Meeting 2 — “I Will Live for Him”¶
Goal of the meeting + notes for the facilitator¶
- Goals of the meeting:
Analysis of Psalm 22 in its historical and cultural context, and reflection on it
Preparation for the Tent of Meeting and confession
Showing the difference between reading the Word of God mainly as text interpretation and the Tent of Meeting, which is a face-to-face conversation with God
This meeting is entirely devoted to Psalm 22. That is why it is important to read it in full, then become familiar with the historical context and share what moves and questions us in it. This meeting also introduces the Tent of Meeting and is meant to help us experience it as a conversation with God, not as a time focused only on interpretation of the text.
Introducing the psalm’s context¶
In this meeting we will reflect on Jesus’ words: “My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?” (Mt 27:46; Mk 15:34). Jesus speaks them at the moment when He feels with full force the whole weight of all the sins we have committed. He Himself had never before experienced sin, separation from the Father, the breaking of a relationship that is for Him the most natural thing. On the emotional level, He feels completely abandoned. Yet these words are also the beginning of Psalm 22, written about 600 years before Christ’s birth. Jews attached great importance to the Word of God and knew its fragments by heart. One form of praying with a psalm was to speak its opening words while having the whole psalm in mind—well known to everyone. It is therefore likely that when Jesus speaks these words on the cross, He expresses not only His abandonment under the crushing weight of sin, but also everything carried by the full message of Psalm 22. It is also striking that, according to Jewish tradition, this was a psalm spoken over the dying. No one spoke it over Jesus—so He did it Himself, for Himself. And not only for Himself: He also spoke it in our name—for us, dying because of sin.
Let us read it now and consider what makes it so unique.
Note
We read Psalm 22 together.
Prophetic character¶
What indicates that the words of the psalm refer directly to Jesus?
What makes this psalm messianic and prophetic?
Although it was written about six centuries before Christ’s birth, the psalm contains details that clearly point to it as a prophecy of His Passion. King David, regarded as the author of the psalm, probably did not realize (perhaps drawing on his own experiences) that he was in fact composing a prophecy that would be fulfilled in the Messiah.
All who see me mock me; they sneer and shake their heads:“He trusted in the LORD; let Him deliver him; let Him rescue him, if He delights in him.”—Ps 22,8-9
Compare this with:
But others said: “Wait! Let us see whether Elijah will come to save him.”—Mt 27,49
Also note:
My throat is dried up like a potsherd; my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth.A pack of dogs surrounds me; a gang of evildoers closes in on me. They have pierced my hands and my feet.I can count all my bones. They stare at me and gloat.They divide my clothes among themselves and cast lots for my garment.—Ps 22,16-19
Pay special attention to this fragment:
All the prosperous of the earth will eat and worship; all who go down to the dust will kneel before Him. And I will live for Him.
—Ps 22,30
If this refers to someone who has died, it is a vision quite atypical for the Old Testament—at a time when the teaching about the resurrection of the body practically did not yet exist. This only confirms the prophetic character of this psalm even more.
My offspring will serve Him; the next generation will be told about the Lord.They will proclaim His righteousness to a people yet to be born: that He has done it.—Ps 22,31-32
The offspring and the people yet to be born are us—the Church, the people of the new covenant proclaiming the Good News of the resurrection to the next generations. At the beginning of the psalm we have a mention of the ancestors who trusted in the Lord—the people of the old covenant. In this way, the psalm unites the whole history of salvation.
Three attitudes¶
How does the psalmist’s attitude change throughout the whole psalm?
What parts can we distinguish in this psalm? Is there a visible boundary between them?
We can observe three parts in this psalm, and at the same time three kinds of prayer: lament (verses 1–19), supplication (verses 20–23), and thanksgiving/praise (verses 24–32).
In what proportions are they described? What might that mean?
What distinguishes the parts from one another? What is characteristic of each?
In what “time” are they spoken?
The lament takes up the most space. Usually, focusing on experiencing our pain dominates everything else. That is completely normal. God does not want us to pretend before Him that everything is fine and, with a light heart, only praise Him in every situation. He wants to hear about our suffering. What is crucial, however, is not to stop at suffering itself and sink into it—to still cry out to Him sincerely with request or supplication, and still try to praise Him in what we are experiencing.
My attitude¶
Which of these three attitudes / kinds of prayer is closest to me?
What does my prayer look like when I suffer, and what does it look like when I experience joy and fulfillment?
To what extent do my feelings and mood determine my prayer? How do I deal with that?
Based on these three parts distinguished in the psalm, we can consider what attitude we take when we feel emptiness, when we feel abandoned, or when we suffer.
It is worth for the facilitator to share a brief testimony and thereby encourage participants to share.
Summary + prayer¶
We have just given one another testimony. During this retreat we hear many testimonies that build us up. Sharing what God has done for us is extremely important for our faith. Psalm 22 is also one great testimony—the testimony of Jesus: a suffering man who passed through hell, and yet did not lose hope and faith; who by His death and resurrection made it so that there is no place in our life, no darkness, no sin, where He would not be with us—and from which He would not be able to pull us out. In a moment we will go to the Tent of Meeting, during which there will also be an opportunity for confession. May this time be a meeting of everything in us that is abandoned and suffering with the abandoned and suffering Jesus, who desires to draw us to Himself. Let us no longer analyze the words—let us meet Him in these words. Let us not interpret; let us speak with Him honestly: lament, ask, and praise.