Devo Matthew 27:45-54

Chapter 27

45From the sixth hour until the ninth hour darkness came over all the land.
46About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi lama
sabachthani?”—which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
47When some of those standing there heard this, they said, “He’s calling Elijah.”
48Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine vinegar,
put it on a stick, and offered it to Jesus to drink. 49The rest said, “Now leave him
alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to save him.” 50And when Jesus had cried out
again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. 51At that moment the curtain of the
temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split.
52The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were
raised to life. 53They came out of the tombs, and after Jesus’ resurrection they went
into the holy city and appeared to many people. 54When the centurion and those
with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened,
they were terrified, and exclaimed, “Surely he was the Son of God!”

Meditation:
1. The central event of the Christian faith is the immense humiliation of our
God. And His anguish is deeper than we can imagine. His own people
demanded his death, his friends deserted him. And now even his loving
Father has turned away.
2. Spend time wrestling with why the Almighty would choose such a path.
Reread Jesus’ own words a few times to get closer to his experience.
3. What wells up inside me as I spend time with Jesus’ death? Death? Wonder?
Grief? Distractedness? Tell Jesus about what surfaces. Then gently pull my
thoughts back to His sacrifice and death, reading the passage again if needed.
Allow myself to sink into the event deeply, again being aware of my reaction
and talking to Jesus about it.
4. Find a new place to be silent. For example, walk in a quiet place or sit in an
empty church sanctuary. Bring a wristwatch and set the alarm so I can forget
the time until it reminds me. Meditate on Jesus’ sacrifice for me, and then
wait for what He would have me receive from Him.

Personal Note:
"My God, my God, why have you forsaken me."  I believe the worst punishment is separation and loss of someone/thing one dearly love.  I recalled my emotions when I was at loss.  When I lost my job, I felt useless and angered.  When I lost a friend, I felt miserable and empty.  When I lost a family relative, I felt shocked and broken.  All losses are painful.  Jesus, you suffered the loss of the forsakeness of God, the pain of eternal separation from God.

Listening to "At the Cross"

God, why do you choose this path?  Love...
Why did Jesus die for me? Love...