Jesus, Thy Boundless Love to Me

“Jesus, Thy Boundless Love to Me” (LSB 683) is a hymn by Lutheran pastor Paul Gerhardt (1607-1676). Gerhardt’s hymns differ from the objective hymnody of the Reformation era, and they capture people’s hearts because of the beauty of their language, the depth of their theology, and the comfort they give to those who are suffering.

The substance of “Jesus, Thy Boundless Love to Me” is Christological as it connects us to Jesus’ flesh and blood. Gerhardt brings to us the suffering Christ, consoling us as this hymn bespeaks his “theology of the heart.” Through his own great, personal suffering, Gerhardt offers hope, courage, and trust in a gracious and merciful Lord to all who suffer. In the midst of unthinkable and unimaginable suffering, he sees not only a just God, the God of justification by grace through faith, but also a God of love.

When we sing this hymn, we sing the words of someone who knows and understands what we are feeling, and what we are sensing. His hymns tell us that Christ is enough.

Now, to the hymn:

Jesus’ boundless love is a divine one that human reason cannot describe and human praise cannot fully declare. In view of this love, only a eucharistic sacrifice is possible, rendered by believers who are thankful to God for the mystical union between Christ and His people. Every day we are tempted to replace Christ’s burning light with the feeble flames of idols, but Christ makes it possible for us to sing “Thine wholly, Thine alone I am” (stanza one).

May Jesus’ boundless love dwell in our soul and possess us whole! Where Christ’s love abounds, so also abounds our joy, our treasure, our crown (stanza two). The constant flame of Christ’s love warms our cold hearts so that we cannot help but embody it in all we say and do. His boundless love is our life’s journey and its desire, the source of all hope, as unwearied we guard ourselves day and night from losing that love, and by losing love, losing hope (stanza three). Christ’s boundless love is the sacred treasure that comes from His crucified and risen flesh living in our broken sinful bodies. All our “care” is to protect the Christ within who is embodied in us by hearing His voice and eating and drinking His very Body and very Blood, so that “every act, word, thought be love” (stanza two).

Jesus’ boundless love gives our suffering meaning and gives us peace, showing us how God’s “power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9), calming the storms of life so that when death call us, Jesus will be our rod and our staff as we take our place at His side, safe and sound (stanza four); for He is our joy, our treasure, our crown (stanza two).

1     Jesus, Thy boundless love to me

    No thought can reach, no tongue declare;
Unite my thankful heart to Thee,
    And reign without a rival there!
Thine wholly, Thine alone I am;
Be Thou alone my constant flame.

2     O grant that nothing in my soul
    May dwell, but Thy pure love alone;
Oh, may Thy love possess me whole,
    My joy, my treasure, and my crown!
All coldness from my heart remove;
My ev’ry act, word, thought be love.

3     This love unwearied I pursue
    And dauntlessly to Thee aspire.
Oh, may Thy love my hope renew,
    Burn in my soul like heav’nly fire!
And day and night, be all my care
To guard this sacred treasure there.

4     In suff’ring be Thy love my peace,
    In weakness be Thy love my pow’r;
And when the storms of life shall cease,
    O Jesus, in that final hour,
Be Thou my rod and staff and guide,
And draw me safely to Thy side!

Text: Public domain