THEOSISAmbrose of Milan
In this anguish, the spirit fails to recognize its true self; the body, prone to corruption, weighs down the spirit, and the temporal dwelling is swiftly dismantled. Nevertheless, it must maintain self-awareness. Peter, too, faced temptation (See Matt. 26:69ff.; Luke 22:55ff.; Mk. 14:68ff.; Jn. 18:17ff.), and in his moment of trial, he was blind to himself; had he known his own identity, he would not have denied the Creator. Yet Christ understood him; He recognized the one who turned to Him, for the Lord knows His own (cf. 2 Tim. 2:19) and, acting as a skillful charioteer, guided him with the harness of His grace, preventing him from falling. Thus, our steward is Christ. Consequently, the spirit declares: Aminadab has made me a chariot.
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Therefore, the spirit is a vehicle that carries the good steward. If the spirit is a chariot, it is drawn by either noble or ignoble horses. Noble horses represent the virtues of the spirit, while ignoble ones symbolize bodily passions. The wise charioteer controls and guides the unruly horses while encouraging the virtuous ones. Among the good horses are prudence, temperance, courage, and justice, while the bad horses include anger, lust, cowardice, and injustice. At times, these negative forces conflict, with anger surging forward, followed by cowardice, disrupting one another and hindering progress. In contrast, the good horses soar upwards, elevating the soul, especially when they carry the yoke of goodness and the light burden of the One who says: Take My yoke upon you ... for My yoke is good, and My burden is light (Matthew 11:29-30). He Himself is the steward who knows how to manage His horses, ensuring the harmony of their pace. If prudence is swift and justice is slow, He encourages the slower one. If temperance is gentle and courage is bold, He brings together those who are divergent to preserve the chariot. (Phil. 3:13-14), striving that each horse attain the reward of Christ and receive the victor's crown. These horses are bound by the yoke of faith, united in love, controlled by justice, and guided by temperance. Scripture aptly states, ‘Aminadab made me a chariot,’ signifying ‘the father of the people.’ Aminadab, father of the people, is also the father of Naasson, meaning ‘the serpent’ (Num. 1:7, Matt. 1:4). Yet consider again who, like the bronze serpent, was lifted up on the Cross (Jn. 3:14, Num. 21:9) for the salvation of all. This reality illustrates that the soul of peace, with God the Father as its source and Christ as its charioteer, echoes the notion expressed among us: My Father, my Father, the charioteer of Israel (LXX chariot of Israel) (2 Sam. 2:12).