Fourth Word

When it was noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. At three o’clock, Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which is “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

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 Where are there cries of misery around us in our world today? What do they say?

God, "Let the cry of those in misery and need come to you, that they may find your mercy present with them in their afflictions… and give us the strength to serve them…” (BCP - Good Friday Liturgy, Solemn Collects)

 “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” 

It’s Aramaic. Remember, Jesus didn’t speak English.

In a minute I’m going to act out a modern parallel of what Jesus experienced at the hands of the Roman soldiers. The Roman soldiers utilized the cross as an instrument of shameful death.

Here, on Good Friday, the cross is no beautiful ornament.
It’s a torture device. So, what I’ll show you is a modern image of torture, which may be disturbing to you. It’s disturbing to me.

But what are we talking about here? A man who has been beaten, physically and psychologically degraded and humiliated, and at the time he gives this cry of misery - is undergoing horrific torture, not only at the hands of his enemies, but with the approval and even the insistence of his own people. That’s disturbing.

We’re talking about how a society can justify a means to an end. The religious authorities who had Jesus killed considered it necessary – and people who were squeamish about it were just naïve. That’s disturbing.

Caiaphas told the council “You know nothing at all! You do not understand that it is better for you to have one man die for the people than to have the whole nation destroyed.” That’s disturbing.

Here in our nation today, people argue about the justification of torture in these same terms. If, by torturing and/or killing a bad person, we can protect good people, then it’s okay – it’s worth it – it’s necessary even. That’s disturbing.

Here’s the situation:

A volatile time, an unstable area, a strange culture, a fanatical religion...

An ineffective officer relegated to an undesirable post, with insufficient support and high demands...

Soldiers stationed in a post none of them want, surrounded by religious fanatics they can’t understand, told to keep order...

So what happens?

Where is your God?   Where is your God now?

Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison…?

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References and related information

The Rev. George Pitcher (CoE) – blog entry "When we torture terror suspects, we torture Christ"

New Yorker article on Abu Ghraib abuses

Newsweek article– Abu Ghraib: many prisoners common criminals, not terrorists