Reflections
“My God, my God, why have you
abandoned me?”
David writes this psalm almost as
though it were planned to be part
of the Passion of Christ. In fact
the psalm becomes the prayer of
Christ at the time of his crucifixion
and speaks of the suffering that our
Savior experiences on our behalf.
People are the same today as they were
back then, when Jesus was being led to
the cross. We scoff at him; we mock him;
we wag our heads and hurl insults at him.
Why?
Because he becomes contemptible in
our eyes. He reminds us that we are a
sinful people; he convicts us; he catches
us in the lie; he embarrasses us; he
exposes us; he accuses us of being
hypocrites.
He holds us to a higher standard;
He speaks directly to God;
He claims to be God's Son;
and we reject him for this; and mock him.
We do not move to assist him.
Let God rescue him –
“He relied on the Lord; let him deliver him;
let him rescue him, if he loves him.”
These words of the psalm are the same
words used by those who conspired against
Jesus when he was dying on the cross.
They did not realize that the suffering and
death of an innocent servant would restore
life for sinful man. The words they spoke
were to be fulfilled, not by Jesus coming
down from the cross, but by sinful humanity
like us being delivered, forgiven,
and lifted up.
We are reminded by St Paul in today's second
reading that Christ takes the form of a slave,
obedient even to death for our sake.
(Philippians 2:7-8)
Isaiah in today's first reading speaks
about the Messiah long before his birth and
predicts that he will be beaten, and his beard
will be plucked. (Isaiah 50:4-7)
But the servant does not rebel (as Isaiah tells us).
He knows that he will not be put to shame.
God the Father is not far off, even when Jesus lies
hanging on the cross. The psalm describes the
Passion of Christ, and we know that what seemed
like a moment of weakness for Christ became a
source of strength for sinful humanity.
Ultimately God reverses this righteous man’s
condition. As our psalmist says, “But you, O Lord,
be not far from me; O my help, hasten to aid me.”
Hope returns, the righteous man is delivered, and he
celebrates his deliverance – “I will proclaim your name
to my brethren; in the midst of the assembly I will
praise you: You who fear the Lord, praise him.”
Amen
Discussion Questions for Reflection
1. Were you part of the crowd of evildoers who closed in on Christ, that our
psalmist speaks about? Tell of what part you play even today in mocking Christ.
2. The psalm asks, 'My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?' Do you
2. The psalm asks, 'My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?' Do you
believe that our Lord was truly abandoned by the Father?
Psalm 22 begins with the most anguished cry in human history: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” These are the words that Jesus took on His lips at the depth of His suffering on the cross (Psalm 22:1; Mark 15:34; Matthew 27:46). His suffering was unique at that point as He offered Himself up for the sins of His people.
ReplyDeleteThis psalm is not only the experience of every believer, but it is also a very remarkable and specific prophecy of the sufferings of Jesus. Here we see that indeed this psalm comes to its fullest realization in Jesus.
Jesus knew this psalm and quoted its first words to identify with us in our suffering, since He bore on the cross our agony and suffering. “Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death” (Heb. 2:14). Jesus does deliver us by becoming our substitute and the sacrifice for our sins.