Day 3 of Lent: March 7, 2025

Psalm 22:1-21

New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition

1 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?    Why are you so far from helping me, from the words of my groaning?2 O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer;    and by night but find no rest.

3 Yet you are holy,    enthroned on the praises of Israel.4 In you our ancestors trusted;    they trusted, and you delivered them.5 To you they cried and were saved;    in you they trusted and were not put to shame.

6 But I am a worm and not human,    scorned by others and despised by the people.7 All who see me mock me;    they sneer at me; they shake their heads;8 “Commit your cause to the Lord; let him deliver—    let him rescue the one in whom he delights!”

9 Yet it was you who took me from the womb;    you kept me safe on my mother’s breast.10 On you I was cast from my birth,    and since my mother bore me you have been my God.11 Do not be far from me,    for trouble is near,    and there is no one to help.

12 Many bulls encircle me;    strong bulls of Bashan surround me;13 they open wide their mouths at me,    like a ravening and roaring lion.

14 I am poured out like water,    and all my bones are out of joint;my heart is like wax;    it is melted within my breast;15 my mouth is dried up like a potsherd,    and my tongue sticks to my jaws;    you lay me in the dust of death.

16 For dogs are all around me;    a company of evildoers encircles me;they bound my hands and feet.17 I can count all my bones.They stare and gloat over me;18 they divide my clothes among themselves,    and for my clothing they cast lots.

19 But you, O Lord, do not be far away!    O my help, come quickly to my aid!20 Deliver my soul from the sword,    my life from the power of the dog!21     Save me from the mouth of the lion!

From the horns of the wild oxen, you have rescued me.

Reflection

As we journey through Lent, Psalm 22 gives us words for the raw, unfiltered cries of the human heart. The psalmist’s lament—"My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"—expresses a depth of suffering that resonates across time. These words, spoken by David in anguish, were centuries later spoken by Jesus on the cross, forever connecting this psalm to the crucifixion of our Lord and Savior.

Now this psalm is not a psalm of mere complaint; it is a cry for deliverance from a soul residing in darkness and distress. The vivid imagery—mockery, suffering, thirst, and humiliation—parallels Jesus’ crucifixion. The division of garments (v.18), the piercing of hands and feet (v.16), and the taunts of the crowd (v.8) all seemingly foreshadow what Christ would endure. For Jesus, reciting this psalm from the cross was more than quoting scripture—it was him declaring that he was physically living it.

Of course, Psalm 22 was written long before the birth of Jesus of Nazareth. We believe it was likely written by David during a time of deep distress. The language of enemies encircling like wild beasts, bones being exposed, and hands and feet being pierced may not have been literal for David, but the suffering was real. The psalm speaks to an individual’s experience of abandonment, but it also reflects the suffering of the people of who as a people are longing for redemption.

In Jesus’ time, rabbis often referenced entire psalms by quoting their opening line. When Jesus cried out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” he was not only expressing anguish but pointing to the entire Psalm—a psalm that, while beginning in despair, moves toward deliverance. This psalm does not end in suffering but in hope, as the latter verses (which Jesus' listeners would have known) declare God’s faithfulness and salvation.

Like the psalmist, we sometimes feel deserted. We cry out and wonder if God hears. Suffering can make God seem distant, but Psalm 22 reminds us that lament is not a lack of faith—it is an act of faith. To cry out to God is to acknowledge that God is still there, still listening.

Jesus entered into our world and our experience including our suffering, Christ endured human pain and abandonment so that we would never have to bear it alone. His cry from the cross was not the end of the story. The resurrection tells us that even when God seems distant, He is still working to redeem, restore, and bring new life.

Psalm 22 begins in suffering but does not stay there. By verse 21, the psalmist declares, “From the horns of the wild oxen you have rescued me.” The shift from despair to hope is a reminder that God’s faithfulness endures beyond our present pain. For Jesus, the cross was not the end. From Good Friday’s sorrow came Easter’s joy. And in Easter’s joy we can live lives in the certainty of the promised day of the Kingdom of God that awaits us all.

As we continue through Lent, we hold space for lament, knowing that we are not alone in it. Christ has walked this road before us. His suffering brings us near to a God who is not indifferent but deeply present. And because of the resurrection, we can move forward—not ignoring our struggles but trusting that God is bringing us from ashes to alleluia.

Prayer

Suffering Savior, you have walked the road of sorrow and know the depths of our pain. In times when we feel abandoned, remind us that you are near. Help us to bring our honest cries before you, trusting in your faithfulness. Lead us through this season of Lent with hearts open to your redemption, knowing that beyond the cross lies the empty tomb. Amen.