Whate’er of earthly good this life may grant me,
I’ll risk for Thee; no shame, no cross, shall daunt me.
I shall not fear what foes can do to harm me
Nor death alarm me.
LSB 439 st. 13
“He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?…For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Romans 8:32, 38-39
Each church season my wife and I look to learn parts of a new hymn by heart. We chose this hymn (“O Dearest Jesus, What Law Hast Thou Broken”) for Lent this year. As we (the Church) move closer to Christ’s Passion, we sing hymns and pray through God’s Word to reflect on what Christ risked and achieved for us. In part, these words give us courage to take up the cross of confessing Christ in our lives. Although this gives us hope and strength to serve our neighbor, the main point of Lent is to reflect on our depravity. These words offer us sincere, concrete hope in the authentic Christ who distinguished Himself from us sinners by His perfect work throughout His life and on the cross so that we might never be separated from Him. Jesus does not condemn us but is constantly interceding for us so that nothing can separate us from the love of God.
Let us pray: Lord God, heavenly Father, we surely have earned nothing but death and harm for straying from the good life that You have wanted to give us. We ask You to hear us and let nothing interfere with our prayers to You. We thank You for Your Son, who faced death all day long so that we are justified before You, and we ask that You strengthen our confession in Your holy name, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
(Nathaniel Konkel, Sem I)