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 believe that our Lord was truly abandoned by the Father?
ReplyDeleteThe weight of Psalm 22 is heavy on my heart. David's words are prophetic in detailing Christ on the Cross, beginning with the most intense kind of suffering a human can know: feeling abandoned by God. I have pleaded with the Lord not to forsake me, in the face of feeling forgotten or neglected. Or in the face of my own repeated sins. But do I believe the Lord can truly abandon any of us, least of all His own son Jesus? No, I do not.
God is pure love, by definition. Love cannot abandon. Pure Love deigned to make this perfect sacrifice for His undeserving but beloved creations, including me. God is passionate about us.
Thanks to the research of a dear sister in Bible Study, I recently learned that the Latin root of the word "passion" is "patior," which means "to suffer." In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus takes on all of the suffering of the world. Combine that with pure love and you get an intense desire for our salvation. In his humanity, he asks for the cup to pass from him, if possible. In his divinity, he obeys the will of the Father perfectly. The "Passion Narrative" takes on a deeper meaning when we understand this burning suffering endured by Jesus, both bodily and emotionally,
We can conclude with hope and praise, as does the Psalm. We move from a note of feeling forsaken, to a note of victory. Verse 24 says, "You who fear the Lord, praise him! All you sons of Jacob, glorify him, and stand in awe of him, all you sons of Israel." What incredible foretelling by David of the Messiah who will save us all. The tomb to which it seems Jesus is doomed, is empty. Our desert journeys bear fruit. We are an Easter people -- we do not stay in the depths of despair, and nor does Jesus. He conquers death and all sin, for our sake, for all of time. Praise be to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.