Discussion Jumpstarter
Study leader reference - not a definitive answer
Question 3
The hymn thanks Christ “for the joy of human love… brother, sister, parent, child”; how would early Christians—who often faced divided households and persecution—have heard and practiced gratitude for family relationships without making family an idol?
Another way to ask: How could early Christians be thankful for family (parents, children, siblings) when following Jesus sometimes split families? How could they love family deeply without making it more important than God?
Discussion Jumpstarter
Direct Answer
Based on the hymn alone, gratitude for family is directed upward to Christ, which keeps family from becoming ultimate. The hymn’s wording suggests family love is a real gift to be enjoyed and thanked for, but still placed under worship of “Christ our God.”
- The hymn explicitly thanks Christ for family relationships: “For the joy of human love, brother, sister, parent, child.”
- Family gratitude is framed as worship, not self-satisfaction: “Christ our God to thee we raise; this our hymn of grateful praise.”
- Family is listed among many gifts, not treated as the highest good (creation, friends, church, God giving himself).
- The hymn also includes “thy church,” hinting that belonging and love extend beyond natural family.
- The repeated refrain keeps redirecting affection and gratitude back to Christ as the ultimate recipient.