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how can we reconcile a cry of abandonment with faith in a present and caring god?

The passage, plainly, with room to sit with it.

Matthew 27:46

About the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” That is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

This moment comes during Jesus' crucifixion, a period of immense suffering and humiliation. He is hanging on a cross, having endured betrayal, unjust trials, and torture, and is nearing death. This cry is recorded as one of his final utterances.

When we feel most alone, how does this cry invite us to honestly voice our own pain to a God we believe is present?

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Read alongside it

  • Psalm 22:1

    This is the psalm Jesus quotes, expressing similar feelings of abandonment from centuries earlier.

  • Hebrews 4:15

    It speaks of Jesus as a high priest who can empathize with our weaknesses, having experienced temptation and suffering himself.

  • Job 3:11

    Job's laments throughout his suffering show a similar, if more extended, wrestling with God in the midst of profound pain.

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