A kiss has many meanings in Scripture. Joseph kissed all his brethren
\nas a token of reconciliation ({{Gen. 45:15}}). Orpah kissed Naomi, but
\nreturned to her paganism in Moab, while Ruth \u00e2\u20ac\u0153clave\u00e2\u20ac\u009d to her
\nmother-in-law ({{Ruth 1:14}}). David kissed Jonathan in their final
\nfarewell\u00e2\u20ac\u201da kiss of friendship ({{1 Sam. 20:41}}). The father of the
\nprodigal son \u00e2\u20ac\u0153fell on his neck and kissed him\u00e2\u20ac\u009d on the son’s return
\n({{Lk. 15:20}}). In the Church, Paul admonished believers to \u00e2\u20ac\u0153greet ye
\none another with an holy kiss\u00e2\u20ac\u009d ({{1 Cor. 16:20}}).<\/p>\n
\nAs to the latter, we must remember that as in the Far East today,
\nmen and women sat separately, and greeted one another separately, so
\nthat this kiss was no doubt confined to members of the same gender. It
\nwas a \u00e2\u20ac\u0153kiss of charity\u00e2\u20ac\u009d ({{1 Pet. 5:14}}) and had the same effect as a
\nlove feast in India\u00e2\u20ac\u201dit abolished all social distinctions and any spirit
\nof discrimination and partiality among the Lord’s people.<\/p>\n
The Kiss of Judas<\/strong> Judas had privileges few men ever had. He companied with our Lord Was Judas so perverse and hardened that he never at any time read The Kisses of Love by a Woman<\/strong> This act of complete devotion brought from the Saviour an assurance The Kiss Desired by His Bride<\/strong> Here she desires a new discovery of His affection, a new touch of To have such a touch of His love on our lives is a believer’s heaven When we gather to Him, we should do so with this fond desire. True,
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Now he that betrayed Him gave them a sign, saying, Whomsoever I shall
\nkiss, that same is He: hold Him fast. And forthwith he came to Jesus,
\nand said, Hail, Master\u00e2\u20ac\u201dand kissed Him\u00e2\u20ac\u009d ({{Mt. 26:48-49}}). The word
\nused here means fervently. This betrayal kiss was more demonstrative
\nthan the ordinary kiss of a formal greeting. Never in all the years of
\nHis association with the intimate band of disciples did Judas ever call
\nJesus, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Lord\u00e2\u20ac\u009d! His discipleship had been play acting, the very essence
\nof hypocrisy.<\/p>\n
\nand belonged to a band of men who were to attend Him in His impeccable
\nwalk on earth, to hear His purpose to undergo the uttermost of God’s
\nwrath and to drink the very dregs of anguish for man’s redemption. He
\nmust have seen the signs of coming distress on our Lord’s face as He
\napproached the mysterious depths of His substitutionary sacrifice and
\nthe shameful cross.<\/p>\n
\nthe language of the Saviour’s heart, interpreted His incessant prayers,
\nthe meaning of His mighty pleadings, the appeal of His outstretched
\nhands? Yet Judas betrayed Him, and did so with the sweetest symbol of
\nlove. It is the only time we read of anyone kissing the Saviour’s face,
\nand it was with the filthy lips of this betrayer, whose very name has
\nbecome a symbol of infamy.<\/p>\n
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Seest thou this woman?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d said our Lord in a gentle but stinging rebuke
\nto Simon the Pharisee, who had given Him no water to wash His feet, no
\nkiss of greeting, no oil for His refreshing. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153This woman since the time
\nI came in hath not ceased to kiss My feet\u00e2\u20ac\u009d ({{Lk. 7:45}}). It is not
\nlikely that the woman was Mary Magdalene, nor Mary of Bethany, though
\nthe latter did much the same in anointing the Lord. This woman was a
\nwoman of sin, and our Lord’s forgiveness had brought forth this act of
\npure devotion. She had tasted that the Lord is gracious and expressed
\nher love of Him in this lowly and loving act of covering His feet with
\nher kisses, the beautiful feet of the One who brought news from a very
\nfar country.<\/p>\n
\nto Simon of her sins forgiven, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Her sins, which are many, are forgiven:
\nfor she loved much\u00e2\u20ac\u009d (v. 47). That word must have dropped in her
\nguilt-ridden soul like \u00e2\u20ac\u0153sweet smelling myrrh\u00e2\u20ac\u009d and carried its own
\nblessing and refreshing. Her kisses upon His feet expressed her deep
\nsense of unworthiness, but also demonstrated a soul now filled with
\nlove of Him. She had no doubt heard His public utterances of good news
\nand sought Him out. What passion of affection! How much her heart was
\nset on God’s beloved Son! How desirous she was of His word of
\nforgiveness! Her kisses on His feet were out of the abundance of her
\nheart and must have given a great deal of satisfaction to our Lord.<\/p>\n
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Let Him kiss me with the kisses of His mouth\u00e2\u20ac\u009d ({{Song of Sol. 1:2}}).
\nThis book is \u00e2\u20ac\u0153the song of songs\u00e2\u20ac\u009d\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthat is, unexcelled by any other song;
\nand unsurpassed by any other song, whether of divine or human origin.
\nThere is no adequate interpretation of this song except that which
\nrelates it to the love union between Christ and His people. He is the
\nBridegroom-lover; she the bride.<\/p>\n
\nHis love upon her life. Here the kiss has spiritual significance since
\nin this book we are in the realm of heavenly things. She seeks
\nsomething more intimate and real than mere form and ceremony. Rather,
\nshe seeks \u00e2\u20ac\u0153the kisses of His mouth.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d The love of Christ is a believer’s
\ntrue desire. It is the purest desire of the human soul to long after
\nsome special demonstration of it, which has the effect of raising our
\naffections toward Him.<\/p>\n
\non earth, and the beginning of glory. A believer prefers this to the
\nmost excellent things of earth. It is a surprising and astonishing
\ngrace that the blessed Lord of glory would stoop to kiss such wretches
\nas we are, and to receive us into His loving embrace.<\/p>\n
\nwe are here at the remembrance feast to express our devotion to Him,
\nbut the best incentive to do that will be to feel His touch of love
\nupon our own lives. It would not be inappropriate at all to come to
\nthis feast of love with this desire: \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Let Him kiss me with the kisses
\nof His mouth.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n