Lord, Is It I?

1 Lord Jesus, didst Thou truly say,
'One of the Twelve shall Me betray,
That share the dish with Me' ?
Each sorrowed heart the same reply
Returned to Thee: 'Lord, is it I?'
As Thou their hearts did see!

2 Their strife amid the Paschal Feast
To rank the greatest and the least,
Sank into silent shame;
For who could tell among them all
Would faithful stand, or faithless fall
When powers of darkness came?

3 Such treachery fell th'appointed lot
Of Judas, named Iscariot;
His heart had Satan filled
To see his Master as a slave
To cruel foes, who glad gave
A pittance which he willed.

4 For half the price of ointment rare
Which Mary, in her loving care,
Bestowed on Christ so well,
This devil, called perdition's son
At thirty silver pieces, won
His place in lowest hell!

5 And yet, in vain would Peter cry,
'Though all forsake Thee, yet not I!'
In vain so all would say:
According to the Master's word,
Thrice Simon would deny his Lord,
And all would flee away.

6 Once more, our Saviour calls us here:
The bread and cup He bids us share,
Which speak of pardoned sin:
Yet has each guest in Christ a part
To come, with clean hands and pure heart
Thus to remember Him?

7 Dare we presume we cannot stray,
Should we neglect to watch and pray
When comes the tempter dread?
Dare we provoke our jealous Lord
In gorging at this vile world's board,
And touching then His bread?

8 So now, at this our feast of love,
Let every saint his own soul prove,
Examination make!
Let us at Table find a place
Of true repentance, faith and grace
Before we here partake!

-- JPB, 13 June 2006.