Hey Joe, It's Me. Can You Help Me Out?
This was my sermon for our Advent mid-week service on December 23rd. Please excuse the choppiness, I used an outline which I have tried to flesh out for this.
The West Wing is one of my favorite shows. I especially love a scene between Leo McGary, the White House Chief of Staff, and Josh Lyman, his deputy. Josh has been dealing very poorly with having been shot, and is forced to see a therapist. Leo waits until late in the evening for Josh to get out of his appointment, and then tells him this story. "This guy's walking down the street when he falls in a hole. The walls are so steep he can't get out. A doctor passes by and the guy shouts up, 'Hey you. Can you help me out?' The doctor writes a prescription, throws it down in the hole and moves on. Then a priest comes along and the guy shouts up, 'Father, I'm down in this hole can you help me out?' The priest writes out a prayer, throws it down in the hole and moves on. Then a friend walks by, 'Hey, Joe, it's me can you help me out?' And the friend jumps in the hole. Our guy says, 'Are you stupid? Now we're both down here.' The friend says, 'Yeah, but I've been down here before and I know the way out.'"
Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? It seems strange to talk about Jesus’ words from the cross on the day before Christmas Eve. But Psalm 22 is a great way to close the season of Advent. It is an model prayer. It is used to demonstrate how we can turn to God no matter how deep / dire the straights we find ourselves. In Christ’s time, his cry of “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani” would not just have heard as a quotation of the opening words of the Psalm, but would have been a reference of the entire Psalm and the journey from rejection to redemption. So we can see the Psalter’s journey from despair to rejoicing in this Psalm as modeling Christ’s journey during the Passion from the despair of the torture and crucifixion of Maundy Thursday and Good Friday to the resurrection on Easter Sunday.
By quoting the Psalm, Christ joins with the multitudes who are afflicted and becomes one with them in their suffering. He shows/says his total identification and unity with those who suffer. He gives his followers permission to pray this, and similar prayers, asking, begging God for help.
Psalm 22 is a model prayer for us because it is a prayer for help, for mercy. The Psalter says that God has moved or stayed away from him. But at Christmas, with the birth and incarnation of Christ, we have Immanuel = God with us. The Psalter is not asking for release from one situation or problem, but from all of the problems of their life. This problems are generic enough to be universal and applicable to everyone at some point(s) in their life.
Structurally, the Psalm is the combination of a number of separate prayers and parts. It begins with a prayer for help (v 1 – 21). The Prayer is in two cycles (v 1-11 & v 12-19), each concludes with “be not far.” The first cycle has two laments over the troubles of the Psalter. Verses 1-2, What does it mean to cry out to “My God”? It is then followed by assertions of the faith & confidence in God. Verses 3-5 – Explains how the Psalter can cry out to “My God,” God has been there for the Psalter’s ancestors. It sets up a community where “My God” is at the center and shows there is a relationship between the Psalter/Prayer and “My God.”
Verses 6-8 are the Lament of the Psalter. They are derided and mocked, treated as the lowest of animals. "I am a worm." Verses 9-10 – Asserts their confidence in God. God has delivered them, protected them when they were vulnerable and incapable of protecting themselves. This language is so appropriate, on the eve of Christmas Eve, because it reminds of the protection and vulnerability of the newborn Christ. While the Psalter/Prayer testifies to their trust and faith in God, they are also complaining, My ancestors were saved by you God. What about me? The Psalter/Prayer has experienced the delight of the Lord, but now is not even valued as a person anymore. Their faith is being stretched. They know of God’s goodness, but wonders where is God now? They are distanced from God’s love & protection.
The Second cycle also has two laments. In Verses 12-15, the Psalter/Prayer describes themselves as surrounded or encircled, troubles have moved into the space vacated by God. The afflictions show as signs of troubles with the Psalter/Prayer’s body. Verses 16-18 repeats the surrounded plea. These detail the surrounding animal/ bestial forces, and how close death is. The opposition/enemy stare/gloat & taunt. The second cycle concludes with another petition, this in threefold repetition (save me from the hunter/lion/wild bulls), intensifying and stressing the dire straights of the Psalter. The evil is omnipresent & universal It’s everywhere!
