George Herbert’s writing may not be considered all that relevant to our times. However, a closer look at his historical setting can change that perspective.
“George Herbert (1593-1633) lived in England during the tempestuous reign of James I and Charles I that saw the nation racked by conflict among Catholics, High Churchmen, and Puritans. A member of a politically active family, Herbert rejected a promising career as a member of Parliament for the simple life of a country parson.”[i]
During a time of political upheaval and religious conflicts, Herbert walks away from it all to serve and meet the needs of a small congregation of country folks, all the while, writing about the truths God reveals to Him. I can relate to that. He sounds like my kind of guy!
During this season of Lent, I was drawn to his poem “The Sacrifice”. What he presents in it are some of the most profound paradoxes of the gospel message. Let me share some with you.
Our eyes and minds are open to the world, yet blind to Him. He took eyes in order to find us.
Those who condemned Christ did so with the very breath that He daily gave them. (Acts 17:25)
They were judging Him who is the judge of all. (Acts 10:42)
They chose a murderer over the Prince of Peace.
They spit on Him who used His own spit to heal the eyes of the blind man.
He let the soldiers deride and abuse Him while he held back heavenly legions waiting for His command. (Matthew 26:53)
He wore a crown of thorns though He was the vine planted for us.
He bore Adam’s curse so as to remove it all.
When they shouted “Crucify Him!” God held his peace and man cried out.
In Eden, man stole the fruit, now Christ must climb the tree.
As if a thief, He hung between two robbers, but all He stole from us was death. (1 Corinthians 15:55)
When He was thirsty, they gave Him vinegar and gall. When they were thirsty, He had given them water from a rock, manna, fish and loaves of bread.
Each stanza of the poem ends with “Was ever grief like mine?” While the physical suffering should never be downplayed or trivialized, neither should the psychological and emotional suffering. What I was struck by while reading this poem was the betrayal, the terrible effrontery of mankind. The horror of cruel injustice that Christ took on while having to restrain himself. He held His murderer’s breath in His hands, yet He did not take it! God held His peace and let mankind condemn Him!
1 Peter 2:21 Christ also suffered for you… 22 He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. 23 When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. 24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.
He died as sin that we might die to sin and live to righteousness! The greatest paradox of all.
[i] Herbert, George. The Country Parson, The Temple. Ed. John N. Wall, Jr. Mahwah: Paulist Press, 1981.