And in case you might think He only reigns in one locale, the psalm assures us: “For God is king of all the earth” (Psalm 46:8).
How, then, can the King of the entire earth, who was revealed in a singular place, specifically in Jerusalem, in Judea—where He lived amongst humanity, was born, nurtured, grew, consumed food, drank, awakened and rested, sat by the well in weariness, was seized, scourged, spat upon, adorned with a crown of thorns, crucified, pierced with a spear, died, and was laid to rest—be the sovereign of all the earth? What was perceptible there was His flesh; it was flesh that was manifest to worldly sight; yet within that mortal flesh resided an everlasting majesty.
With what vision can we apprehend the immortal glory that has joined with the flesh? There exists a different perception—an inner sight. Consider Tobit, who was completely blind yet, despite his physical blindness, offered guidance to his son on how to live righteously (see Tob. 4:3 ff.). His son held his hand to follow the path, while he imparted wisdom about the way of virtue. Here, I discern sight, and there I recognize vision. The guidance offered for life stems from a higher understanding than that of the one who merely holds the hand. These are the very eyes Jesus referred to when He asked Philip, “How long have I been with you, and you do not know me?” (John 14:9). He spoke of these perceptive faculties when He said, “Philip, he who has seen me has seen the Father” (Jn. 14:9). These are the insights of comprehension, the faculties of thought, which is why when the Psalm claims, “For God is king over all the earth” (cf. Ps. 46:3), it promptly says, “Sing intelligently” (Psalm 46:8).
When proclaiming, “Sing to our God, sing,” I acknowledge God as our King. You have witnessed our King walking among us as a man; you have seen Him endure suffering, be crucified, and die. Yet concealed within that flesh, which your earthly eyes can perceive, lies a deeper truth. What is hidden therein? Sing with understanding! Do not seek to grasp with your eyes that which is to be understood by the mind. Sing with your voice, for He is flesh among you. But since the Word took on flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:14), let the sound of your words reflect that flesh and let the vision of your understanding be directed toward God. Sing with clarity, and you will recognize that the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.
THEOSIS