“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Jesus quoted these first words from Psalm 22 as he hung on the cross, apparently soon before his death. At this point Jesus’ mouth was so dry and his body so weak that the onlookers thought he was calling for Elijah, when he was actually calling for his Father. A commentary I read said Jesus uttered this phrase to draw attention to the prophetic words contained within Psalm 22 written around 1000 years prior, foreshadowing Jesus’ crucifixion, a method of torture not yet invented when David wrote them. And while to an extent I’m sure this is true, the commentator seemed to dismiss the emotional state of Jesus at that precise moment. I believe that the simplest as to why Jesus quoted these words from Psalm 22 as he hung on the cross is this: Jesus felt utterly alone at that point. Judas had betrayed him, Peter had denied him and his disciples couldn’t even stay awake to pray with him as he faced the worst imaginable day in one’s life! Was it okay for Jesus to feel forsaken by God? Certainly! If we don’t grasp the humanity of Jesus we do disservice to our brothers and sisters who are in their moment of greatest trial. Instead of simply being there, praying for, ministering to we conjure solutions or spiritual rationale for their experience. At worst, we chastise them for their lack of faith. For someone in the midst of a trial, this approach is indigestible and offensive. Perhaps we should instead point them to Psalm 22
Posted on: Thu, 06 Nov 2014 14:39:06 +0000
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