He Said: Who Are You?

Poverty and richness met in the dead of night. The mighty man asked her, “Who are you?”

Note that it was Boaz who spoke to Ruth first. This is always the case when a soul feels poor in spirit and lost. The darkness of the Lord caused the soul to be so poor in spirit that the mighty man asked her, “Who are you?” The soul barely has sufficient strength to mention his own name, because he feels so unworthy to bear a name. This is the poverty in which a change of name occurs by the soul being married to her Bridegroom and then bearing His name.

True poverty cannot manage to call for help. It can be compared to a deep sorrow that no one can relieve. Just being quiet by yourself will bring some relief.

The darkness of a blind person manifests itself differently. Bartimaeus, a blind beggar, sat by the wayside. When he heard that Jesus was coming, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” A sinner acts in like manner. He cries out with everything that is in him: Lord, save me!

Once you have been saved, and by obedience to the Spirit have been led into darkness, you no longer have strength to cry out: Lord, save me! Because you are saved! There is something else that is about to take place. The soul shall now go under His cover, be called by His name, share in His sufferings and His consolation, eat his way through His flesh, and drink His blood. The Bridegroom fetches His bride out of darkness and says: Who are you? Blessed bride! There is your Bridegroom at the end of the heap of grain.