Pastor Charles Luther in 1877 wrote the words to the hymn “Must I Go, and Empty Handed.” Before we discuss the story behind the hymn let’s consider the apostle Paul’s final application at the conclusion of his teaching on the resurrection of Christ in 1 Corinthians 15. Paul challenged us “be steadfast, immovable, always abound in the work of the Lord for you know that your labor is not in vain [without results according to Louw-Nida Greek Lexicon]” (15:58). Our lives as Christians can have results if we serve our resurrected Lord faithfully. Or our lives can have no or little results if we serve unfaithfully. Paul sharply draws this contrast when teaching on the future Judgement Seat of Christ where Christians will give an account of their service to the Lord. Some will “receive a reward” (1 Cor. 3:14). Their service was not in “vain” or without results. Others will “suffer loss” (3:15) and receive no reward or their lives will have been lived in “vain” with no rewards or crowns to cast at Jesus’ feet. We sometimes refer to this sad scene as entering heaven empty handed.
Charles Luther heard the story of a young who was soon to die. The young man had only been saved for one month and was grieved that he’d had so little time to serve his Savior. On his death bed, the young believer gave voice to his regrets, “I am not afraid to die; Jesus saves me now, but, oh! must I go empty handed?” Those dying words moved Charles Luther to write the hymn “Must I go and empty handed.” Luther reflected the dying young man’s last testimony in stanza two:
Not at death I shrink or falter,
For my Savior saves me now;
But to meet Him empty handed,
Thought of that now clouds my brow.
Years later this hymn was sung in a morning service in Essex, England. In that service was a godless young man. The unsaved young man heard the words of stanza three, “Oh, the years of sinning wasted, could I but recall them now, I would give them to my Savior, to His will I'd gladly bow.”
When the young unsaved man heard those words, he left the service so disturbed he could not eat his Sunday dinner. That afternoon the troubled and seeking sinner went to a Bible study on the other side of town. As he entered the service, the hymn “Must I go and empty handed” was sung. He knew God was ordering his life and drawing him to Christ. He trusted Christ and lived for Christ the balance of life. Of course, this young man will not empty handed his dear Redeemer meet but will lay trophies at his feet.
"Must I go, and empty handed,"
Thus my dear Redeemer meet?
Not one day of service give Him,
Lay no trophy at His feet?
Refrain
"Must I go, and empty handed?"
Must I meet my Savior so?
Not one soul with which to greet Him,
Must I empty handed go?
Not at death I shrink or falter,
For my Savior saves me now;
But to meet Him empty handed,
Thought of that now clouds my brow.
O the years in sinning wasted,
Could I but recall them now,
I would give them to my Savior,
To His will I'd gladly bow.
O ye saints, arouse, be earnest,
Up and work while yet 'tis day;
Ere the night of death o'er take thee,
Strived for souls while still you may.
Refrain
"Must I go, and empty handed?"
Must I meet my Savior so?
Not one soul with which to greet Him,
Must I empty handed go?
The answer to the repeated question in this hymn, must I empty handed go? is a resounding NO! We can live as Paul challenged us at the end of his teaching on the resurrection. We can meet our Redeemer with full hands of crowns to lay at Jesus’ feet in our greatest act of worship and outpouring of gratitude for the redemption he purchased and the salvation he freely gave us when we received him as a Savior.