HOMILY: “The Cry that Carried the Sin of the World” - The Fourth Word of Jesus from the Cross - “The Gospel of Suffering” - Matthew 27:46 “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”
“The Cry that
Carried the Sin of the World”
Theme:
The cry of Jesus reveals
that God transforms the darkest suffering into the greatest salvation.
The Fourth Word of Jesus from the Cross
“The Gospel of Suffering”
Matthew
27:46 “My God, My God, why have You forsaken
Me?”
1. Introduction – The Cry from the Cross
My dear
brothers and sisters in Christ,
Among the Seven
Last Words of Jesus on the Cross, the fourth word is perhaps the most
mysterious and the most painful:
“My God, My
God, why have You forsaken Me?”
(Matthew 27:46)
These words
shake the heart.
They come
from the lips of Jesus at the most intense moment of His suffering.
The Son of
God—
the One who healed the sick,
the One who raised the dead,
the One who forgave sinners—
now hangs on the Cross crying out in apparent abandonment.
This cry is
not merely a cry of pain.
It is a revelation of the deepest mystery of salvation.
Today we
must ask:
- Why did Jesus say these words?
- Did the Father truly abandon His Son?
- What does this cry mean for our own suffering?
If we
understand this cry, we will understand the depth of God's love for humanity.
2. The Scene of the Fourth Word
The Gospel
tells us that something extraordinary happened at that moment.
From twelve
noon until three in the afternoon, darkness covered the entire land.
Creation
itself seemed to mourn.
The sun
refused to shine.
Nature
seemed to protest the crime being committed.
Humanity
had condemned the Light of the world,
and therefore the cosmic symbol of light—the sun—was hidden.
This
darkness was not just a natural phenomenon.
It was a spiritual
sign.
Creation
itself was participating in the suffering of its Creator.
3. Bethlehem and Calvary – Two Opposite Moments
Let us
reflect on a powerful contrast.
At Bethlehem
When Jesus
was born:
- The night sky shone brightly
- Angels filled the heavens with light
- Shepherds heard heavenly songs
The heavens
rejoiced.
God had
come into the world.
At Calvary
But when
Jesus died:
- Darkness covered the land
- The heavens became silent
- Creation stood in mourning
At
Bethlehem, the heavens were filled with light.
At Calvary, the heavens were deprived of light.
Why?
Because
humanity had rejected the Light of the world.
4. The Mystery of the Cry
Jesus
cries:
“My God, My
God, why have You forsaken Me?”
These words
come from Psalm 22.
Psalm 22
begins with suffering but ends with victory.
So Jesus
was not crying in despair.
He was revealing
the fulfillment of prophecy.
But the cry
still expresses something real.
At that
moment, Jesus was experiencing the deepest loneliness imaginable.
5. The Weight of Humanity’s Sin
On the
Cross, Jesus carried the sins of the entire world.
Every sin
of humanity was placed upon Him:
- the pride of humanity
- the hatred of humanity
- the violence of humanity
- the betrayal of humanity
The
innocent Son of God bore the burden of our guilt.
Scripture
tells us:
“He became
sin for us.” (2 Corinthians 5:21)
Jesus
entered the darkness of human sin.
And in that
darkness, He cried out.
6. Rejection from Every Direction
Consider
the abandonment Jesus experienced.
Humanity rejected Him
The people
He came to save mocked Him.
The crowds
shouted:
“Crucify
Him!”
His disciples abandoned Him
One
betrayed Him.
Another denied Him.
The others ran away.
The earth seemed to abandon Him
The Cross
was lifted above the earth like a place of humiliation.
Heaven seemed silent
The heavens
were covered in darkness.
It seemed
as if even heaven had withdrawn its comfort.
Jesus stood
in total solitude.
7. Why Did Jesus Experience This?
Jesus
experienced this abandonment for a profound reason.
He entered the
deepest human suffering.
Every human
being experiences moments like this.
