Favorite Bible Verses: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:45-46)

“From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over all the land. About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”).

Matthew 27:45-46

 

Matthew 27:45-46 became two of my favorite Bible verses recently when I noticed something that had eluded me every other time I read this passage.  According to to Matthew, the darkness lifted at three in the afternoon, the same time that Christ felt abandoned by God. This is what must have happened: After all he had been through, and after hours of darkness, even Christ felt abandoned by God.  He cried out in anguish and loneliness, and in answer, God sent him light.  God had not abandoned him. And he will never abandon us. I felt so moved by this that I tried my hand at a short stanza of poetry to commemorate such moments when God rushes to encourage the lonely and suffering among us.

The silent comfort of the sun

Exceeds the speed of light,

Rushing earthward to the one

Who breaks beneath the weight of night.