Psalm
22, page two
An Explicit
Theme in the Passion Narratives
 Psalm
22 is a theme playing through the Passion Narratives. Though its origins
lie within Israel, its theme of unmerited suffering afflicting good
people is a universal experience. How appropriate, then, that the early
church should turn to this powerful psalm with its chilling cry of abandonment
and its panorama of human suffering, in order to reflect on the crucifixion
and death of Jesus which brought sadness to the disciples.
The closing
verses of the psalm, appropriately too, express great confidence in
God who hears the cry of the good person who suffers. Calvary was not
the end of the story of Jesus. "In the days when he was in the
flesh, he offered prayers and supplications with loud cries and tears
to the one who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because
of his reverence." (Hebrews 5:7)
Besides
the opening verse of Psalm 22 uttered by Jesus in the Gospels of Mark
and Matthew, the psalm is also cited explicitly in John's Gospel in
a comment about the soldiers:
"When
the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took his clothes and divided
them into four shares, a share for each soldier. They also took his
tunic, but the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece from the top
down. So they said to one another, 'Let's not tear it, but cast lots
for it to see whose it will be,' in order that the passage of scripture
might be fulfilled [that says]: 'They divided my garments among them,
and for my vesture they cast lots.' This is what the soldiers did."
(John 19:23-24, citing Ps 22:19)
What
do they say about Jesus? •
Variations
on the theme of Psalm 22
New
hope for Jewish-Christian dialog •
Compassion
in art
Editor's Note
send
questions or comments to the editor
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City, NJ, USA
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