April 13: Forsaken
♫ Music:
Day 43 - Wednesday, April 13
Title: FORSAKEN
Scripture: Psalm 22:1-8
My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?
Why are You so far from helping Me,
And from the words of My groaning?
O My God, I cry in the daytime, but You do not hear;
But You are holy,
Enthroned in the praises of Israel.
Our fathers trusted in You;
They trusted, and You delivered them.
They cried to You, and were delivered;
They trusted in You, and were not ashamed.
But I am a worm, and no man;
A reproach of men, and despised by the people.
All those who see Me ridicule Me;
They shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying,
“He trusted in the Lord, let Him rescue Him;
Let Him deliver Him, since He delights in Him!”
Poetry & Poet:
The Lynching
by Claude McKay
His spirit is smoke ascended to high heaven.
His father, by the cruelest way of pain,
Had bidden him to his bosom once again;
The awful sin remained still unforgiven.
All night a bright and solitary star
(Perchance the one that ever guided him,
Yet gave him up at last to Fate's wild whim)
Hung pitifully o'er the swinging char.
Day dawned, and soon the mixed crowds came
to view
The ghastly body swaying in the sun:
The women thronged to look, but never a one
Showed sorrow in her eyes of steely blue;
And little lads, lynchers that were to be,
Danced round the dreadful thing in fiendish glee.
FORSAKEN
Two days before his crucifixion, on the Wednesday of Holy Week, Jesus taught in the temple in Jerusalem communicating his desire that we escape the judgment of God; to stand before God and hear the words, “well done” (Luke 19:17).
When Jesus had finished his teaching, he turned his attention to the disciples and predicted his arrest and crucifixion. The plot against Jesus had begun as the chief priests gathered together in the private residence of Caiaphas to scheme against Jesus. Their verdict against Jesus had already been decided. Now was the time to determine how to get rid of him. Enter Judas. A devious plot had been set in motion for Judas to deliver Jesus over to the chief priests for the sum of thirty pieces of silver (Matt 26:14–16). Judas simply needed to wait for the right time and place for the betrayal.
The account of Judas is a tragic story chronicling at its climax a conspiracy between Judas and Satan. Scripture tells us that when Judas decided to betray Jesus, Satan entered him and the conspiracy was set into motion (Luke 22:2–4; John 13:21–27).
This entire situation may seem shocking and unexpected, but Jesus wasn’t surprised by the events nor the way in which they unfolded. When Jesus referenced Psalm 41:9, “Even my close friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted his heel against me,” it is interesting that he omitted the words “whom I trusted” (John 13:18). The most likely reason being, he “knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him” (John 6:64). Jesus never trusted Judas, who had an important role to fulfill in the events that would lead to the salvation of the world through Jesus Christ.
Let’s jump past this day in Holy Week in order to complete the story of Judas. Finding him in the Garden of Gethsemane, Judas betrayed Jesus with a kiss revealing his identity to the soldiers and indicating whom they should arrest (Matt 26:47–50). Later, when Judas realized what he had done and that Jesus had been condemned to death, he was seized with remorse. Judas returned the money, went out, and killed himself (Matt 27:1–10).
The response of Judas was undeniably quite extreme, but I wonder how often you and I feel the same. Guilt is such a powerful force. When not handled properly, it can certainly result in deep regret. Maybe you feel that no one could forgive you for what you’ve done. Maybe there’s a part of you that doesn’t even want to be forgiven. You may have become numb and accustomed to living with guilt. Maybe you feel forsaken. May today be the turning point in your life as you lean in to the graciousness of God’s mercy and forgiveness. And when the question arises within your mind, “My God, have you forsaken me?” Be assured of his clear answer, “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5).
Prayer
Dear Lord, as we continue the journey through Holy Week, help me to trust you more fully and live in your forgiveness, healing, and wholeness. Remind me that you will not leave me and in the process, renew my heart. Take away that which is within me that does not bring you glory so I may abide in you and bear fruit in your name. Give me a heart for those around me to share the gospel of Jesus, full of truth and love.
Father, I pray all of these things, in the authoritative name of Jesus, and the power of the Holy Spirit,
Amen.
Dr. Steven D. Brooks
Pastor, Author, and Professor
Founder of Worship Quest Ministries
For more information about the artwork, music, and poetry selected for this day, we have provided resources under the “About” tab located next to the “Devotional” tab.
