Ah, Holy Jesus

Prayer of devotion:

Blessed Lord,
You are God’s face, made manifest for all the world. I thank you for your life, death and resurrection, signs of God’s gracious love, poured out for me. I turn toward you now, opening myself to your teaching, and emptying myself of all worldly pretense. Amen

Reading:

Ah, holy Jesus, how hast thou offended
That man to judge thee, hath in hate pretended?
By foes derided, by thine own rejected,
O most afflicted.

Who was the guilty? Who brought this upon thee?
Alas, my treason, Jesus hath undone thee.
‘Twas I, Lord Jesus, I it was denied thee;
I crucified thee.

Therefore kind Jesus, since I cannot pay thee,
I do adore thee, and will ever pray thee;
Think on thy pity, and thy love unswerving,
Not my deserving.

--The hymn, “Ah, Holy Jesus”, verses 1, 3 and 5; text: Johann Heermann, translation: Robert Bridges

Meditation:

This is a most stunning hymn, and reading it aloud doesn’t quite do it justice. The music, written in the sixteenth century by Johann Cruger, allows the singer to really feel the emotion of this address to Jesus upon the cross. Waves of rising and falling notes carry one through the terrible events of the Passion.

I don’t know how many times I’ve sung this hymn. Many. It is one of my favorites, and I often pick the hymns for church, so I know we’ve sung it at Abiding Peace on numerous occasions. Still I am brought up short each time I sing verse three, with its devastating last line, “I crucified thee.” It is indeed “stunning;” one can’t help but feel stunned by that terrible admission.

I also find myself wanting to get out from underneath the weight of that admission. Perhaps you experienced a similar sensation upon reading it. We weren’t really there. We weren’t shouting “Crucify him!” Surely we would not have participated in that tragic low point of humanity.

Perhaps not. Perhaps we would have been among those who stood by Jesus until the end. What this hymn reminds us is that we are among those who must stand by him today.: “Therefore, kind Jesus, since I cannot pay thee, I do adore thee, and will ever pray thee.”

Take a few moments to stand at the foot of the cross, to adore Jesus and pray him.

Prayer of Hope:

Lord Jesus,
You took upon your body pain and suffering in my name. I pledge this day to take on healing and love in your name. I bow before you, and declare that you are Lord, my savior and my friend. Amen