“What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Roman 7:24-25)

Although I used to sing this hymn with a heavy heart and didn't understand its meaning when I was young, I found myself drawn to it nonetheless. Perhaps, amidst its tragic yet hopeful lyrics, there was a resonance with the struggles we all face. Learning that Jesus had died for a wretched man like myself was a poignant realization. I began to wonder what wrongs I had committed for Jesus to have made such a sacrifice. But then, the next verse brought comfort. The lines "Amazing pity! Grace unknown! Love beyond degree!" resonated deeply with me. It was reassuring to know that God's love only grew larger regardless of my own shortcomings. “Christ reconciled all things in himself.” (Ephesians 2:14)

One verse, in particular, stood out to me: "But drops of tears can ne'er repay the debt of love I owe. Here, Lord, I give myself away; 'tis all that I can do." Human language falls short in capturing the essence of God, yet Isaac Watts managed to convey the love of the cross with remarkable clarity and beautifully.

Isaac Watts (1674-1748) was an English clergyman whose hymns have left an indelible mark on Christian worship. Inspired by his father's challenge to improve church singing, Watts penned over 600 hymns, earning him the title "father of English hymnody." His timeless compositions, including "Joy to the World," "O God, Our Help in Ages Past," "We're Marching to Zion," and "When I Survey the Wondrous Cross," continue to be sung in churches worldwide.

Interestingly, Watts' hymn, "Alas! and Did My Savior Bleed," played a pivotal role in the conversion of Fanny Crosby in 1851, long after Watts' passing.. This moment marked the beginning of Crosby's journey as one of the most influential Christian hymn writers of all time. She recounted that singing this hymn flooded her soul with a celestial light, forever changing her life.

Pastor Seok-Hwan

REFLECTION AND PRAYER:

Alas! and Did My Savior Bleed 

1. Alas! and did my Savior bleed,

and did my Sovereign die!

Would he devote that sacred head

for sinners such as I?

2. Was it for crimes that I have done,

he groaned upon the tree?

Amazing pity! Grace unknown!

And love beyond degree!

3. Well might the sun in darkness hide,

and shut its glories in,

when God, the mighty maker, died

for his own creature's sin.

4. Thus might I hide my blushing face

while his dear cross appears;

dissolve my heart in thankfulness,

and melt mine eyes to tears.

5. But drops of tears can ne'er repay

the debt of love I owe.

Here, Lord, I give myself away;

'tis all that I can do.

Text: Isaac Watts, 1674-1748

Music: Hugh Wilson, 1766-1824