About the Artwork:
Crucified Tree Form
Theyre Lee-Elliott
1959
Tempera and gouache on paper
850 x 650 mm
From the Methodist Modern Art Collection
© TMCP
Used with permission.
www.methodist.org.uk/artcollection
The Methodist Church in Britain
After a serious illness in the 1950s, artist Theyre Lee-Elliot’s career and life took a radical turn. Though he had not previously been religious, he was moved to create a series of expressionist works inspired by the suffering of Christ and his crucifixion. In Crucified Tree Form, the artist paints a blackened and featureless human figure and the wooden cross (or tree) that have become inextricably entwined and fused together into a single suffering whole. The featureless face and tortured body hang limply within the shallow, sickly yellow, indistinct background. The paint is applied in a scumbled, expressionistic manner that further adds to the tortured reality and agony of the Christ figure—body broken, head bowed, the spikes of the barbed wire resolving into a crown of thorns.
https://www.methodist.org.uk/our-faith/life-and-faith/the-methodist-modern-art-collection/index-of-works/crucified-tree-form-the-agony-theyre-lee-elliott/
https://www.roberteaglefineart.co.uk/artists/lee-elliott-theyre.html
About the Artist:
Theyre Lee-Elliott (1903–1988) was an English artist who created notable art deco logos as well as painting ballet and religious art. He was educated at Winchester and Magdalene College, Cambridge, where he read theology. He graduated in 1925 and then spent two years at the Central School of Art and Design, followed by the Slade School of Fine Art. He then worked as a commercial artist and worked on book jackets including Dodsworth, A Farewell to Arms, and Eric Linklater's Juan in America. He was a pioneer of informational posters which presented statistics in understandable graphical form. Lee-Elliott created notable art deco logos including Imperial Airways' Speedbird and the post office's symbol for air mail. He also worked on the scenery at London’s Sadler's Wells Theatre, where he painted the ballet dancers. These paintings were published as Paintings of the Ballet in 1947. After an illness in the 1950s, he produced religious art such as The Agony and a selection of this art was exhibited in Paris in 1965. His final years were spent in Chelsea, where he lived for most of his life.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theyre_Lee-Elliott
About the Music:
“Have You Forsaken Me” from the album LENT
Lyrics:
Oh God, have You forsake me
Forsaken me, forsaken me
Oh God, have You forsaken me
Forsaken me, forsaken me
[Music interlude]
My God, have You forsaken me'
Forsaken me, forsaken me
My God, have You forsaken me'
Forsaken me
My God, have You forsaken me'
Forsaken me, forsaken me
My God, have You forsaken me'
Forsaken me, forsaken me
About the Performers/Composers:
The Brilliance is a contemporary classical music duo composed of David Gungor and John Arndt. They are one of an emerging new breed of Christian artists who are taking our nature as “storied” creatures seriously and putting forward a sort of “new liturgy” which both honors the past and points the way forward into the future. Their music explores the essence of who we are as God’s creation and as his reflection. Taking their musicality to new heights, blending strings, keys, percussion, and voice, along with poetry and prayer, The Brilliance appeals to diverse audiences across generations, denominations, and cultures.
http://thebrilliancemusic.com/
https://weareworship.com/us/worship-leaders-2/the-brilliance/
About the Poet:
Claude McKay (1890–1948) was a Jamaican-American writer and poet. He became a central figure in the Harlem Renaissance. His work ranged from vernacular verse celebrating peasant life in Jamaica to poems that protested racial and economic inequities. Though a poet, he also wrote five novels and a novella, Home to Harlem (1928), which was a best-seller that won the Harmon Gold Award for Literature. Besides these novels and four published collections of poetry, McKay also authored a collection of short stories, two autobiographical books, and eleven essays on the contemporary social and political history of Harlem and Manhattan, which were concerned especially with political, social, and labor organizing. His 1922 poetry collection, Harlem Shadows, was among the first books published during the Harlem Renaissance and his novel Home To Harlem was a watershed contribution to its fiction. His Selected Poems was published posthumously in 1953. McKay has been recognized for his intense commitment to expressing the challenges faced by Black Americans and admired for devoting his art and life to social protest.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claude_McKay
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/claude-mckay
About the Devotion Author:
Dr. Steven D. Brooks
Pastor, Author, and Professor
Founder of Worship Quest MinistriesSteven D. Brooks is a pastor, author, and professor. In addition to serving as the pastor of music and arts in the city of Huntington Beach, California, Steven teaches at Azusa Pacific University, Vanguard University, and Gateway Seminary. His book, Worship Quest: An Exploration of Worship Leadership, is being hailed as a must-have resource for worship leaders and church leadership alike. He is the founder of Worship Quest Ministries, which provides resources and training to encourage worship renewal and spiritual formation in the global Christian church.
For more information, please see
www.worshipquest.net
https://www.youtube.com/worshipquest