Doing this has generated a lot of unexpected traffic to my blog. I never knew how very popular this song was. One poster was kind enough to point me to another version of the Wedding banquet story It comes from Luke 14:12-24.
There we read:
12He said also to the man who had invited him,"When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, lest they also invite you in return and you be repaid. 13But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, 14and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. You will be repaid at the resurrection of the just." 15When one of those who reclined at table with him heard these things, he said to him, "Blessed is everyone who will eat bread in the kingdom of God!" 16But he said to him,
"A man once gave a great banquet and invited many. 17And at the time for the banquet he sent his servant to say to those who had been invited, 'Come, for everything is now ready.' 18But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, 'I have bought a field, and I must go out and see it. Please have me excused.' 19And another said, 'I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to examine them. Please have me excused.' 20And another said, 'I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.' 21So the servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house became angry and said to his servant, 'Go out quickly to the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor and crippled and blind and lame.' 22And the servant said, 'Sir, what you commanded has been done, and still there is room.' 23And the master said to the servant, 'Go out to the highways and hedges and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled. 24For I tell you, none of those men who were invited shall taste my banquet.'"
It still begs the question to me.
How do the songs that one sings affect how one views or remembers scripture?
How do the songs we sing affect our doctrine?
How do the songs we sing affect what we teach to ourselves, our children, each other?
Are the songs we sing worthy of the God that we serve?
I do not expect all songs to teach ALL things about God. But they do need to teach what is truth about God.
For instance: away in the manger is a popular song.
Away in a manger,
No crib for His bed
The little Lord Jesus
Laid down His sweet head
The stars in the bright sky
Looked down where He lay
The little Lord Jesus
Asleep on the hay
The cattle are lowing
The poor Baby wakes
But little Lord Jesus
No crying He makes
I love Thee, Lord Jesus
Look down from the sky
And stay by my side,
'Til morning is nigh.
Be near me, Lord Jesus,
I ask Thee to stay
Close by me forever
And love me I pray
Bless all the dear children
In Thy tender care
And take us to heaven
To live with Thee there
Do you really believe that he cried not at all? He was a very real human baby. Babies cry, trust me...I had one. They cry for sometimes apparently for no reason. Saying he doesn't cry somewhat diminishes his humanity. Does this mean the whole song is no good? NO...change one line to "some crying he makes" and voila, this song is much better. But it does mean that we do need to think about what we sing. It's important since songs, ditties, lyrics remain so easily in our heads. How many commercials can you remember? And they play what... 30 seconds a couple times a day that you hear them? So to with the hymns and praise music we play. It sticks with you. Pay attention to what you sing. :)
3 comments:
Yeah I agree, babies cry. I think whoever wrote the song just wanted it to sound good.
But just because it sounds good... is that a good enough reason? If we explain away bad teaching, then what are we really doing? Where do we draw the line?
An interesting historical note, Augustine seemed to have thought that crying by babies was a sinful attempt to have their own way. That may be where the author of this song got the idea of Jesus not crying.
I, however, disagree with Augustine. While crying may be a way to get ones own way, most of the time babies cry because that is the only way they can communicate that something is wrong (wet diaper, sickness, etc.)
Post a Comment