The Psalm concludes with a song of praise (v 22 - 31) which is also comprised of two parts. Verses 22-26 are a hymn in the first person where the focus is on the congregation who celebrate with the Psalter . It assumes the person who has/will be saved goes to the assembly to join/be joined with those who are also seeking deliverance. It has a summons to praise (V 22-23) for all of those who are chosen of God. It’s not just friends & families; it is a nation/spiritual identity and a reason for the praise (v 24-26). God remembers/favors the poor, hungry and marginalized. God loves them when humanity has decided not to. Verses 27-31 widens the circle of praise from the congregation to humanity and all nations (v 27-8) “All the families of nations shall bow before God.” It also includes the dead and the dying (v 29) and all people, even those not yet born (V 30-31) Finally it gives the reason for all the acclaim (V31) “saying to them, ‘The Lord has acted!’" God’s righteousness /deliverance shall be THE sign to the nations that God has acted. They shall all remember and turn to the Lord. For the dead to praise God means that something immense has happened. Death does not have the final word any longer.
This prayer/psalm confronts a reality that moves from the perceived absence of God to the actions of God in our lives, to death and into salvation. The Psalter moves from being mocked and rejected because of depending on God to being in a community that celebrates and lives out that dependence. The Psalter/Prayer is not lowly because he is afflicted with a desire to worship/commune with God. The desire to worship/commune with God has caused them to be treated as lowly and the deliverance comes because they are treated as lowly. The worship/service of God has cost them their status, the most precious thing they own. The Psalter/Prayer has given/turned it all over to God.
God knew we, humanity, were in a hole, and the walls were so deep we could never get out. God became human, and jumped in the hole with us. God, through Jesus Christ, became our way out of that hole.
Now remember, this is Psalm/Prayer Christ references/recites from the Cross. It is not complaining/condemning God for not acting. It is praising God for the journey that Christ has been on. While we may say from the cradle to the grave, it has been from the manger to the cross. Christ sacrificed and gave everything to become human and was rejected, denied, accused, abused, tortured and crucified. Yet from the cross, he praises God, because he knows “My God, My God, you have NEVER forsaken me.” And we too, can boldly pray this prayer because My God, your God, OUR God, has and will have NEVER forsake us. That in giving all to God, including all trust in God, we shall be restored. And we can proclaim, as the Advent season draws to an end, we shall proclaim God's deliverance to a people yet unborn, through a baby whom is yet to be born, saying to them, "The Lord has acted!"
The West Wing is one of my favorite shows. I especially love a scene between Leo McGary, the White House Chief of Staff, and Josh Lyman, his deputy. Josh has been dealing very poorly with having been shot, and is forced to see a therapist. Leo waits until late in the evening for Josh to get out of his appointment, and then tells him this story. "This guy's walking down the street when he falls in a hole. The walls are so steep he can't get out. A doctor passes by and the guy shouts up, 'Hey you. Can you help me out?' The doctor writes a prescription, throws it down in the hole and moves on. Then a priest comes along and the guy shouts up, 'Father, I'm down in this hole can you help me out?' The priest writes out a prayer, throws it down in the hole and moves on. Then a friend walks by, 'Hey, Joe, it's me can you help me out?' And the friend jumps in the hole. Our guy says, 'Are you stupid? Now we're both down here.' The friend says, 'Yeah, but I've been down here before and I know the way out.'"
Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? It seems strange to talk about Jesus’ words from the cross on the day before Christmas Eve. But Psalm 22 is a great way to close the season of Advent. It is an model prayer. It is used to demonstrate how we can turn to God no matter how deep / dire the straights we find ourselves. In Christ’s time, his cry of “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani” would not just have heard as a quotation of the opening words of the Psalm, but would have been a reference of the entire Psalm and the journey from rejection to redemption. So we can see the Psalter’s journey from despair to rejoicing in this Psalm as modeling Christ’s journey during the Passion from the despair of the torture and crucifixion of Maundy Thursday and Good Friday to the resurrection on Easter Sunday.
By quoting the Psalm, Christ joins with the multitudes who are afflicted and becomes one with them in their suffering. He shows/says his total identification and unity with those who suffer. He gives his followers permission to pray this, and similar prayers, asking, begging God for help.
Psalm 22 is a model prayer for us because it is a prayer for help, for mercy. The Psalter says that God has moved or stayed away from him. But at Christmas, with the birth and incarnation of Christ, we have Immanuel = God with us. The Psalter is not asking for release from one situation or problem, but from all of the problems of their life. This problems are generic enough to be universal and applicable to everyone at some point(s) in their life.
