Oh, How Great Is Your Compassion
Oh, how great is Your compassion
The hymn emphasizes God's boundless mercy and compassion as the basis of salvation, expressing the Lutheran doctrine of justification through Christ's atoning work rather than human merit. It reflects the Reformation recovery of grace as God's free gift, demonstrating how divine compassion supersedes judgment and provides assurance of forgiveness.
History & Background
Lazarus Spengler, a Nuremberg reformer and hymnist, wrote this hymn early in the Lutheran Reformation around 1524. Catherine Winkworth translated it into English in 1863 for her collection 'Lyra Germanica,' making it widely known in Anglo-Lutheran worship.
Hymnal Appearances
- Evangelical Lutheran Worship — 717
- Lutheran Service Book — 559
- Lutheran Worship — 364
- The Lutheran Hymnal — 384
Translation
Bulletin Note
Written by Lazarus Spengler during the Reformation, this hymn boldly proclaims justification by grace through Christ alone—the central insight Luther recovered and championed against works-righteousness.
Preaching Connection
This hymn crystallizes the Law-Gospel dialectic at the heart of Lutheran preaching: human guilt and divine compassion meet in the cross, where Christ's atoning work transforms despair into assurance of forgiveness.
Catechism & Confessional Connections
- Of Justification Augsburg Confession
Themes
Divine mercy and compassion Christ's passion and atonement Forgiveness of sins God's loving-kindness Redemption through Christ