O Sacred Head Now Wounded

It's Sunday again, and I'm putting in another hymn. It's an oldie, to be sure, and a lot of you may not have ever heard it. It's painful to sing (because it's in the classical style using archaic language) and it's painful to examine (because it's about the suffering of Christ), but, please, give it a chance. I think you'll find it valuable to examine.

O Sacred Head, Now Wounded
Attributed to Bernard of Clairvaux (1091-1153)

O Sacred Head, now wounded, with grief and shame weighed down,
Now scornfully surrounded with thorns Thy only crown,
How art Thou pale with anguish, with sore abuse and scorn!
How does that visage languish which once was bright as morn!

What Thou, my Lord, hast suffered was all for sinners' gain;
Mine, mine was the transgression, but Thine the deadly pain.
Lo, here I fall, my Savior! 'Tis I deserve Thy place;
Look on me with Thy favor, vouchsafe to me Thy grace.

What language shall I borrow to thank Thee, dearest Friend,
For this, Thy dying sorrow, Thy pity without end?
O make me Thine forever! And should I fainting be,
Lord let me never, never outlive my love to Thee!

The original words to this hymn have been attributed to a 12th-century abbot of the monastery of Clairvaux, France. Recent research has more likely attributed the writings to Saint Bernard, or perhaps a later author, Arnulf von Loewen. The hymn is taken from a seven-part medieval poem that speaks of various parts of Christ's body as He suffered on the cross: His feet, knees, hands, side, breast, heart, and face. It was translated from Latin into German in 1656 and titled, "To the Suffering Face of Jesus Christ." It appeared in 1830 in English after James Alexander translated it from German. Also of note is the harmonization of the hymn by Johann Sebastian Bach. Bach was a devout Christian who insisted that "the aim and final reason of all music should be nothing else but the glory of God and the refreshment of the spirit." Many of his compositions began with "Jesus, help me!" at the top and closed with, "To God alone be the praise."

The focus of the song is clearly at the Crucifixion. It spends a great deal of time looking at Christ's suffering on the cross. This is not a popular subject in today's churches. The cross was a vicious event in a barbarian society. Our real woes are the pains of today, our struggles and our trials. By "struggles" we mean "sin," but this is another unpopular term. We'd rather attribute our pride, lusts, and idolatry to our parents, or the dysfunctional lifestyle we grew up with, or perhaps the rigors of modern society. So instead of explicitly admitting sin, we dodge the bullet and avoid the responsibility. Thus, the Crucified Christ would not be a favored symbol in our minds. But the cross is the focal point of all of Scripture. It must be ours if we are to look where God would have us look.

Jesus' suffering on the cross exceeds our modern day comprehension. The whips, the beatings, the abuse, the nails, the hours of physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual torment are all outside any modern frame of reference. That He chose to do it is unfathomable. This first verse tries to put that across. In this verse are both the Godhood and manhood of Christ. There is the Sacred Head . . . and the wounds. There is the crown . . . made of thorns. This is the face of He who created the morning, now twisted in anguish. Think of it! God chose to die that way for you! And since He was God, it is important to remember that He didn't have to.

If that's true, then why did He do it? The second verse says He did it for my benefit. Is that easy for you to grasp? "Mine, mine was the transgression, but Thine the deadly pain." The hymnist has no delusions of avoiding responsibility. No dysfunctional family traditions let him off the hook. No excuses for bad behavior. It is sin that put Christ on the cross -- my sin. "I deserve Thy place." Without this realization, grace is meaningless. If we are not deserving of hell, then we merit God's favor. Grace is unmerited favor. And it is only that unmerited kindness that holds any hope for the sinner. That is the hymnist's prayer. ("Vouchsafe" means to bestow or grant.)

We are a generally ungrateful race and a particularly ungrateful nation. Blessings upon blessings have been heaped all around, but we don't see God's grace. The Church is not exempt from this shortcoming. One would think that the Church would be more tuned to God's tender mercies, but we are just as unappreciative as the world around us. When we look at the cross, this lack becomes unthinkable. For all He did there, for all He did for me, what possible response can there be? "What language shall I borrow to thank Thee, dearest Friend?" This should be our daily thought. It should be the motivating factor in our every waking moment. How can I express my deep gratitude to God?

The truth, however, is that it isn't. We too easily forget God and drift off to our selfish pursuits. That is why Paul assured us that "it is God who is at work in you both to will and to do His good pleasure." (Philippians 2:13) To Him goes all the credit, both in obtaining and in maintaining our salvation. We will faint. We will forget. It is only God at work in us that changes that. The hymnist knew this. "Lord let me never, never outlive my love to Thee!"

We need to be here -- often. We need to spend time at the cross. We need to examine His pain, and see our own responsibility. We need to realize the cost of our salvation. We need to weep over our sin and thank God continuously for His grace. This type of mindset will alter our lives. It will change our behavior and attitudes. The more we reflect on Christ, the more it will make us reflections of Christ.