HYMN: How Blessed Are My Eyes, O Lord

My work to assemble a hymn text for every Sunday in the 1-year lectionary continues. With this text, I now have seven more Sundays to complete, and there are a few I would like to review or improve. This particular text is for the Thirteenth Sunday After Trinity, the account of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10:23-37. The opening of the story is Jesus telling His disciples, “Blessed are the eyes which see the things you see; for I tell you that many prophets and kings have desired to see what you see, and have not seen it, and to hear what you hear, and have not heard it.” That ties in so well with the account that follows that I felt the need to tie it all together in the hymn text. What do my eyes see? They see God’s grace apparent in my life. What do my ears hear? They hear the word of Holy Absolution; they hear the Gospel preached to me. (Incidentally, a discussion about pastors without calls and pastors under attack reminded me that it truly is a blessing to bear the cross for the sake of Jesus. Yes, sometimes I need to be reminded.) And because of what I see and hear in my own life, that brings me to my neighbor and even to my enemy, and I share the love and mercy of Christ with them. Here is my attempt to bring it all together. Let me know what you think.

How Blessed Are My Eyes, O Lord

1. How blessed are my eyes, O Lord,

To see the things You let me see:

To see abundant grace outpoured

For all my neighbors and for me;

To see myself garbed all in white,

Reflecting Your own holy light.

2. How blest, my eyes, to see the strife,

The cross which I am called to bear.

You never promise easy life

But never fail my load to share.

Oh, grant me joy in ev’ry test

And trust to know Your will is best.

3. How blessed are my ears, O Lord,

To hear the promises fulfilled

Which You have spoken in Your Word:

My Savior speaks, my fear is stilled.

My tongue rejoices to repeat

Your holy Gospel pure and sweet.

4. How blest, my ears, to hear the wails,

Yes, even from my enemies.

The love You show me never fails 

To raise me from my bended knees.

Grant me the love to serve my foe,

That he Your boundless grace would know.

5. I beg You, guard my eyes and ears,

And let your oil of life abound,

So when offense and evil nears—

Indecent sight, satanic sound—

The medicine You give will be 

The wine of immortality.

(c) 2018 Alan Kornacki, Jr.

88 88 88

Temporary tune: ALL EHR UND LOB (LSB 948)

Occasion: Trinity XIII