Lenten Devotion: Palm Sunday, April 1

by George Gibbins

O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing
United Methodist Hymnal #57 & 58
Words: Charles Wesley, 1739
Music: Carl G. Glaser, 1839

1
O for a thousand tongues to sing
my great Redeemer's praise,
the glories of my God and King,
the triumphs of his grace!
2
My gracious Master and my God,
assist me to proclaim,
to spread through all the earth abroad
the honors of thy name.
3
Jesus! the name that charms our fears,
that bids our sorrows cease;
'tis music in the sinner's ears,
'tis life, and health, and peace.
4
He breaks the power of canceled sin,
he sets the prisoner free;
his blood can make the foulest clean;
his blood availed for me.
5
He speaks, and listening to his voice,
new life the dead receive;
the mournful, broken hearts rejoice,
the humble poor believe.
6
Hear him, ye deaf; his praise, ye dumb,
your loosened tongues employ;
ye blind, behold your Savior come,
and leap, ye lame, for joy.
7
In Christ, your head, you then shall know,
shall feel your sins forgiven;
anticipate your heaven below,
and own that love is heaven.

In 1739, 268 years ago, Charles Wesley penned the words to this hymn. Could it be sung around the world in more than 200 countries in many different languages by Christians on this Palm Sunday?

As I sit and read the line from the hymn, “Hear him, ye deaf; his praise ye dumb, your loosened tongues employ; ye blind, behold your Savior come; and leap, ye lame, for joy,” I am both depressed and grateful for science and modern technology that has been, and is continuing on a daily basis, to be developed to improve the lives of those men and women wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan. Not only are our military personnel being injured and killed, but so are many more innocent men, women and children in two countries embroiled in civil strife The war will go on because politics deems it. The injuries and deaths will continue because they are a result of warfare. Healing will take place because medical science, doctors, nurses and patients will remain hopeful of surgery, physical therapy and time.

The lame will receive some form of prosthesis. They will learn to walk and even run with the aid of a mechanical foot or leg. Artificial hands and arms are being developed that operate by means of the thought process of the brain.

The blind will embark on a new journey. Instead of sight, the blind will learn to read Braille with their finger tips; computers will read to them and recordings on cassettes and CD’s will educate and entertain.

Exploding bombs will take more tolls on hearing and speaking. Again technology will provide assistance to those injuries that are not life threatening, but debilitating in some form. Life continues for the living. By the grace of God, mankind must meet all challenges. May peace be soon to come? Oh, for a thousand tongues to sing my great Redeemer’s praise!