George Herbert: 1593-1633: poet and English priest. ‘The Sacrifice’, part of his collection ‘The Temple’, is a profound meditation on the Passion of Christ. The poem is distinctive for its focus on Christ’s voice and its refrain, ‘Was ever grief like mine?’ which underscores the unique nature of Christ’s suffering.
Herbert structures the poem as a dramatic monologue, with Christ narrating his journey to the Cross. The refrain not only highlights the unmatched sorrow of Christ’s ordeal but also serves as a rhetorical question that invites readers to contemplate such depth of Christ’s sacrifice. The refrain anchors each stanza and reinforces a theme of unparalleled grief.
The poem’s imagery and direct address create an intimate and immediate connection with the reader. Herbert vividly recounts scenes such as Judas’s betrayal, Peter’s denial, and the crowd’s condemnation. Each of these moments is depicted through Christ’s perspective, offering a detailed exploration of Christ’s emotional and spiritual anguish.
Herbert’s formal choices are deliberate and significant. The poem’s quatrains and regular rhyme-scheme mirror the relentless progression of Christ’s suffering. This structure reflects Herbert’s view of divine providence and order, even amidst the chaos and pain of the Passion. The disciplined form of the poem underscores the steadfast nature of Christ’s sacrifice and unwavering love it represents.
The voice of Christ in ‘The Sacrifice’ conveys a dual sense of resignation and questioning. Jesus recounts the events with calm acceptance, and yet a tension captures the mystery of the Passion: coexistence of divine foreknowledge and human pain. Christ’s voice serves as a bridge, connecting the divine to the human experience of suffering.
Themes of betrayal, injustice and sacrifice permeate the poem. Herbert does not present these acts merely as historical occurrences but as human behaviors with ongoing relevance. Judas’s kiss, Peter’s denial, and the crowd’s shouts resonate with readers, inviting us to reflect on our actions and their implications.
The Sacrifice | George Herbert | Christian Poems
Oh all ye, who pass by, whose eyes and mind To worldly things are sharp, but to me blind; To me, who took eyes that I might you find: Was ever grief like mine?
The Princes of my people make a head Against their Maker: they do wish me dead, Who cannot wish, except I give them bread: Was ever grief like mine?
Without me each one, who doth now me brave, Had to this day been an Egyptian slave. They use that power against me, which I gave: Was ever grief like mine?
Mine own Apostle, who the bag did bear, Though he had all I had, did not forbear To sell me also, and to put me there: Was ever grief like mine?
For thirty pence he did my death devise, Who at three hundred did the ointment prize, Not half so sweet as my sweet sacrifice: Was ever grief like mine?
Therefore my soul melts, and my heart’s dear treasure Drops blood (the only beads) my words to measure: Oh let this cup pass, or pass by this measure: Was ever grief like mine?
Christ continues his work of healing and exorcism. He passes from the synagogue, a Jewish meeting place for prayer and for reading of the Scriptures, to enter into the home of Simon and Andrew. The Bible tells us that Jesus spends much of his time preaching in synagogues. Later, during his Passion, Jesus will tell Pilate that he has always taught openly in synagogues. There is indeed a great openness to Jesus’ teaching. Many are called, here in a space which would be at the spiritual heart of local Jewish communities. Similarly, we are called as followers of Christ to spread the good news. Our openness with our love of Christ reflects Christ’s openness to the people of Galilee and to us [ … ]
Today’s Gospel verses again speak of the conflict between Jesus and the scribes and Pharisees, and again we sense the verses reflecting the breaking away of Christianity from Judaism, and the tensions in the aftermath of the fall of Jerusalem. Jesus’ rebuke of the scribes and Pharisees, the lawyers, is stinging. Jesus associates them with the history of murder of the righteous through Scripture, from the first murder of Abel to the murder of Zechariah, a prophet who died by stoning in Jerusalem around the year 800 BC because he accused the Jewish people of being unfaithful to God’s law (cf. 2 Chronicles 24: 20-22) [ … ]
Just as Jesus teaches in these parables of that which is small becoming great, through the process of being hidden, in the earth or in the as yet unleavened dough, so Jesus teaches us, as the Gospel Evangelist teaches us, that the parables themselves reveal that which has been hidden, drawing the listener from a particular instance, readily recognizable from everyday life, to an understanding of matters of deep spiritual and cosmic significance [ … ]
