HARK! THE HERALD ANGELS SINGCharles Wesley, a famed hymn writer, was often found scratching stanzas to one of his thousands of hymns on anything he could find. He often went up to doors and asked people for pen, ink and paper. He was truly blessed by God with fulfilling words and music freely flowing from his soul. This beloved Christmas carol is one of his best-known hymns. It starts with the enthusiastic word “Hark!”, an immediate call to attention, which delves us into the song. The word hark is almost out of existence today. It is an old English word that means LISTEN! We should always be listening to what God has to say to us then we wouldn’t slip, stumble and fall like we do without Him. We are beckoned to hearken to the newborn king, baby Jesus. Maybe it is a humbling aspect to us that we should be in submission to a little Child, but that is exactly what God wants in His kingdom, a humble submissive people. Clearly this hymn is a call to the whole world to come and praise Jesus while we are still here on earth. God sent His Son to die for us that none should perish, but that all should turn to God in repentance. It is telling us that God offers forgiveness no matter how horrid our former sins may be. We must cry out in anguish over our past sins and repent of all before God. “God and sinners reconciled.” Reconciled means, in its literal sense, to call back into union and friendship the affections which have been alienated. When we are reconciled we can then have a true union with Christ. It is restoration to the Divine favor, and only comes through Jesus Christ. And having made peace through the blood of His cross… to reconcile all things unto Himself…and you, that were sometimes alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath He reconciled…to present you holy and unblameable. The reason it is one of my favorite carols is that it takes us from the cradle to the cross. He was born to raise the sons of earth born to give us second birth! It masterfully shows the whole story, from birth to death of a Christian. It starts with the call to repentance, and then coming to Christ feeling God’s awesomeness. Christ’s greatness is expressed in every line of this hymn “heavenly Prince of Peace”; “Christ by highest heaven adored”; “Christ the everlasting Lord”. The song, as best as can be put in words, praises God and attempts, through the limitation of words, to give us a faint insight of the glory of Jesus! This hymn should humble us at the unmatched greatness of God; a grand hymn full of glory and praise that is undoubtedly a favorite of all time. Prayer: Lord, help us to see Your glory more fully. I thank you that you sent your Son to die on the cross to give light to our wicked and perverse generation and to reconcile sinners. Thank you for all that you have blessed us with. ~ Anthony Parrotta |