MY SONG IS LOVE UNKNOWN

Invocation
In the Name of the Father, and of the (+) Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. 

Scripture  
Isaiah 52 and 53 

     52: 13       Behold, my servant shall act wisely;
      he shall be high and lifted up,
      and shall be exalted.
            14       As many were astonished at you--
      his appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance,
      and his form beyond that of the children of mankind--
            15       so shall he sprinkle many nations.
      Kings shall shut their mouths because of him,
                  for that which has not been told them they see,
      and that which they have not heard they understand.

53 Who has believed what he has heard from us?
      And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
            2       For he grew up before him like a young plant,
      and like a root out of dry ground;
                  he had no form or majesty that we should look at him,
      and no beauty that we should desire him.
            3       He was despised and rejected by men,
      a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief;
                  and as one from whom men hide their faces
      he was despised, and we esteemed him not


Devotion
This morning's devotion comes from the hymn My Song is Love Unknown which is the hymn of the day for the Fifth Sunday in Lent (yesterday).  This hymn was originally a poem that was actually based on George Herbert's poem, The Sacrifice. Here's a beautiful video of My Song is Love Unknown. This article is a great introduction to Herbert and his work. Herbert has a lot of deep and theologically rich poetry that has influenced quite a few hymns.

My Song is Love Unknown 
1 My song is love unknown,
My Savior’s love to me,
Love to the loveless shown
That they might lovely be.
Oh, who am I
That for my sake
My Lord should take
Frail flesh and die?

2 He came from His blest throne
Salvation to bestow;
But men made strange, and none
The longed-for Christ would know.
But, oh, my friend,
My Friend indeed,
Who at my need
His life did spend!

3 Sometimes they strew His way
And His sweet praises sing;
Resounding all the day
Hosannas to their King.
Then “Crucify!”
Is all their breath,
And for His death
They thirst and cry.

4 Why, what hath my Lord done?
What makes this rage and spite?
He made the lame to run,
He gave the blind their sight.
Sweet injuries!
Yet they at these
Themselves displease
And 'gainst Him rise.

5 They rise and needs will have
My dear Lord made away;
A murderer they save,
The Prince of Life they slay.
Yet cheerful He
To suff'ring goes
That He His foes
From thence might free.

6 In life no house, no home
My Lord on earth might have;
In death no friendly tomb
But what a stranger gave.
What may I say?
Heav'n was His home
But mine the tomb
Wherein He lay.

7 Here might I stay and sing,
No story so divine!
Never was love, dear King,
Never was grief like Thine.
This is my friend,
In whose sweet praise
I all my days
Could gladly spend!

Let us pray:
Lord Jesus Christ, we thank you that while we were yet sinners, you died for us and our salvation.  We cannot begin to fathom the depths of your love and we know that apart from you love and grace we could not and would not be saved. Help us to properly meditate upon your love and sacrifice for us. Amen. ​