Moments
when we feel:
- God is silent
- prayers are unanswered
- suffering seems unbearable
Jesus
entered that experience so that no human suffering would ever be without
God’s presence.
Even when
we feel abandoned, God is near.
8. The Cry of the Human Heart
This cry of
Jesus is also the cry of many people today.
Many people
ask:
“Where is
God?”
When they
face:
- illness
- loss
- loneliness
- injustice
Many
believers experience spiritual darkness.
Even great
saints experienced this.
9. Example from the Saints
Many saints
passed through spiritual darkness.
One example
is Saint Teresa of Calcutta.
For many
years, she felt an interior darkness.
She wrote
that she felt as if God was silent.
Yet she
continued serving the poorest of the poor.
Her faith
did not depend on feelings.
Her faith
depended on trust.
Like Jesus
on the Cross, she remained faithful in darkness.
10. The Silence of God
Sometimes
God allows silence.
Not because
He has abandoned us.
But because
He is doing something deeper.
Silence can
become the place where faith grows.
Just as
seeds grow in the darkness of the soil.
11. The Cross as the Operation Theatre of the Church
The Church
can be compared to an operation theater.
Humanity
comes wounded by sin.
The Cross
becomes the place of healing.
Jesus is
the divine physician.
His
suffering becomes the medicine for our salvation.
His wounds
become our healing.
12. What This Word Teaches Us
The Fourth
Word teaches us several spiritual lessons.
1. God understands human suffering
Jesus
experienced the deepest pain.
He knows
our struggles.
2. Faith continues even in darkness
Jesus still
says:
“My God.”
Even in
suffering, He trusts the Father.
3. God transforms suffering into salvation
The Cross
becomes the door of redemption.
13. Application to Our Lives
During this
Lenten season, we must examine our hearts.
Ask
yourself:
- Do I trust God even in suffering?
- Do I remain faithful when prayers seem unanswered?
- Do I unite my suffering with Christ?
Lent
invites us to walk with Jesus to the Cross.
14. Hope Hidden in the Cry
Although
the cry begins with pain, it leads to victory.
Psalm 22
ends with hope.
The Cross
is not the end.
The
Resurrection is coming.
Darkness
lasts only for a moment.
The light
of Easter is approaching.
15. Conclusion – From Darkness to Light
My dear
brothers and sisters,
The Fourth
Word reminds us that Jesus entered the deepest darkness of human suffering.
He did this
so that no human being would ever suffer alone.
When we
feel abandoned, we must remember:
Jesus has
already walked that path.
And because
He walked that path, the Cross becomes the bridge from suffering to salvation.
The
darkness of Calvary will lead to the light of Easter.
16. Prayer
Let us
pray.
Loving and
merciful Father,
we thank
You for the infinite love revealed in the suffering of Your Son Jesus Christ.
When He
felt abandoned,
He still trusted You.
Teach us to
trust You even in the darkness of our lives.
When we
experience pain,
help us unite our suffering with the Cross of Christ.
Strengthen
our faith during this Lenten season.
May the
Cross lead us to repentance, renewal, and resurrection.
We ask this
through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Contact
details:
Dr.
ADDANKI RAJU.
addankiraju.blogspot.com
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Dr. ADDANKI RAJU@addankiraju
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A Gentle Invitation to Share
If this
message has brought you even a small measure of joy, light, encouragement, or
spiritual nourishment, I humbly invite you to share this spiritual food with
others.
Someone you
know may be waiting for a word of hope.
Someone may be silently searching for meaning.
Someone may be thirsty for God.
By sharing
this message, you become a simple yet powerful instrument in God’s hands. This
small act of sharing becomes a beautiful act of evangelisation — a quiet
mission of love you carry out in your daily life.
Let the
Word that touched your heart reach another heart.
May the
Lord use you to spread His light.
May His Word bear abundant fruit.
God bless
you abundantly.
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