Today’s scripture: Matthew 27:45-46; Psalm 22:1-2 (NRSV) (The Message)
As you read, consider: What might God be saying to me? Summarize your thoughts in a sentence or two.
My thoughts (Tammy Mills):
In the painting for the word forsaken, I see a face, crying out, alone, abandoned.
Have you ever felt like that? Like you were crying out into the emptiness and there was no one there… forsaken…
I know in my life there have been times when I felt utterly abandoned by everyone, including God.
While in college I was assaulted. This violent attack left me feeling utterly abandoned. How could something like that happen to me? I had spent my high school and early college years sharing my faith and helping guide folks on their spiritual journeys and what is the thanks I get from God? A physical assault.
I also felt a lot of shame as a result of this. That shame paralyzed me and really kept me from reaching out for help. Where had God been when I was going through the most horrific thing of my life? Why hadn’t God saved me? I felt totally forsaken…
From our scripture reading today, I imagine Jesus felt much the same way. He had lived his whole life to honor God and now, here he was facing his most difficult times, and God seems to have abandoned him. Jesus is utterly forsaken — even by God.
This may sound weird, but I find some measure of peace from the idea that Jesus understands what it means to be forsaken.
I have also found some measure of peace from the scripture in Psalm 139 which tells me that even though I might be going through hell, I am not alone. God is experiencing the hell with me. I’m still not sure why we all have to go though our own times of hell, but for now I am at peace with knowing that even in the most difficult and forsaken of places — God goes with me.
Psalm 139:7-8 says, “Where can I go from your spirit?
Or where can I flee from your presence?
If I ascend to heaven, you are there;
If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there.
Thought for the day: Where in life have I felt forsaken? Can we begin to see that even in those places, God is there?
Today, let’s join together in prayer for: Jesus MCC’s ASL Interpreter, David Calvert.
We encourage you to include a time of prayer with this reading. Use the item above as a starting point, or consider the guidelines on the How to Pray page.