Lord Jesus, Be My Sabbath Rest

 

Trinity 17

 

87 87 88

Tune: Mir Nach, Spricht Jesus (LSB 688)

1. Lord Jesus, be my Sabbath rest

For body and for spirit;

The soul to whom You speak is blessed,

And will Your peace inherit;

Have mercy, Christ, and come, draw near

To open now my heart to hear.

 

2. Your Sabbath Day is still profaned

When we love work and leisure

More than what keeps our faith sustained,

While we serve care and pleasure,

Avoiding preaching of Your Word

For worldly work and its reward.

 

3. But for this sin Jerusalem

Was brought to sad destruction;

Though many years You called to them,

They shunned Your Word’s protection,

And scorned their loving Shepherd’s rod,

And lied when they called You their God.

 

4. Lord, it is this idolatry

That I find in me living;

Ignoring You and loving me

No rest to me is giving –

When sin is what I labor for,

I only serve sin even more.

 

5. It’s not in keeping outward rules

That I could end this labor;

I cannot find in me the tools

To love You and my neighbor,

Since there is rest in love, I know,

But only You this love can show.

 

6. The Sabbath knows You as its Lord,

Since You obeyed the Father,

When all our work on you was poured,

Since You became our Brother

To offer pure and sinless hands

To do the work the Law demands.

 

7. What is this pouring from Your side

Into my weary spirit?

What are these words that You once cried?

My heart so longs to hear it!

“It’s finished! All your work is done –

Now claim the rest My death has won.”

 

8. The water quenches all my thirst,

Your blood now teaches Abel

To sing to all in Adam cursed,

“Come, sit at Jesus’ table

To find forgiveness for your sin,

And rest from all regret within.”

 

9. Lord Jesus Christ, our Sabbath rest,

Still speak, our faith sustaining,

Till all your saints will have possessed

The rest that is remaining,

When as we rise we hear Your voice,

“All things are ready! Come, rejoice!”

9/19/18