Ah, Holy Jesus, ELW 349
Devotion
Ah, holy Jesus, how hast thou offended
that we to judge thee have in hate pretended?
By foes derided, by thine own rejected,
O most afflicted.
Who was the guilty? Who brought this upon thee?
Alas, my treason, Jesus, hath undone thee.
'Twas I, Lord Jesus, I it was denied thee;
I crucified thee.
Lo, the Good Shepherd for the sheep is offered;
the slave hath sinned, and the Son hath suffered;
for our atonement, while we nothing heeded,
God interceded.
For me, kind Jesus, was thine incarnation,
thy mortal sorrow, and thy life's oblation;
thy death of anguish and thy bitter passion,
for my salvation.
Therefore, kind Jesus, since I cannot pay thee,
I do adore thee, and will ever pray thee;
think on thy pity and thy love unswerving,
not my deserving.
The Good Shepherd, Jesus of Nazareth, laid down his life for his sheep. Jesus was thrown to the wolves of sin and death for our sake freeing us to live now and forever. In the face of wolf pack hell bent on death and destruction Jesus offered himself sacrificially for our sake. His life for our lives to slake sin and death's thirst for blood.
This same shepherd sends us out to live by faith "like lambs into the midst of wolves" (Luke 10:3). You and I both know that lambs are no match against wolves. In the culture where death and destruction howl, the Shepherd sends us out yet still interceding for us, scattering enemies from our midst and bringing us new life now and forever.
Prayer
Lord, we are not as strong as we think we are. We need you. We cannot do anything apart from you. Strengthen us in our service to others.