My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?

 Good morning,

I pray the day finds you well.

I got to the "Y" this morning, hit the start button on my computer, opened my browser, opened my BibleGateway site (I just realized how many things I opened first thing this morning, and that does not count all the doors!) and my verse of the day was Psalm 23:1-3. 

"The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me besides still waters, he restores my soul. He leads me in right paths for His name's sake."

God is a funny Guy!

All that Rabbi, Troll, mountain and Twidd talk yesterday, and today we get green pastures and still waters. 

Actually, at least for me, He connected yesterday and today at a deeper level (have I mentioned that connectedness is in my top-5 of my StrengthFinders profile?). 

Most people have read Psalm 23 multiple times, it is a reassuring, and peace giving Psalm. People tend to refer to it when they or someone they are with is going through a tough time.

Most people do not read Psalm 22. Psalm 22 is a bit tougher, quite a bit tougher, I might add. 

Have you ever heard (typically it is a pastor or churchy person, usually in a bible study, when talking about the Passion of Christ, Christ on the Cross, when Jesus says, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"(Ma27:46) say that God cannot look upon sin; so God turned away from Jesus when Jesus took on the sin of mankind.

I cannot tell you how many times I have sat with someone going through a really tough time, it could be cancer, it could be addiction, it could be any number of things, but they are hurting, scared, feeling alone; and they remember, or have been told, this story of God turning away from Jesus because of the sin He took on. 

They say, "If God cannot look upon Jesus and His sin, how can He look upon me and my sin? How can I believe in a God that turns from me during my time of greatest need?"  

As they sit in, what has been affectionately named, the crying chair (the chair in my office where people sit and cry), crying and feeling alone and I look at them with compassion in my eyes I say, "Oh you silly goose, do you really think God isn't big enough or strong enough to look upon sin?"

The usual response is a sniffle and a shaky, "No"

I tell them, "That would be a pretty small god, and I don't believe in that god either."

You see, as I am sure you already know, up until the early 20th century most of the world was illiterate. While we have had the written word for over 2,500 years, most people could not read. We had what we like to call oral tradition; a tradition where people memorized sayings, verses if you will (something else we didn't have during the time of Jesus). A rabbi or priest would start to say words from the scroll and people would automatically know what he was referring to. 

Think of the pledge of allegiance. If I say, "I pledge allegiance to the flag." Most likely you can carry on from there and finish it. 

Well guess what, it was the same 2,000 years ago. 

Jesus said, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" and people didn't think God had turned away. No, they went automatically to Psalm 22, which just happens to start, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" 

Why would Jesus go there, you might ask?

Great question, He went there because Psalm 22 depicts Jesus on the Cross 500 years before it happened, thus fulfilling another prophesy. But He doesn't stop there, because after Psalm 22 people naturally went to Psalm 23, which ends with Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord my whole life long.

Giving a hope and a future. Jesus was teaching about His Father all the way up to the end.

You see yesterday I wrote about people who were afraid that I might lose my faith when going through a tough time. a time when some people might have said, "God gave you cancer to teach you a lessen."

 Ok, friend of Job! Just another one of my theological jokes. 

No, God did not turn away from me. In fact He was there with me the whole time, whether I could see Him or not, feel Him or not, hear Him or not. 

And this morning He reminded me that even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff--they comfort me (Psalm23:4)

Wow, did I have a talking attack or what!

Blessings,

Roger