Justin Appel

Dear Friends,

Today’s Gospel lesson from Mark finds Jesus eating “with tax collectors and sinners.” When the scribes and Pharisees objected to this, Jesus replied “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick; I have come to call not the righteous but sinners.”

Related to this Gospel lesson is a lovely and short cantata by the German Baroque composer Dietrich Buxtehude, Jesu meines Lebens Leben, with poetry by Ernst Christoph Homburg. This short work features a repeating baseline or ostinato, four soloists, and instruments. An English translation of the text follows:

Christ, the Life of all the living,
Christ the Death of death, our foe,
Who Thyself for us once giving
To the darkest depths of woe,
Patiently didst yield Thy breath
But to save my soul from death;
Praise and glory ever be,
Blessèd Jesus, unto Thee.

Thou, O Christ, hast taken on Thee
Bitter strokes, a cruel rod;
Pain and scorn were heaped upon Thee,
O Thou sinless Son of God,
Only thus for me to win
Rescue from the bonds of sin;
Praise and glory ever be,
Blessèd Jesus, unto Thee.

Thou didst bear the smiting only
That it might not fall on me;
Stoodest falsely charged and lonely
That I might be safe and free;
Comfortless that I might know
Comfort from Thy boundless woe.
Praise and glory ever be,
Blessèd Jesus, unto Thee.

Heartless scoffers did surround Thee,
Treating Thee with shameful scorn
And with piercing thorns they crowned Thee,
All disgrace Thou, Lord, hast borne
That as Thine Thou mightest own me
And with heavenly glory crown me.
Thousand, thousand thanks shall be,
Dearest Jesus, unto Thee.

Then, for all that wrought our pardon,
For Thy sorrows deep and sore,
For Thine anguish in the garden,
I will thank Thee evermore;
Thank Thee with my latest breath
For Thy sad and cruel death,
For that last and bitter cry

Praise Thee evermore on high.

Translation by Catherine Winkworth, 1863

Jesu meines Lebens Leben, Dietrich Buxtehude (https://youtu.be/LrBtfCom0sw)

Yours in Christ,

—Justin