Psalm 22

Introduction to the reading of the text: Psalm 22 is a psalm by King David, written around a thousand years before Jesus was born. In this psalm, King David does not write about himself. In the books of Samuel and Kings we do read about his hardships and struggles, but we never find any instance where King David’s hands and feet were pierced, or when his enemies divided up his clothing.  Instead he speaks as a prophet, showing us the thoughts and feelings of Jesus as he hung on the cross. Psalm 22 is a close parallel to the Isaiah chapters 52 and 53 where the prophet writes, “He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed” (Isaiah 53:3-5).

Psalm 22
1    My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
    Why are you so far from saving me,
    so far from the words of my groaning?
2    O my God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer,
    by night, and am not silent.
3    Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One;
    you are the praise of Israel.
4    In you our fathers put their trust;
    they trusted and you delivered them.
5    They cried to you and were saved;
    in you they trusted and were not disappointed.
6    But I am a worm and not a man,
    scorned by men and despised by the people.
7    All who see me mock me;
    they hurl insults, shaking their heads:
8    “He trusts in the Lord; let the Lord rescue him.
    Let him deliver him, since he delights in him.”
9    Yet you brought me out of the womb;
    you made me trust in you even at my mother’s breast.
10    From birth I was cast upon you;
    from my mother’s womb 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 surround me;
    strong bulls of Bashan encircle me.
13    Roaring lions tearing their prey
    open their mouths wide against me.
14    I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint.
    My heart has turned to wax; it has melted away within me.
15    My strength is dried up like a potsherd,
    and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth;
    you lay me in the dust of death.
16    Dogs have surrounded me;
    a band of evil men has encircled me,
    they have pierced my hands and my feet.
17    I can count all my bones;
    people stare and gloat over me.
18    They divide my garments among them
    and cast lots for my clothing.
19    But you, O Lord, be not far off;
    O my Strength, come quickly to help me.
20    Deliver my life from the sword,
    my precious life from the power of the dogs.
21    Rescue me from the mouth of the lions;
    save me from the horns of the wild oxen.
22    I will declare your name to my brothers;
    in the congregation I will praise you.
23    You who fear the Lord, praise him!
    All you descendants of Jacob, honor him!
    Revere him, all you descendants of Israel!
24    For he has not despised or disdained
    the suffering of the afflicted one;
    he has not hidden his face from him
    but has listened to his cry for help.
25    From you comes the theme of my praise in the great assembly;
    before those who fear you will I fulfill my vows.
26    The poor will eat and be satisfied;
    they who seek the Lord will praise him—
    may your hearts live forever!
27    All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord,
    and all the families of the nations will bow down before him,
28    for dominion belongs to the Lord
    and he rules over the nations.    
29    All the rich of the earth will feast and worship;
    all who go down to the dust will kneel before him—
    those who cannot keep themselves alive.
30    Posterity will serve him;
    future generations will be told about the Lord.
31    They will proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn—
    for he has done it.

A.     None of us knows what it’s like to be truly alone. Even if you live alone, you still go out to work or to the store. Those who can’t get out still have a telephone nearby. Some people with special needs have a bracelet or necklace with a button that can summon help within minutes. None of us is ever truly alone. What is it like– being alone? The thought terrifies, doesn’t it? Directors of horror films get very close, don’t they? The monster comes and the young girl hides in the closet alone... The madman comes swinging an axe and all you can do is run, but you know you’re not going to make it, and there is no one to help. The monster and the madman aren’t nearly as terrifying as the thought of facing the trouble alone.

B.    This is only a small taste of the terror, the hell that Jesus suffered on the cross. Yes, there were people standing nearby, but none would help. No one was willing to help. Jesus cries out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? ... so far from helping me?  ... so far from the words of my groaning? ... I cry out by day and night.” Mocked, despised, rejected. He describes his enemies like the fiercest wild animals: bulls, roaring lions, dogs, wild oxen–bent on nothing but inflicting violence and pain. What does he compare himself to: “I am a worm and not a man, scorned by men and despised by the people.” Lowest of the low. Defenseless. Rolling in the dirt. As he looks inward his own flesh and strength fail– bones out of joint, heart melting like wax, strength dried up like old pottery, hands and feet pierced and nailed. Helpless. Alone. Crying out.

C.    Many paintings of the suffering Jesus to try to move the viewer to pity. That’s not what Psalm 22 is trying to do. It describes the suffering of Jesus, but shows us that Jesus is not on the cross for us to pity him. He holds on to the promise of God, even when forsaken by God. “You are enthroned as the Holy One, ... In you our fathers put their trust; they trusted and you delivered them.” Jesus suffering and death are only part of the larger plan and promise of God. When Noah had little hope in a world that had forgotten about its creator, God delivered him. Noah trusted and did what God told him and he and his family were saved. When  Abraham had little hope, living in a city full of idols, having no children, God delivered him. God led him out to a promised land, and gave him a greater promise, through your seed all nations on earth will be blessed. When Moses had little hope, seeing his people suffer in Egypt, sweating, dying, the youth of Israel being snuffed out at the king’s whim, God delivered his people. He led them out with signs and wonders. Psalm 22 tells us that Jesus fully knew that Good Friday would be followed by Easter. Jesus was on the cross because he pitied us. Although he looks helpless nailed there, he is delivering the world from sin, death and the devil.

D.     We began the season of Lent by hearing and meditating on how Jesus was tempted by the devil:  “If you’re the Son of God turn these stones into bread.” “Take the kingdoms of the world for yourself and worship me.” “If you’re the Son of God jump down and see if your Father will send his angels.” Those temptations were real and were hard– but on the cross he endured temptations that were far beyond those. For us the outward appearances of things are often the greatest temptations of all... think of what temptation it was for Jesus, and how he lists them all here: Being helpless, insulted by his enemies, surrounded by violence, strength failing. Yet  Jesus faces suffering, pain and death with perfect faith. He prays, “Father, forgive.” In Psalm 22 Jesus says,... But you, O Lord, be not far off; my Strength, come quickly to help me.” ... and finally, he says, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” “He suffered when he was tempted and is able to help us when we are tempted” (Hebrews 2:18). When we are tempted by the devil to forget and despair of God’s mercy– we have our Savior who never did– who said, “From birth I was cast upon you; from my mother’s womb you have been my God.” When the world tells us “It would be so easy to go with the flow and not make any trouble’– we have our Savior who said, “Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?” When our flesh wants more and more, and despairs when everything doesn’t go perfect– we have our Savior who endured the depths of suffering and prayed, “You are the theme of my praise... I will declare your name to my brothers.” Jesus was victorious in temptation... all for us. He calls us to bear the cross with him— the cross of fighting against these temptations, the cross of living as children of God in a broken world, the cross of bearing him in our hearts. We are never alone because he bore us in his heart. His cross is our forgiveness since he bore our sins. His cross is our righteousness since we are washed in the blood of our Passover lamb. His cross shows us our worth. To our God we are worth the life of his one and only Son. His cross shows us the extent of his love. While we were still sinners, Christ laid down his life for us.

Amen.

God Most Holy, graciously behold this your family for whom our Lord Jesus was willing to be betrayed, given over into the hands of the wicked, and suffer death upon the cross. Keep us always faithful to him, our only Savior, who now lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Lamb of God, pure and holy,
Who on the cross did suffer,
Ever patient and lowly,
Yourself to scorn did offer.
All sins you carried for us,
Else had despair reigned o'er us:
Have mercy on us, O Jesus.