No, Not One

There’s not a friend like the lowly Jesus. No, not one! No, not one!
None else could heal all our soul’s diseases, No, not one! No, not one!

Chorus
Jesus knows all about our struggles, He will guide till the day is done;
There’s not a friend like the lowly Jesus, No, not one! No, not one!

No friend like Him is so high and holy, No, not one! No, not one!
And yet no friend is so meek and lowly, No, not one! No, not one!

There’s not an hour that He is not near us, No, not one! No, not one!
No night so dark but His love can cheer us, No, not one! No, not one!

Did ever saint find this Friend forsake him? No, not one! No, not one!
Or sinner find that He would not take him? No, not one! No, not one!

Was e’er a gift like the Savior given? No, not one! No, not one!
Will He refuse us a home in heaven? No, not one! No, not one!

This particular hymn utilizes a particular literary device to emphasize a point – the repetition of the phrase “No, Not One.”  The hymn starts out with certain statements about Jesus – the fact that there is no friend like Him,  that there is no one that can save but Him, etc.  and each of those statements is followed by that simple 3-word phrase.   In verses 4 and 5, the hymn transitions to rhetorical questions about Jesus.  The goal with this kind of transition is to train the reader/singer of the hymn to respond to these questions with that same simple 3-word statement.  In our family Bible study with our kids a few months ago, I saw how this worked on a practical level.  We would sing this song from the hymnal each week for 3-4 weeks.  Then at various other times, I would sing the first part of a verse to Maddie (my 4 year old) and pause.  Although she is learning to read a little bit, she couldn’t follow the words in the hymnal.  She was not able to memorize the verses to the song, but the one thing she did recall was that simple phrase – “No Not One.”  I would sing the statement about Jesus and she would confirm it by singing back to me “No Not One.”  The simplicity of that statement combined with the other qualitative statements about who Jesus is are powerful.

You will find this same kind of literary tool in Psalms 136.  The Psalmist repeats the phrase “His mercy endureth forever” 25 times in that Psalm.  The reader is trained to respond “His mercy endureth forever” to whatever the circumstance or statement.  I believe one point we can take away with this kind of emphasis is to not be confused or discouraged by circumstances or events.  We must learn to trust that “His mercy endureth forever.”   The same is true with the hymn “No not one.”  We are reminded by this simple phrase that nobody can do what Jesus did.  Nobody was sinless like He was.  No matter what the world may say about Him or about other ways to heaven.  Our response should be there’s no one like him – No Not One.

The two phrases I want to comment on in the hymn are found in verse 4.

• “Did ever saint find this Friend forsake him?”  Hebrews 13: 5 reminds us that He will never leave us or forsake us.  What is interesting about that promise is that He didn’t promise you wouldn’t feel forsaken, or that others (even your family or other Christians) might forsake you.  He promised that He wouldn’t forsake you.  The important thing for us to remember in times where we feel alone or abandoned is to (a) remind ourselves that He is with us – His omnipresence, (b) remind ourselves that He cares about us, and (c) remember that He promised not to forsake us and remember “God is not a man that He can lie.”

• “Or sinner find that He would not take him?”  Jesus said in Revelation 3:20 “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.”  His desire is to have fellowship with mankind, not turn people away.  He came to seek and save that which was lost. 

Finally, when you first see the title of this hymn, your initial reaction may be “negative” because of the title.  In such a simple title, you have two distinctly negative words – “No” and “Not.”   Around my house, my wife is the English/Grammar expert.  (I think it is because she didn’t grow up in Oklahoma or Tennessee so she uses proper grammar.)  My son and I, however, are frequently using “double-negatives” when we speak.  She “lovingly” reminds us that two negatives make a positive.  I think the same is true with this hymn.  The repetition of those two negative words are used to remind us of the positive aspects of Christ.  His holiness.  His friendship.  His Meekness and Lowliness.  Based upon the truths found in this song and it’s wonderful melody, it is easy for me to proclaim “Ain’t nothing wrong this one!”  Sorry, Sheri.