Job 5:18Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

However, there are moments when, despite the apparent cessation of external blows, He still administers internal wounds by provoking the hardness of the heart with a yearning for Himself. Yet in this very wounding, healing occurs; when we are touched by the arrows of His fear, we are reminded of genuine emotion. Our hearts resonate poorly when they lack the wound of divine love, when they fail to feel remorse for their waywardness, or when they do not empathize, even slightly, with the afflictions of others. They are ‘wounded’ so that they might experience ‘healing’, for God pierces apathetic souls with the arrows of His love, instantly filling them with sensitivity through fervent love, prompting the bride in the Song of Songs to declare, “For I am wounded with love” (Song 2:5).

Ailing souls, trapped in this present world and blinded by a false sense of security, either fail to see God or do not seek Him. Yet, when struck by the arrows of His love, they are deeply wounded in their innermost being with a sense of divine affection, ignited by the desire for communion with Him. Miraculously, they are rejuvenated through this wound; what was once lifeless awakens to newfound vitality: it burns with passion, longs to breathe, and yearns to behold the One from whom it had turned away. Stricken, the soul returns to its intended state of healing and rests securely through the affliction of its self-centeredness.

Yet when the wounded soul starts to choke in its longing for God, shedding all the alluring temptations of this world as it reaches out for the heavenly realm, it faces immediate opposition, being condemned by all that once seemed pleasurable and appealing. Those who cling to this world, living in sin, fiercely resist it when it seeks to embody goodness. The soul ascending to God is harshly confronted by the flesh, which it had previously embraced in favor, becoming a slave to its sinful habits. Former pleasures resurface, tormenting the resolute soul with anguish. However, it is justly noted that while we bear these present afflictions, we are preserved from eternal suffering.