Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? (10)

Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? (10)

And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?"--which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"(Mark 15:34)

Jesus’ cry for being forsaken by God represented the ‘suffering of the innocent people’. Jesus suffered as a representative of the innocent people. After the crucifixion of Jesus, no one has ever borne the magnitude of such a suffering. Jesus suffered for the sake of all the humanity once and for all. However, we should not be satisfied with the shallow understanding of religious teachings. There are some deeper and more crucial points which we should not avoid.

The state of suffering faced by the innocent people is, in theological term, called theodicy. Though we may be able to get some theological answers, it cannot be the ultimate and the suitable one. It is clear that human suffering and infirmities are rampant around the world. For example, there is congenital disorder. Who will be held responsible for the destiny of a permanently visually impaired person or die young? Can we believe in God in such situation? In such desperate situation, can we especially believe in God who is believed to have abundance of love and almighty power?

Jesus answered to his disciples who asked him as to whose sin it was that a man being born blind, saying that it is neither the sin of his nor his parents’ but it was done to reveal the glory of God. And he healed him. Is it not the task for us all to bear?

Even today there are people who cannot but cry out desperately, “Why have you forsaken me?” Only those who have the same experience of being forsaken can feel the pain of Jesus in their hearts. Jesus is the representative of all humanity. Jesus is the microcosm of suffering of all the people who have the feeling of being forsaken by God.