STRANGER OF GALILEE, a Hymn Devotion, 4 June 2024 Anno Domini, the Anglican Orthodox Communion Worldwide
2 ¶ Now when Jesus had heard that John was cast into prison, he departed into Galilee; 13 And leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim: 14 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, 15 The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephthalim, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles; 16 The people which sat in darkness saw great light great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up.
23 ¶ And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in theirsynagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.
Matthew 4:12-16,23
This is a beautifully Illustrative hymn that takes us back to a time when we, too, all walked the shores of placid Galilee and met the most important a stranger in the world, but when we looked up, we saw the face of a Friend who sticks closer than a brother, our Lord, Redeemer, and King.
This hymn is the composition of Mrs. Mrs. C.H. (Lelia) Morris (1862-1929) who also is the author of more than 1,000 hymns. Blinded at the age of 52, she nonetheless continued to fulfill her calling before God in writing hymns such as ‘Sweeter as the Years Go By.’ The tune, by same author, is “In Fancy I Stood by the Shore One Day.”
STRANGER OF GALILEE
1 In fancy I stood by the shore, one day,
Of the beautiful murm’ring sea;
I saw the great crowds as they thronged the way
Of the Stranger of Galilee;
I saw how the man who was blind from birth,
In a moment was made to see;
The lame was made whole by the matchless skill
Of the Stranger of Galilee.
Refrain 1-3:
And I felt I could love Him forever,
So gracious and tender was He!
I claimed Him that day as my Savior,
This Stranger of Galilee.
2 His look of compassion, His words of love,
They shall never forgotten be;
When sin-sick and helpless He saw me there,
This Stranger of Galilee;
He showed me His hand and His riven side,
And He whispered, “It was for thee!”
My burden fell off at the pierced feet
Of the Stranger from Galilee. [Refrain]
3 I heard Him speak peace to the angry waves,
Of that turbulent, raging sea;
And lo! at His word are the waters stilled,
This Stranger of Galilee;
A peaceful, a quiet, and holy calm,
Now and ever abides with me;
He holdeth my life in His mighty hands,
This Stranger of Galilee. [Refrain]
4 Come, ye who are driven and tempest-tossed,
And His gracious salvation see;
He’ll quiet life’s storms with His Peace, be still!
This Stranger of Galilee;
He bids me to go and the story tell—
What He ever to you will be,
If only you let Him with you abide,
This Stranger of Galilee.
Refrain 4:
Oh, my friend, won’t you love Him forever?
So gracious and tender is He, Accept Him today as your Savior,
This Stranger of Galilee.
1 In fancy I stood by the shore, one day, Of the beautiful murm’ring sea; I saw the great crowds as they thronged the way Of the Stranger of Galilee; I saw how the man who was blind from birth, In a moment was made to see; The lame was made whole by the matchless skill Of the Stranger of Galilee. The boundless sea evinces deep feelings of awe and mystery, but also a calmness of peace and tranquility when its waters are smooth not boisterous. The Sea of Galilee was characterized by that tranquility of waters, but was also characterized by mighty storms induced by the class of cold air masses from Mount Hermon with warmer mass of the near-desert landscape of southern plateaus. Such a setting is reflective of the life of the fervent Christian. There is often much weeping during the dark nights of the soul, but surely joy comes at the dawning of the new day. The day cited in this verse was one of peace and calm. It calls to memory the day Jesus walked those shores healing the blind and recovering the legs of the lame. He came as a Stranger, and remained so to those who resisted the tempting urge of the Holy Voice that called them to repentance. But to the few that sought Him for more than physical healing, He did not remain a Stranger.
2 His look of compassion, His words of love, They shall never forgotten be; When sin-sick and helpless He saw me there, This Stranger of Galilee; He showed me His hand and His riven side, And He whispered, “It was for thee!” My burden fell off at the pierced feet Of the Stranger from Galilee. Many were healed of a host of physical illnesses on the shores of Galilee, but those who recognized their greater affliction of a sin-sick soul left with the imputed innocence of a New Born. For those who came to know that Stranger with a heart knowledge tinged with a commanding love, recognized the marks and emblems of a Redeemer by the marks of His Words and His wounds.
3 I heard Him speak peace to the angry waves, Of that turbulent, raging sea; And lo! at His word are the waters stilled,
This Stranger of Galilee; A peaceful, a quiet, and holy calm, Now and ever abides with me; He holdeth my life in His mighty hands, This Stranger of Galilee. Though that Sea was calm during His time of healing and preaching, as is often the case, the stormy seas arise following those proclamations of truth and works of mercy. It is ever true in the lives of the Christian. We have joyful moments of our high mountain sojourns in prayer and worship but, comes the darkness of the sea and sky, we must descend and work out our appointed roles as servants in the household of God. When the gales and billows overwhelm, He will hold us up and calm the storm.
4 Come, ye who are driven and tempest-tossed, And His gracious salvation see; He’ll quiet life’s storms with His Peace,
be still! This Stranger of Galilee; He bids me to go and the story tell—What He ever to you will be, If only you let Him with you abide, This Stranger of Galilee. He calms the seas of life by the omnipotent power of His Word. He only speaks, and the storms subside completely. But we must be on the stormy seas with Him if He is to calm our storms. There is no perishing when we are in and with Christ. When the dark storms roll, we do not go to Him – He comes to us walking on the calming sea. He will be with those always whom the Father has placed in His strong hand. The others disavow to their everlasting peril.
This hymn has two separate refrains – the first for verse 1-3, and the second for the fourth verse:
Refrain 1-3:
And I felt I could love Him forever, So gracious and tender was He! I claimed Him that day as my Savior, This Stranger of Galilee.The seal that grants assurance of salvation is that of love. Our love is overwhelming and cannot be denied in our walk of life. It is the one quality that enables us to obey His Commandments. It is also a comfort to know we are called and chosen ere we could ever claim Him as Savior.
Refrain 4:
Oh, my friend, won’t you love Him forever? So gracious and tender is He, Accept Him today as your Savior, This Stranger of Galilee. No converted Christian departs Christ as a Stranger, but as a Friend. He is our great brother, Father, King, and Redeemer. How could we not love Him with all our being? Don’t be a stranger to Him, or He will remain a Stranger to you.
