Tell Me The Old, Old Story

Tell me the old, old story of unseen things above,
Of Jesus and His glory, of Jesus and His love.
Tell me the story simply, as to a little child,
For I am weak and weary, and helpless and defiled.

Chorus
Tell me the old, old story, tell me the old, old story,
Tell me the old, old story, of Jesus and His love.

Tell me the story slowly, that I may take it in,
That wonderful redemption, God’s remedy for sin.
Tell me the story often, for I forget so soon;
The early dew of morning has passed away at noon.

Tell me the story softly, with earnest tones and grave;
Remember I’m the sinner whom Jesus came to save.
Tell me the story always, if you would really be,
In any time of trouble, a comforter to me.

Tell me the same old story when you have cause to fear
That this world’s empty glory is costing me too dear.
Yes, and when that world’s glory is dawning on my soul,
Tell me the old, old story: “Christ Jesus makes thee whole.”

Written in 1866, this particular hymn title is a little odd to me.  Think about it.  If the story is not just “old”, but is “old, old,” who would want to hear about it?  People don’t want to hear old stories, do they?  They want to hear something different, something unusual, something new.  Right?  Truthfully, though, I never grow tired of hearing the story of Jesus.  His birth was wonderful.  His life was filled with compassion and mercy.  His words are still powerful 2,000 years later.  His death and resurrection, although horrific and painful to think about, is the Greatest story ever told.  There is just something about His story that doesn’t grow old. 

The second thing about this hymn that is a little different is the writer’s perspective.  Based upon the lyrics of the song, she seems to have a pretty good handle on theology, yet she wants to keep hearing the story in a variety of ways.  It seems as if she needs to be constantly reminded of the story of Jesus.  She doesn’t tire of it.  Shouldn’t that be the case for all of us? 

Finally, the author even tells us how she wants to hear the story – “simply, slowly, and softly.”  But think about it, isn’t that how we should share the good news of the Gospel?  Simple enough that a child can understand.  Slow enough that the hearer can grasp the truths of sin, death, hell, grace, forgiveness, and heaven.  This simple message, however, should be  delivered both “softly and tenderly” (another hymn for another day). 

Couple of comments on the hymn lyrics:

• “Helpless and defiled” –  Although probably adjectives we don’t like to use about ourselves, these particular ones are true for all of us.  We were “helpless” to do anything about our sins.  We couldn’t make restitution.  We couldn’t cry enough tears.  We couldn’t say “I’m sorry” enough to deal with the magnitude our sins.  There was nothing we could do.  We were helpless.  We were also “defiled.”   The Bible tells us that “All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.”  The Bible tells us the “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked:”  Our hearts were far from God because of sin.  Sin had  separated us, but thanks be to God, someone told us the “old, old story of Jesus.”

• “God’s remedy for sin” –  What do you think of when you hear the word “remedy?”  I tend to think of a “potion,” “concoction,” or a “home remedy.”  You may be familiar with some of the “mountain remedies” like Granny from the Beverly Hillbillies had.  Funny thing about those kinds of remedies.  First, they don’t always work.  They are “hit or miss” kind of solutions.  They might work for you, but not for me.  Second, even when “home remedies” do work, doctors can’t explain why they work.   They just don’t know.  On the other hand, God’s remedy for sin was no concoction or potion.  It is the only true remedy for the sin-sickness in each of us.  We know it works, and we know why it works.  It works because God’s plan required the shedding of blood – Hebrews 9:22 reminds us “Without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness.”  Christ’s blood was shed that we might be redeemed.

If there’s one thing that I am not good at, it is story telling and joke telling.  I don’t do a good job of remembering all the funny parts of a story, nor do I always deliver a joke with the punchline at just the right moment.  I have been around people that are great storytellers. and their words seem to captivate an audience.  Sometimes their delivery is just as funny, or just as important, as the story itself. 

How about you?  Are you a “good” storyteller or are you a “good story” teller?  Did you catch the difference?  You may be like me and aren’t a good storyteller.  You might struggle with making a particular story funny because you don’t have that kind of personality or skill.  However, we all know a “good story,” a true story, the greatest story ever told.  The question for all of us is are we telling that story to others?  The Bible doesn’t require us to be “good” storytellers.  It does, however, require us to be “good story” tellers (or maybe you prefer “old story” tellers).  Jesus commanded in Matthew 28 “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.”

So I encourage you to tell the story.  Tell it simply, slowly, and softly.  Tell it with words and actions.  Share the good news.