Forsaken by God?

Forsaken by God?

46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” Matthew 27:46

This has always been the one single verse in the Bible that truly shocks and strikes me deeply in my heart. We know that Jesus didn’t play or act. We know that when he spoke, the words he used were the true thoughts and feelings or his heart. Jesus never lied. So when he yells out, questioning why his Heavenly Father had forsaken him, that was truly what Jesus was thinking and feeling.

In that moment, he neither felt God nor did he understand God’s actions or lack of actions in his life. How low did our creator get in this word of sin to have him reach this point? How much pain and agony was he in to yell out such words?
After doing everything right, Joseph found himself in a pit, then as a slave and finally in jail. After doing everything right, Daniel saw his country destroyed, found himself a slave to Babylon and finally in the lion’s den. After doing everything right, Paul found himself constantly running away, beaten, stoned, shipwrecked, hungry, thirsty and finally imprisoned by Rome.

Although we will never know, thankfully so, the depths or pain that Jesus was in, we all do have our moments on our own spiritual crosses. We will all pass through painful moments when it feels like we are all alone- but we are not.

Joseph was never alone in that prison. Daniel was not alone with the lions. Paul was never alone in all his journeys. God was with them in that darkness just as he was with Jesus. And Jesus is with you too.

20 …and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen. Matthew 28:20

God bless
Pr Steven Couto