Matthew 27:46 (ESV)
And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud
voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have
you forsaken me?”
What a heart wrenching question from the mouth of Jesus.
The son who has been sharing an unhindered relationship with his father since
eternity, is now driven to say these words. While we might think he is tempted
to doubt his father’s love, he positions his circumstance against the backdrop
of scripture and quotes from Psalm 22:1. From the depths of his pain he quotes
scripture. Jesus’ life is so steeped in scripture.
Just as Psalm 22 is the cry of a community, Jesus here is
identifying with the sufferings of this world and experiences what it means to
be concealed from God’s love. He enters our struggle and abandonment and
experiences what each one of us has to go through when we abandon the love of
God for other lesser loves. The writer Augustine expresses this beautifully,
Jesus is praying as the head and as the body.
This cry is a reminder that Jesus unites all our suffering.
As Christians, we are reminded here that our suffering is not private. Jesus
associates with us. Our suffering is also not private because we are a
community of believers. Ideally, we ought to suffer with those who are
suffering.
Today, let us remember that our suffering is not an
isolated experience but we have Jesus who suffers with us. Let us also remember
those who are suffering so that we may enter into their circumstances and offer
our help and assistance.
We might feel Jesus isn’t doing enough to alleviate our
suffering. Instead, he seems to plunge us deeper. That is right, he plunges us
deeper by helping us realize that our suffering is not in vain. It is not meant
to be an individual experience but a cooperative experience of redemption.
Jesus’ involvement in human suffering and his cry of abandonment must serve as
a model for us to stand in the gap and help.
Dear Lord, help us to step into, walk with and alleviate
the pain of those who are suffering. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.
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