Oh, Love, How Deep (Evangelical Lutheran Worship 322)
1 Oh, love, how deep, how broad, how high,
Beyond all thought and fantasy,
That God, the Son of God, should take
Our mortal form for mortal’s sake!
2 He sent no angel to our race,
Of higher or of lower place,
But wore the robe of human frame,
And to this world himself he came.
3 For us baptized, for us he bore
His holy fast and hungered sore;
For us temptation sharp he knew;
For us the tempter overthrew.
4 For us he prayed; for us he taught;
For us his daily works he wrought,
By words and signs and actions thus
Still seeking not himself, but us.
5 For us by wickedness betrayed,
For us, in crown of thorns arrayed,
He bore the shameful cross and death;
For us he gave his dying breath.
6 For us he rose from death again;
For us he went on high to reign;
For us he sent his Spirit here
To guide, to strengthen, and to cheer.
7 All glory to our Lord and God
For love so deep, so high, so broad;
The Trinity whom we adore
Forever and forevermore.
Text: Thomas á Kempis; Music: English ballad; Public Domain
Devotion
As we enter the Lenten Season, the hymn “Oh, Love, How Deep” invites us to reflect on a love that transcends every culture. Growing up in Nigeria, love for me was often shown through responsibility—an older sibling stepping in to protect or rescue the younger ones, not because they had to, but because family bonds demanded it. That image helps me understand God’s love in Christ.
Some say the cross does not clearly show love. Yet it is felt, as the Father entrusted him to embody that love—as many of us know from our families, such as when an older brother steps forward to rescue his younger siblings because he can. Jesus bore our burdens, entered our struggles, and lifted us from what we could not escape on our own. In his resurrection, the whole world is offered new life.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, draw us deeper into your saving love. Help us see the cross as the ultimate family rescue. Amen.