“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” – (Mark 15:34 / Matthew 27:46)
There is a history of teaching which I have recently became aware of. Around Easter, many ruminate over what is referred to as the “Seven Words of Jesus” on the cross. The term “words” here are better described as “phrases”. These were the statements of Jesus during the passion and many find them to be especially powerful during Easter week. Currently, I am reading Seven Last Words by James Martin and it has sparked in me a more concentrated focus during this Holy Week.
There are few words as gut-wrenching as these. The feeling of hopelessness and ultimate silence is heartbreaking. The humanity of Christ is on full display here and perhaps no statement is as unifying than this passionate echo. The statement connects His humanity to ours.
Our doubts.
Our fears.
Our anguish.
The two echoes
These lines can be uncomfortable for the modern believer. Was Christ, who clearly expressed His sonship to the Father, really expressing doubt? Yes, but we must dig a little deeper. With Christ, much of His talk was multi-layered and brimming with meaning.
In Psalm 22, we have gut-wrenching cry to God. David, who is largely believed to be the author, begins with this forsaken statement but then goes on wrestling with God in prayer. Like many of us, his words are pointed, going both at God as well as to God. The Psalm works as a genuine pouring out of fears, doubts, but ultimate trust to a God beyond comprehension. But it also has another purpose.
This Psalm is a direct reflection of the Gospel story of Christ written roughly 587 years before His birth. It was predictive of His arrival and death while also being a deeply felt expression of David’s intimacy with God. The Jewish Jesus would have undoubtedly known this and so would the authors of the Gospels who wanted to establish Jesus’ deity. We can only imagine after His burial, how His disciples pieced together statements and parables He said while it started to “click” in their theological minds. While starting with the forsaking of God, Psalm 22 ends in triumph after pointing to many Godly coincidences which would later happen on Calvary.
Yet, we can get so theological, that we miss the human element here. While understanding the establishment of His Kingship, we must not miss the feeling of isolation that suffering produces. His punishment ached with extraordinary pain. Still fully human, Jesus would have had doubt – the same doubt He expressed in the Garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26). In His humanity, Christ was showing us how to grieve. He too felt both the weight and silence of God. This is a relief to us as we enter periods of what St. John calls the “dark night of the soul“. Our God is not a distant and cold being, but rather an ever present consoler.
It should give us comfort knowing that He too has experienced the worst humanity has to offer and ultimately triumphed for both our reconciliation, as well as God’s glory.
Lord, thank you for these words which unite us to you. Thank you for expressing your humanity through Christ. May we fear not in coming to you with our true self, knowing you accept us as we are. Father, please be present in our lives and give us the eyes to see your movement. Comfort us in our struggle and empower us to comfort those who are afflicted. Amen
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