All My Heart Sings And Rejoices

Joy:  one of my favorite words (and my middle name).

Growing up, I loved most the hymns that sung of the joy brought to us at Christmas.  “Joy to the World,” the melody my aforementioned Advent tree played, was a favorite from the very beginning, and I decorate the house with those words.  “Now Sing We, Now Rejoice,” the amazing German-Latin carol of the 1300s, manifests the gladness found through the theology of the cross:  the Glory of Heaven lies in a manger, and comes to us because we cannot rise from the stable to Him.  Birgitte Katerine Boye’s famous hymn calls us to “Rejoice, Rejoice This Happy Morn” for God’s salvation and undeserved love. 

Why all of the rejoicing?  Hearing of the Father’s great gift of His Son, we cannot withhold song from rising to Him.  Whenever Scripture tells us “Rejoice, for…” it’s bringing us another promise which must make a faith-filled heart glad.  Through the delightful imagery of his sweet hymn, “All My Heart Sings And Rejoices,” Paul Gerhardt tells all why he is glad on Christmas, and incites others to do the same.  The full translation given here is from the Evangelical Lutheran Hymnary.[1]

All my heart sings and rejoices

As I hear

Far and near

Sweetest angel voices.

“Christ is born!” their choirs and singing

Till the air

Ev’rywhere

Now with joy is ringing.

This doesn’t appear to initiate a battle culminating in Calvary, but according to the theology of the cross, it does.  In order to deliver us, the eternal God took on our very flesh at a point in time, and will forever possess this human nature.

Forth today the Conqu’ror goeth,

Who the foe,

Sin and woe,

Death and hell, o’erthroweth.

God is Man, man to deliver;

His dear Son

Now is one

With our blood forever.

Paul Gerhardt, as the other great apostle of the same name, loves drawing up rhetorical questions.  This digs deep into the stony soil of our false assumptions, upheaving the needless doubt and worry paved there. “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?” (Romans 8:31-32).

Shall we still dread God’s displeasure,

Who, to save,

Freely gave

His most cherished Treasure?

To redeem us, He hath given

His own Son

From the throne

Of His might in heaven.

Should He who Himself imparted

Aught withhold

From the fold,

Leave us broken-hearted?

Should the Son of God not love us,

Who, to cheer

Suff’rers here,

Left His throne above us?

He has not left us, and shows His love by His birth.  What has He done that we should “thank and praise, serve and obey Him”?

He becomes the Lamb that taketh

Sin away

And for aye

Full atonement maketh.

For our life His own He tenders,

And our race,

By His grace,

Meet for glory renders.

This promise is brought to us right away, in His incarnation – not only after and on account of His death.  The blessings of Christ’s death and resurrection go backwards and forwards. 

Hark!  a voice from yonder manger,

Soft and sweet,

Doth entreat:

“Flee from woe and danger.

Brethren, from all ills that grieve you

You are freed;

All you need

I will surely give you.”

Gerhardt, as we well know, didn’t always have a white Christmas, chestnuts roasting on the open fire, snow, mistletoe, and presents ‘round the tree – so to speak.  His pastoral ministry happened during the Thirty Years’ War, he was put out from his position several times due to his beliefs, both his wife and son passed away during his lifetime, and because of disease and war he buried many parishioners. The real trouble he faced, though, was the curse of sin, life in the flesh where “nothing good dwells.”  Knowing that the Lord told him, like the leper, “Be of good cheer!  Your sins are forgiven” (Matthew 9:2), he could then go forward in joy, even singing to others -

Come, then, banish all your sadness,

One and all,

Great and small;

Come with songs of gladness.

Love Him who with love is glowing;

Hail the Star

Near and far

Light and joy bestowing.

Ye whose anguish knew no measure,

Weep no more;

See the door

To celestial pleasure.

Cling to Him, for He will guide you

Where no cross,

Pain, or loss

Can again betide you.

Hither come, ye heavy-hearted,

Who for sin,

Deep within,

Long and sore have smarted.

For the poisoned wounds you’re feeling

Help is near,

One is here

Mighty for their healing.

This hymn speaks to Christians dealing with life – all of them.  Life under the cross is burdensome, and especially so at Christmas.  Gerhardt certainly empathizes with the needy family, the lonely single Christian, the couple mourning a child, the worker awaiting a job, and the pastor wondering why the harvesting proves difficult.  Is Christmas joy for them, too?

Hither come, ye poor and wretched;

Know His will

Is to fill

Every hand outstretched.

Here are riches without measure;

Here forget

All regret,

Fill your hearts with treasure.

This replenishing of our store of wealth has nothing to do with our reaching for the gift, how clean our hands are, or how tightly we grasp it.  Christ, through His Holy Spirit, uncurls our fisted fingers and places the gift of Himself and His atonement in our hands – the same priceless value and completeness for all.

Let me in my arms receive Thee;

On Thy breast

Let me rest,

Savior, ne’er to leave Thee.

Since Thou hast Thyself presented

Now to me,

I shall be

Evermore contented.

Guilt no longer can distress me;

Son of God,

Thou my load

Bearest to release me.

Stain in me Thou findest never;

I am clean,

All my sin

Is removed forever.

Because clothed in the glistening robe of His righteousness, the believer can and should say “Yes!  Come into my heart,” but only because the Lord has already let Himself in. 

I am pure, in Thee believing,

From Thy store

Evermore

Righteous robes receiving.

In my heart I will enfold Thee,

Treasure rare,

Let me there,

Loving, ever hold Thee.

Most of all, this gift brings joy because it looks forward to eternity.

Dearest Lord, Thee I will cherish,

Though my breath

Fail in death,

Yet I shall not perish,

But with Thee abide forever

There on high,

In that joy

Which can vanish never. 

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[1] Worship Committee of the Evangelical Lutheran Synod.  “All My Heart Sings And Rejoices.”  Evangelical Lutheran Hymnary No. 115.  St. Louis:  MorningStar Music Publishers, 1996.