Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring

Jesu, joy of man’s desiring,
Holy wisdom, love most bright;
Drawn by Thee, our souls aspiring
Soar to uncreated light.
Word of God, our flesh that fashioned,
With the fire of life impassioned,
Striving still to truth unknown,
Soaring, dying round Thy throne.

Through the way where hope is guiding,
Hark, what peaceful music rings;
Where the flock, in Thee confiding,
Drink of joy from deathless springs.
Theirs is beauty’s fairest pleasure;
Theirs is wisdom’s holiest treasure.
Thou dost ever lead Thine own
In the love of joys unknown.

Martin Janus 1661 transl. from German by Robert S Bridges 1844-1930

We need to eat – when we hunger we know our need of food.  We need to sleep – when we tire we know our need of rest.  We need to drink – when we thirst we know our need of water.  We are creatures of need.

There is a need within us that is not satisfied by anything of food, drink or rest; nor even in the abundant luxuries and distractions of life in the 21st century.  Some have described this need as a ‘God-shaped hole’ inside each of us.  Whilst there is some truth in that, it is simply too reductionist.  God does not plug a hole in our lives: he does not simply ‘complete’ us.  The most fundamental need of our existence is God: a need for life, eternal life, that we find satisfied in Him.

It is only in Christ Jesus – only in supreme God’s self revelation – do we find the joy of our desires being met.  ONLY Jesus is sufficient!  Snacking on religion, napping in self-satisfaction and sipping from a cup of half-truths will only make us heart-sick and keep us far from knowing God. We may know light relief in the present but there will be no eternal satisfaction in true joy unless we eat and drink of the true joy of knowing Jesus.  We may know comfort, but we will never know true rest unless Jesus is our first, last and greatest joy.

On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’”

John 7:37-18

Light of the World, We Hail Thee,

Light of the world, we hail Thee, flushing the eastern skies;
Never shall darkness veil Thee again from human eyes;
Too long, alas, withholden, now spread from shore to shore;
Thy light, so glad and golden, shall set on earth no more.

Light of the world, Thy beauty steals into every heart,
And glorifies with duty life’s poorest, humblest, part;
Thou robest in Thy splendour the simple ways of men,
And helpest them to render light back to Thee again.

Light of the world, before Thee our spirits prostrate fall;
We worship, we adore Thee, Thou Light, the Life of all;
With Thee is no forgetting of all Thine hand hath made;
Thy rising hath no setting, Thy sunshine hath no shade.

Light of the world, illumine this darkened earth of Thine,
Till everything that’s human be filled with what’s divine;
Till every tongue and nation, from sin’s dominion free,
Rise in the new creation which springs from love and Thee.

John Samuel Bewley Monsell 1863

I think I would have gotten on well with Monsell – at least if a man can be judged by the hymns he writes.  This hymn is in many ways a reflection on the last prayer of Scripture “Come Lord Jesus, Come”.  What are we longing for? What are we hoping for?

Are we not waiting for Christ to be all in all?  Holding out for Jesus to return and to recreate that which is fallen?  Longing for His perfection to replace our sinfulness?  Hoping toward that Great Day? 

We see now in the pale light of dawn what will soon be the full glare of the noonday sun.  Come Lord Jesus, come!

“I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.”

The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price.

I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.

He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!  The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen.

Revelation 22:16-21

Sing to the Lord a Joyful Song

Sing to the Lord a joyful song,
Lift up your hearts, your voices raise;
To us His gracious gifts belong,
To Him our songs of love and praise.

For life and love, for rest and food,
For daily help and nightly care,
Sing to the Lord, for He is good,
And praise His Name, for it is fair.

For strength to those who on Him wait,
His truth to prove, His will to do,
Praise ye our God, for He is great,
Trust in His Name, for it is true.

For joys untold, that from above
Cheer those who love His sweet employ,
Sing to our God, for He is love,
Exalt His Name, for it is joy.

For He is Lord of Heav’n and earth,
Whom angels serve and saints adore,
The Father, Son, and Holy Ghost,
To Whom be praise forevermore.

John Samuel Bewley Monsell 1863

Sing! Sing!  One of the striking realities of God’s people is that we sing.  Singing has always been a part of what it is to belong to the People of God’s Promise.  History is recounted in song, grief is expressed in lament, prayer is made corporate in sung liturgy and thankfulness is given depth and height as harmony and lyrical beauty give it flight.

In the New Testament there is not only an invite to sing but an imperative. We MUST sing and when we do – it is to be deeply rooted in God’s story and springing forth from thanksgiving.  Monsell’s hymn is not ignorant of the hard times in which it gratitude is more of a discipline than an easy response, and neither is Scripture.

The content of this hymn is simply this – we can be thankful for so many of the things in life within which we see the bountiful mercies of God but even when they are not so easily seen we can be thankful that we are AT LEAST (which in fact is greater than any other provision) able to give thanks for who God is!  Joy is not always easily felt, but it is always the appropriate response.

Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.  And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.  And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.  Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.  And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Col 3:12-17

Lord of the Living Harvest

Lord of the living harvest
That whitens o’er the plain,
Where angels soon shall gather
Their sheaves of golden grain,
Accept these hands to labour,
These hearts to trust and love,
And deign with them to hasten
Thy kingdom from above.

As labourers in Thy vineyard,
Lord, send them out to be
Content to bear the burden
Of weary days for Thee.
To ask no other wages
When Thou shalt call them home
But to have shared the travail
Which makes Thy kingdom come.

Be with them, God the Father;
Be with them, God the Son;
And God the Holy Spirit,
Most blessèd Three in One.
Make them Thy faithful servants
Thee rightly to adore
And fill them with Thy fullness
Both now and evermore.

John Samuel Bewley Monsell 1866

It is one of the great privileges to have worked directly with many hundreds (thousands?)  of men and women in student contexts in Scotland, South Africa, England, Estonia, Lithuania, Germany, Ireland, Wales and now New Zealand.  Many have been greatly talented, attractive in looks and character, intellectually gifted, eloquent and theologically astute.  Many have also struggled to see and know their strengths, lacking confidence, were the least and the lowly: neither gifted intellectually or able to express themselves well in basic conversations let alone theological engagement.

It is a challenge and an encouragement that the Lord Jesus is open to all who will have faith in Him.  He does not require looks, prospects, income and respectability before men and women can come to Him: there is no need for a good CV, a decent background or good looks in order to be counted as His.

This hymn reflects on the riches of knowing Christ in the now as we anticipate the “Living Harvest” that is to come.  When we are gathered to Him, whether we are awoken from the sleep of death or caught up whilst we still have breath – all of the external things that seem so important will pass and then we will see the true weight of God’s glory in Jesus our Lord and King.  He will be the reward and the recompense.  His glory will be the succour for our sorrows, the silencing of our complaints and the salvation of our lives.

The fields are still white for the harvest and the labourers are still few. Whether you know yourself to be rich in the privileges and opportunities that this world has to offer or if you are full of weakness and fears and doubts bout your suitability for the task at hand – the task is still at hand! If you are in Christ Jesus, The Lord of the Harvest has called you to Himself.  He can, and will and does, use you as you are and as you will become: live for Him now.  Live for the Harvest now.  Pray God might send you and many others into the Harvest fields of homes and offices and hospitals and factories and churches to continue the work of gathering in His people.

When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest.” Matthew 9":36-38

Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work. Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, then comes the harvest’? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest. Already the one who reaps is receiving wages and gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together. For here the saying holds true, ‘One sows and another reaps.’  I sent you to reap that for which you did not labour. Others have laboured, and you have entered into their labour.” John 4:35-40

I Hunger and Thirst

I hunger and I thirst,
Jesu, my manna be;
Ye living waters, burst
Out of the rock for me.

Thou bruised and broken Bread,
My life-long wants supply;
As living souls are fed,
O feed me, or I die.

Thou true life-giving Vine,
Let me Thy sweetness prove;
Renew my life with Thine,
Refresh my soul with love.

Rough paths my feet have trod
Since first their course began;
Feed me, Thou Bread of God;
Help me, Thou Son of Man.

For still the desert lies
My thirsting soul before;
O living waters, rise
Within me evermore.

John Samuel Bewley Monsell 1866

The desert road, through the centre of New Zealand’s North Island, is desolate but beautifully so; dominated by views of Ruapehu, Tongariro and Ngauruhoe.  I’ve often wondered what it must have been like for the first Maori settlers and then the Europeans as they traversed this sizeable chunk of land: more than a days journey on foot (and not covered by the convenience of State Highway 1.

Travelling through the desert is often a source of reflection in the biblical story.  God led Abram through deserts and showed him the land that would belong to his descendants.  Moses lived in the desert some 80 years in total, the latter 40 leading a rebellious people back and forth to the edge of the land that had been promised to the people of God’s promise: he would eventually die in the desert, only looking at the promised land from afar.

Jesus too led people into the desert – they came in their thousands to hear him preach and teach, to bring the sick who needed healed and the demon possessed who needed freedom.  Jesus spoke in parables which were hard to understand but His words brought hope.  He spoke of Himself as Bread and Water and Light and Life.  He said that He was the true mana from heaven, that His life would establish a New Covenant (new promise) between God and the People of Promise.

Monsell in this hymn expresses what we each know – that faith in Christ does not lead to a life which is free of struggle, suffering, hardship and eventually death.  When those things come they do not come because we do not have faith but rather they come into the life of those who live by faith.  Sometimes it can feel like we are living in a desert – it might be short lived, a transition point, or a much longer period of life.

When rough times come Monsell’s hymn expresses the beauty of Christ in the ‘deserted’ and ‘barren’ places of life.  I particularly like the all sufficiency of Jesus expressed in the penultimate verse.  That Jesus is both the Bread of God (the food which sustains us to the end) and the Son of Man (who knows us because He is one of us) is no small comfort when we hunger and thirst, not only for sustaining truth but also for life saving company on the dangerous roads of life.

Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe.  All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.  For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me.  And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”

John 6:36-40

Awake, Glad Soul! Awake! Awake!

Awake, glad soul! awake! awake!
Thy Lord has risen long;
Go to His grave, and with thee take
Both tuneful heart and song.

Where life is waking all around,
Where love’s sweet voices sing,
The first bright blossom may be found
Of an eternal spring.

The shade and gloom of life are fled
This resurrection day;
Henceforth in Christ are no more dead,
The grave hath no more prey.

In Christ we live, in Christ we sleep,
In Christ we wake and rise,
And the sad tears death makes us weep,
He wipes from all our eyes.

And every bird and every tree,
And every opening flower,
Proclaim His glorious victory,
His resurrection power.

The folds are glad, the fields rejoice,
With vernal verdure spread,
The little hills lift up their voice
And shout that death is dead.

Then wake, glad heart! awake! awake
And seek Thy risen Lord;
Joy in His resurrection take,
And comfort in His Word.

And let thy life, through all its ways,
One long thanksgiving be:
Its theme of joy, its song of praise—
Christ died, and rose for me.

John Samuel Bewley Monsell

It is a strange but remarkable coincidence of my upbringing that I have been to hundreds of funerals.  Growing up a Roman Catholic lad in a community where school and church were next to each other I ‘served on the altar’ as an altar boy, which included missing the first hour or so of school on a fairly regular basis to assist at funerals, as well as normal mass.

Funerals of old and young, strangers and people who I’d known (as much as children know adults in the wider community).  There are a few that stand out in my memory – one of a child from my school, younger than me, who had been killed on electrical rail lines; a child who was a close neighbour who had died from a genetic condition; a large and elaborate funeral (standing room only) for a ‘pillar’ of the church and my own grandmother’s funeral.

They were all sad occasions – accompanied by the same handful of hymns (abide with me, the Lord’s my Shepherd – which will make an appearance on this blog at some point) – some, like funerals of other children, intractably sad.  I’ve been to a fair few funerals since – family and friends; they too have been sad.  But how does Christian hope make a marked effect in the life of those grieving.

Monsell’s hymn expresses and applies the reality of Christian hope in the face of the grave.  Jesus’ death and resurrection transforms our graveyard experiences.  We know that death is vanquished, emptied of power and Death itself, in Christ, has died.

But what of those who die without hope in Christ?  Can we who live hoping in Christ grieve with such confidence? I want to say yes.  See what Monsell makes clear?  Christ will wipe all tears away – at the end of time, there will be the end of mourning and it will be done justly, gracefully and powerfully. 

“But what about those I love?” His love for them is greater.  “What about eternity away from the lost” His justice is what I hope in, what we hope in, and so we will not mourn the justice of God in judging and salvation; we will rejoice in it!

Every graveside, every funeral, reminds us who know the Lord Jesus, the Lord who was once dead and now Lives never to face death again, that one day He will return and empty graves and call to account and bring salvation and reveal the glory of the Living God!  We weep here and now and in doing so we anticipate the ending of all tears!

For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's. For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.  Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God; for it is written, “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.” So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.

Romans 14:7-12

Fight The Good Fight With All Thy Might

Fight the good fight with all thy might;
Christ is thy Strength, and Christ thy Right;
Lay hold on life, and it shall be
Thy joy and crown eternally.

Run the straight race through God’s good grace,
Lift up thine eyes, and seek His face;
Life with its way before us lies,
Christ is the Path, and Christ the Prize.

Cast care aside, upon thy Guide,
Lean, and His mercy will provide;
Lean, and the trusting soul shall prove
Christ is its Life, and Christ its Love.

Faint not nor fear, His arms are near,
He changeth not, and thou art dear.
Only believe, and thou shalt see
That Christ is all in all to thee.

John Samuel Bewley Monsell 1863

How do we encourage the downhearted?  What do we say in the midst of defeat?  “cheer up, it could be worse”, “there’s plenty more fish in the sea” or (in particularly Kiwi mode) “harden up”?

Monsell in this well known hymn employs 4 means of encouragement.

1. Fight with all your strength – but know that the strength with which you fight comes from relationship to God in Christ Jesus.
2. Know where you are headed and how you are getting there – the grace of God revealed in Jesus Christ is not simply the way we become Christians, it is also the way we walk and the destination to which we are headed.
3. In real weakness lean upon the strength of the Loving Saviour and discover the depths of His Love and Salvation.
4. When you are fearful remember the reality that everything for the Christian is a way that leads to more of Jesus.

How great is that?  What is more these words are a reflection on the final words of the apostle Paul – he faces apparent failure with many having deserted the gospel and him, he faces real weakness with winter coming and he faces real fear as he must give an account of himself before Caesar. In Jesus there is a great hope for us all.

For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.

2 Timothy 4:6-8