refers to His righteousness as “gold,” specifically “the gold of Ophir”—the best of the best. He is positively lovely and supremely the loveliest. There is a wonderful variety in His charms. The rose delights the eye and provides a pleasant, refreshing scent; likewise, Jesus satisfies each of the soul’s senses—whether taste, touch, hearing, sight, or even the spiritual sense of smell. Even the memory of His love is sweet.

Take the rose of Sharon, pull its petals apart, and store them in the jar of memory; you will discover that each petal remains fragrant long afterward, filling your heart with its perfume. Christ satisfies the highest tastes of the most discerning soul to the fullest. Even the greatest connoisseur of fragrances is satisfied with the rose, and when the soul reaches its highest level of true appreciation, it will find even greater joy in Christ. Heaven itself possesses nothing that surpasses the rose of Sharon.

What symbol can fully capture His beauty? Human language and earthly creations fall short of expressing Him. The finest earthly charms, when combined, only faintly reflect His abundant worth. Blessed rose, may you bloom in my heart forever!