Structurally, the Psalm is the combination of a number of separate prayers and parts. It begins with a prayer for help (v 1 – 21). The Prayer is in two cycles (v 1-11 & v 12-19), each concludes with “be not far.” The first cycle has two laments over the troubles of the Psalter. Verses 1-2, What does it mean to cry out to “My God”? It is then followed by assertions of the faith & confidence in God. Verses 3-5 – Explains how the Psalter can cry out to “My God,” God has been there for the Psalter’s ancestors. It sets up a community where “My God” is at the center and shows there is a relationship between the Psalter/Prayer and “My God.”
Verses 6-8 are the Lament of the Psalter. They are derided and mocked, treated as the lowest of animals. "I am a worm." Verses 9-10 – Asserts their confidence in God. God has delivered them, protected them when they were vulnerable and incapable of protecting themselves. This language is so appropriate, on the eve of Christmas Eve, because it reminds of the protection and vulnerability of the newborn Christ. While the Psalter/Prayer testifies to their trust and faith in God, they are also complaining, My ancestors were saved by you God. What about me? The Psalter/Prayer has experienced the delight of the Lord, but now is not even valued as a person anymore. Their faith is being stretched. They know of God’s goodness, but wonders where is God now? They are distanced from God’s love & protection.
The Second cycle also has two laments. In Verses 12-15, the Psalter/Prayer describes themselves as surrounded or encircled, troubles have moved into the space vacated by God. The afflictions show as signs of troubles with the Psalter/Prayer’s body. Verses 16-18 repeats the surrounded plea. These detail the surrounding animal/ bestial forces, and how close death is. The opposition/enemy stare/gloat & taunt. The second cycle concludes with another petition, this in threefold repetition (save me from the hunter/lion/wild bulls), intensifying and stressing the dire straights of the Psalter. The evil is omnipresent & universal It’s everywhere!
The Psalm concludes with a song of praise (v 22 - 31) which is also comprised of two parts. Verses 22-26 are a hymn in the first person where the focus is on the congregation who celebrate with the Psalter . It assumes the person who has/will be saved goes to the assembly to join/be joined with those who are also seeking deliverance. It has a summons to praise (V 22-23) for all of those who are chosen of God. It’s not just friends & families; it is a nation/spiritual identity and a reason for the praise (v 24-26). God remembers/favors the poor, hungry and marginalized. God loves them when humanity has decided not to. Verses 27-31 widens the circle of praise from the congregation to humanity and all nations (v 27-8) “All the families of nations shall bow before God.” It also includes the dead and the dying (v 29) and all people, even those not yet born (V 30-31) Finally it gives the reason for all the acclaim (V31) “saying to them, ‘The Lord has acted!’" God’s righteousness /deliverance shall be THE sign to the nations that God has acted. They shall all remember and turn to the Lord. For the dead to praise God means that something immense has happened. Death does not have the final word any longer.
This prayer/psalm confronts a reality that moves from the perceived absence of God to the actions of God in our lives, to death and into salvation. The Psalter moves from being mocked and rejected because of depending on God to being in a community that celebrates and lives out that dependence. The Psalter/Prayer is not lowly because he is afflicted with a desire to worship/commune with God. The desire to worship/commune with God has caused them to be treated as lowly and the deliverance comes because they are treated as lowly. The worship/service of God has cost them their status, the most precious thing they own. The Psalter/Prayer has given/turned it all over to God.
God knew we, humanity, were in a hole, and the walls were so deep we could never get out. God became human, and jumped in the hole with us. God, through Jesus Christ, became our way out of that hole.
Now remember, this is Psalm/Prayer Christ references/recites from the Cross. It is not complaining/condemning God for not acting. It is praising God for the journey that Christ has been on. While we may say from the cradle to the grave, it has been from the manger to the cross. Christ sacrificed and gave everything to become human and was rejected, denied, accused, abused, tortured and crucified. Yet from the cross, he praises God, because he knows “My God, My God, you have NEVER forsaken me.” And we too, can boldly pray this prayer because My God, your God, OUR God, has and will have NEVER forsake us. That in giving all to God, including all trust in God, we shall be restored. And we can proclaim, as the Advent season draws to an end, we shall proclaim God's deliverance to a people yet unborn, through a baby whom is yet to be born, saying to them, "The Lord has acted!"
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