The Weight of Glory Lyrics
A ring of Pharisees and one of them was me
We loved the letter but not the spirit
An infidelity, a woman on her knees
She begged for mercy, we couldn’t hear it
The teacher looked from us, his finger in the dust
We felt the chill and it shook us to our bones
Then he raised his head and this is what he said:
“The one who has not sin should throw a stone”
[Chorus]
I walked away in silence
And threw myself upon the ground
These words they burned inside me:
"Take up your cross before your crown"
Go and judge not, lest ye be judged when the curtain comes down
[Chorus]
I walked away in silence
And threw myself upon the ground
These words they burned inside me:
"Take up your cross before your crown"
Take up your cross before your crown
Judge not, lest ye be judged when the curtain comes down
Your cross before your crown
About
The song title and certain quotes come from a sermon/essay by C. S. Lewis of the same name. The Lewis essay, in turn, borrows the phrase from 2 Corinthians 4:17 in the New Testament.
This song challenges our self-righteousness, and is a call to have mercy on others even if we rightly identify that they’re guilty – the same way that Jesus does. (“Blinded” has similar themes.)
The lyrics are based on a passage in the New Testament, John 8:2-11. In it, a woman has committed adultery in a society where that is a capital offense. Religious leaders (Pharisees) apprehend her and bring her to Jesus in order to entrap him in a Catch 22 situation. He responds in a wise way that emphasizes mercy over strict justice without breaking God’s commands. The song is written in the voice of one of these Pharisees, who is deeply impacted by this event.
In his essay, while discussing the way Christians grow to serve others and treating them as immortal souls, C.S. Lewis writes:
[…] poetry replaces grammar,
gospel replaces law, longing transforms obedience, as gradually as the tide lifts a grounded ship.
and
Meanwhile the cross comes before the
crown […]
Q&A
Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning
- 4.Atlantic
- 5.For Miles
- 7.Music Box
- 11.Red Sky
- 12.Flags of Dawn
- 13.The Weight of Glory
