Beauty Divine

Redemptionby George Herbert


Having been tenant long to a rich Lord,
Not thriving, I resolved to be bold,
And make a suit unto him, to afford
A new small-rented lease, and cancell th' old.

In heaven at his manour I him sought:
They told me there, that he was lately gone
About some land, which he had dearly bought
Long since on earth, to take possession.

I straight return'd, and knowing his great birth,
Sought him accordingly in great resorts;
In cities, theatres, gardens, parks, and courts:

At length I heard a ragged noise and mirth
Of theeves and murderers: there I him espied,
Who straight, Your suit is granted, said, & died.

In this poem, George Herbert tells a parable of going to a rich landowner to discuss the fact that his lease requires him to pay more than he can afford. Failing to find the landlord among the rich and powerful, the speaker eventually is surprised to discover him among thieves and murderers. Once he finds him, there is a dramatic twist. The landlord himself has paid the price of his new lease, giving his life as payment.

I really loved this poem because of the simple picture it paints of God's love for us. It's easy to read words in the Bible and forget the power of the story. The underlying story in this poem is the struggle of humankind since the fall. We all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Death is payment for sin and since none of us is perfect, we cannot afford to pay the cost of what we owe.

The speaker is much like us. He wishes to find a solution to his problems but finds that his landlord is absent: the landlord (God) has gone to take possession of 'some land he had dearly bought'. When we go searching for Christ, he surprises us. He is not found among wealthy kings or pious priests who have it all together. He is found among the least "important" in our eyes. He cares for the sinners, the murderers, the thieves, the prostitutes...every one of us who is guilty. He cared enough to die, to pay our debt. He kindly says, "Your suit is granted" or literally "It is finished." In other words, at the moment of dying, his thoughts are for those he wishes to rescue.

Redemption literally means ‘a buying back.’ He has paid for us. We only need to believe and accept it.