Matthew 27:45-46 (NRSV) From noon on, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. 46 And about three o'clock Jesus cried with a loud voice, "Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?" that is, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"
One of the greatest challenges that I face as a teacher is what people think they already know. Once we learn, it is hard to unlearn. That is especially true with the Bible and matters of faith. I wonder if there is something in us that thinks that knowing the right thing will get us to heaven. If we discover that we still need to learn something, we somehow we have a sense of ‘lostness.’
Consider this. Some people have been taught that God turned his back on his Son while on the cross. Does the passage above teach that Jesus was godforsaken? Was the sin that he bore more than God could bear to see?
I once thought that. However, what I now see is that Jesus is quoting from Psalm 22. He is giving the first line. Psalms 22:1 (NRSV) My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from helping me, from the words of my groaning?
The truth is that God is not so far away from helping. God is near. God is paying close attention. God hears and knows. The psalm goes on to say, For he did not despise or abhor the affliction of the afflicted; he did not hide his face from me, but heard when I cried to him (Psalms 22:24).
Just as God does not forsake Jesus in this critical moment, so also he does not turn away from you in yours. Whatever your predicament, God does not turn away. You may feel godforsaken, but it is not true.
One of the greatest challenges that I face as a teacher is what people think they already know. Once we learn, it is hard to unlearn. That is especially true with the Bible and matters of faith. I wonder if there is something in us that thinks that knowing the right thing will get us to heaven. If we discover that we still need to learn something, we somehow we have a sense of ‘lostness.’
Consider this. Some people have been taught that God turned his back on his Son while on the cross. Does the passage above teach that Jesus was godforsaken? Was the sin that he bore more than God could bear to see?
I once thought that. However, what I now see is that Jesus is quoting from Psalm 22. He is giving the first line. Psalms 22:1 (NRSV) My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from helping me, from the words of my groaning?
The truth is that God is not so far away from helping. God is near. God is paying close attention. God hears and knows. The psalm goes on to say, For he did not despise or abhor the affliction of the afflicted; he did not hide his face from me, but heard when I cried to him (Psalms 22:24).
Just as God does not forsake Jesus in this critical moment, so also he does not turn away from you in yours. Whatever your predicament, God does not turn away. You may feel godforsaken, but it is not true.
1 comment:
"I wonder if there is something in us that thinks that knowing the right thing will get us to heaven."
I have heard this called "thought-righteousness" (in contrast to "works-righteousness"), by my brother, actually. And I think it is a big problem in the church. I think you're right, I think people are afraid sometimes to re-think, or look at things a different way, because it rocks their world and they start to get that sense of 'lostness', as you say. "Oh, no, I may NOT actually already know and understand everything. Things may NOT be exactly as I have always thought!" It's scary, if you think it all hinges on you and your perfect understanding.
I wonder if it were true that God couldn't be in the presence of the sin that Jesus bore, how much sin would I have to have before He would also have to forsake me?
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