O Lord, How Shall I Meet Thee

O Lord, How Shall I Meet Thee

Paul Gerhardt wrote his great Advent hymn in 1653, a mere three years after the Thirty Years War ended with all its ravages, yet the hymn is marvelously full of sunny optimism and anticipation. Variously translated „O Lord, how shall I meet Thee?“ and „O, how shall I receive Thee?“, this hymn touches on common themes of the Advent season including references to the Lord’s Passion and to his second coming.  The readings for Advent typically span themes in reverse order from the Lord’s second coming to his birth as the Babe of Bethlehem. One that particularly strikes my attention, and perhaps yours as well, is Christ’s coming to dwell within us.  We see this clearly in stanza one as Gerhardt asks the Lord to light a lamp – literally a torch (in German, Fackel) – within his heart so that he might willingly do all the things that God would have him to do.  Hence the writer asks, in effect, „Lord, how best can I prepare to receive you?  What is the kind of welcome you desire?“

      We are thus prompted to reflect for ourselves, how should we receive the Lord, „how welcome him aright?“  I’m certain that if you asked a number of people how they would greet the Lord, the responses would be quite varied.  Some might expect to put on their finery, as it were, to impress the Lord.  It is as if they would say, „Look, Lord, how I’ve prepared for you! I’ve done all sorts of great things. You know, I’m rather impressive, myself, Lord. You will be glad to meet me.“  If we are honest with ourselves, we are sometimes too impressed with ourselves, who we are, what we have done, what offices we hold in the Church, and so on. We hold this same attitude. The bows that „Zion strews before thee“ at first make a lovely public show, but in reality, they are wilting branches, cut off from the very trees that gave them life. Green at first, they wither and decay because they are dead. And the people of Zion who waved palms and scattered their branches in the Biblical account, how long-lived was their enthusiasm? How do we understand Zion’s greeting a few days later? „Crucify him! His blood be upon us and our children!“

      Or perhaps you would hear this humble, yes even abject, response: „Who? Me? Greet the Lord? No, I am not worthy to do such a thing as that. Look, you know I’ve really tried very hard to be good, but I’ve just done too many bad things. I’m afraid to meet the Lord. He would never receive the likes of me!“ Regrettably, many sincere persons hold this unfortunate perspective. It may even come into our minds that we have done something evil and unforgivable, we, who perhaps are leaders in the Church, no less. Ours is the double fault: we know better, and yet we sin deeply and often. And so the hymn writer specifically states, „Sin’s debt, that fearful burden, cannot his love erase; your guilt the Lord will pardon and cover by his grace.“

      „How, then, does the Lord come to meet us?“ is the better question.  Throughout his 139 hymns it is not unusual for Gerhardt to describe the Lord as longing for us. In this particular hymn, one senses not only an expression of the hymn writer’s earnest desire to greet the Lord but of God’s eagerness to be received, as well. „Your thirst for my salvation procured my liberty.“ By these words Gerhardt makes clear to us that the Lord continues to seek us – pardon the pun – with a passion. Gerhardt also uses St. John’s metaphor of the Lord standing before the door knocking insistently. (Rev. 3:20)  We may recall Jesus‘ own words to his disciples, „I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you.“ (Luke 22) 

      This hymn may also serve as a reminder to us of meeting the Lord in his Holy Supper as we celebrate it on Maundy Thursday.  Here the Lord comes to us with words of promise and salvation. „Take, eat; take, drink.“ He comes to be received by us „in, with, and under“ earthly forms of bread and wine, the very body and blood of our Lord, „given and shed for you for the forgiveness of all your sins.“ Our worthiness to receive this gift, as Luther reminds us, is not achieved through fasting and bodily preparation – not by any of the things we believe we can do to enhance our standing in God’s eyes or to debase ourselves in our own – but purely by trusting in the Lord’s own words „Given and shed for you.“ Gerhardt writes, „I lay in fetters groaning; you came to set me free; I stood my shame bemoaning; you came to honor me.“ When the Lord has lit his „lamp within my breast,“ I may greet Christ with a heart that „shall bloom forever,“ a heart that steadfastly believes his word, a heart that responds to his gifts by doing his will, „all that may please Thee best.“ Nor do we with fondness or sadness look back at earthly „joys departed,“ but we anticipate a new life in Christ, rich and full. We need no longer fear God when he will come again „to judge the nations,“ but we eagerly anticipate his second coming with a heart that „loves the Lord’s appearing.“

Let us pray: Lord Jesus Christ, come to us through your Holy Word and in your Holy Meal. Live within our hearts, that we may receive you with rejoicing and richly sing to you „joyous songs and psalms,“ both figuratively and literally our whole lives long, until by your grace you „guide us safely home.“ Amen.