May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us,
that your way may be known on earth,
your saving power among all nations.
Let the peoples praise you, O God;
let all the peoples praise you!
Let the nations be glad and sing for joy,
for you judge the peoples with equity and guide the nations upon earth.
Let the peoples praise you, O God;
let all the peoples praise you! Verses 1-5
Matthew 27:45-54
Today's passage begins with the heart-rending cry of Jesus, perhaps the most devastating words in all of the Bible: My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?
I like Peterson's translation here. "Abandoned" seems so much worse than "forsaken." I don't know why, but it seems more destitute to me.
Peterson quotes church historian Bruce Shelley, who said, "Christianity is the only major religion to have as its central event the humiliation of its God."
Wow. Have you ever thought about that? I haven't. That's a piercing statement!
But consider for a moment Jesus's anguish. Is it not deeper than his humiliation? Personally, I think humiliation was the last thing on his mind at the moment. His own people had demanded his death, even cheerfully. His friends ran away. And, finally, his Father turned his back on him.
I am almost in tears just typing this. I cannot even begin to imagine the physical pain that he was enduring, but the mental and spiritual anguish at this point was tremendous!
But know this: Even at the moment of his death, he was in total control. When he "breathed his last," it was the time that was determined. He gave up his life, it was not taken from him. That is very important to realize.
Why did the Almighty take this course? Why did he allow himself to be humiliated? For you and me?
My mind is completely boggled right now. There are times during my studies when I can't fathom the reason. I know all the right answers. "He loved us." Yeah, I know that. But does that fully explain what is happening in Matthew 27 right now? This is not "warm and fuzzy love" going on here. This is, as Rich Mullins once wrote, "the reckless, raging fury they call the love of God." Do you get that? This is amazing! "Amazing love, how can it be? The you my King, should die for me..." And not just die, but suffer complete and total humiliation and anguish beyond anything our hearts could imagine!
As I grow in you, I pray that you give me the ability to embrace this more fully. I don't ask to understand. I don't want to understand. I don't need to. I believe I will the day I stand before you. Until then, simply let me embrace it and try as much as humanly possible to communicate this message to other people.
Grace and peace, friends.