大齋期靈修 – 胡玉藩牧師
第四言：「我的上帝，我的上帝，為甚麼離棄我？」
聖經說：「上帝不能背乎自己」（提後二 13）；然而，在十字架上，上帝卻「背乎」了自己的兒子。
這種精神上被棄絕的痛礎，連耶穌可能也未曾想像得到，以令祂痛苦的喊叫說：「我的上帝，我的上帝，為甚麼離棄我？」從互古到永遠，「聖三一」這完美的契合，在這一刻，聖子耶穌感受到分離、割裂的痛苦。
上帝為甚麼要「背乎」自己的兒子呢？請聽以下一段的「僕人之歌」：
3 他被藐視，被人厭棄；多受痛苦，常經憂患。他被藐視，好像被人掩面不看的一樣；我們也不尊重他。
4 他誠然擔當我們的憂患，背負我們的痛苦；我們卻以為他受責罰，被上帝擊打苦待了。
5 哪知他為我們的過犯受害，為我們的罪孽壓傷。因他受的刑罰，我們得平安；因他受的鞭傷，我們得醫治。
6 我們都如羊走迷；各人偏行己路；耶和華使我們眾人的罪孽都歸在他身上。（賽五十三 3-6）
在耶穌受洗、山上顯榮，父上帝先後兩次從天上傳來聲音說：「這是我的愛子……」。然而，今次當耶穌問：「我的上帝，我的上帝，為甚麼離棄我？」……父上帝沒有回答。然而，我們每一個，都清楚知道這問題真正的答案。
為你、為我（每一個），上帝將自己的「愛子」背棄，掛在木頭上。
禱告：主啊，求你幫助我們緊記，你為我們的過犯受害，為我們的罪孽壓傷。因你受的刑罰，我們得平安；因你受的鞭傷，我們得醫治。阿們。
Lenten Devotion – The Rev. Angus Wu
Fourth Word: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
The Bible says: “He (God) cannot deny Himself” (2 Timothy 2:13); yet on the Cross, God ‘denied’ His own Son.
The pain of being abandoned spiritually is something perhaps Jesus had never even thought of. Therefore He cried in pain: “My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?” The perfect union of the ‘Holy Trinity’, which existed from the beginning of time to eternity, was shattered, and at that moment in time, Jesus felt the pain of separation and isolation.
Why would God ‘deny’ His own Son? Please listen to the following “Servant Song”:
3 He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
4 Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.
5 But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.
6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. (Isaiah 53:3-6)
When Jesus was baptized, when He transfigured atop a mountain, God the Father twice said through a voice from heaven: “this is my beloved Son...” Yet, this time when Jesus asked: “My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?” ... God the Father did not reply. Nevertheless, each one of us know clearly the real answer to this question.
For you, for me (for everyone), God forsook His beloved Son to die on the Cross.
Prayer: Lord, please help us to remember that You were pierced for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities, upon Your chastisement we receive peace; by Your wounds we are healed. Amen.