Imitation of Christ (Imitatio Christi)

Psalm 22

October 5, 2025, Stetson Memorial UMC

Journey to Imitate Jesus

By your prayers and love, I was able to return safely from Arizona. The night before I left, my children wrote me cards. One of them wrote, “Mom, please don’t write too many poems because I need to save my ears.” But I’m sorry to say, I wrote many poems there!

Together with 33 Korean pastors, pastors’ wives, and lay leaders, I spent days worshiping, listening, meditating in silence, attending lectures, and sharing deeply. Each day flowed so quickly as we met God and one another. During morning, noon, and evening worship, and especially through Holy Communion, I felt as though the blocked breath of my soul was finally opened. I wept again and again as I felt the deep connection restored between God and me.

As I worshiped, prayed, and listened to the Spirit with people full of God’s presence, I experienced deep detox and healing. When we shared our silent pain, we cried and laughed together. I realized that all these experiences—our joy, pain, silence, and prayer—are part of the journey to become more like Jesus. Especially through suffering, I could meditate more deeply on the Son of God who suffered for us.


Psalm 22: The Song of Suffering

The process of becoming like Christ is beautifully shown in the Psalms. We have seen how God, the divine Poet, writes His poems in our lives. In Psalm 1, we learned about the truly blessed person through the wisdom of Torah. In Psalm 2, we saw the joy of being chosen as God’s royal children. Last week, through Penny’s story, we saw how God continues to write His story in and through our lives.

Today, we turn to Psalm 22—a psalm of lament. More than half of the Psalms are laments, whether personal or communal. Yet, except for Psalm 88, every lament begins with pain but ends with trust and praise. The Psalms are divided into five books, and each book ends with a doxology—a song of praise.

Psalm 22 begins with David’s cry:

“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

 He calls out to God twice—“My God, my God”—but feels abandoned. The God who was always with him seems distant and silent. Have you ever felt that way? When evil seems to prosper, when injustice reigns, and when your own suffering feels unbearable?

David continues:

“Why are you so far from saving me, so far from my cries of anguish? My God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer, by night, but I find no rest.”

David’s pain is deep. He feels hopeless, even near death. Yet, these words sound familiar—because Jesus used them on the cross.


Jesus and the Cross in Psalm 22

When Jesus hung on the cross, He cried out David’s words:

“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”(Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani).

Psalm 22 is not only David’s lament—it is also a prophetic song that points to Christ’s suffering. Many verses in this psalm directly foreshadow the crucifixion.

  • Verse 1: Jesus’ cry from the cross (Matthew 27:46; Mark 15:34).
  • Verses 7–8: “All who see me mock me; they hurl insults, shaking their heads.” This was fulfilled when people mocked Jesus (Matthew 27:39–43).
  • Verse 15: “My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth.” This describes Jesus’ thirst on the cross (John 19:28).
  • Verse 16: “They pierce my hands and my feet.” The Roman soldiers nailed His hands and feet.
  • Verse 18: “They divide my clothes among them and cast lots for my garment.” This was fulfilled when soldiers cast lots for Jesus’ clothing (Matthew 27:35; John 19:23–24).

David’s own pain prophetically revealed the suffering of Jesus, and that same psalm now meets us in our own pain. Through our suffering, we encounter the suffering Christ.


 Suffering as the Path to God

Some people turn away from God when they suffer. But those who hold tighter to God in their pain are truly blessed. Why? Because in suffering, we discover our weakness and meet the infinite God in our limits.

The 15th-century theologian Thomas à Kempis wrote "The Imitation of Christ," one of the most widely read Christian books after the Bible. He taught that denying oneself, living humbly, and seeking God in silence and solitude are the true ways to imitate Christ. He also said that through Holy Communion, we are most deeply united with God.

“Imitatio Dei”—to imitate God; “Imitatio Christi”—to imitate Christ. This is sanctification—the purpose of our lives. Today, as we come to the Lord’s Table, may that deep union and transformation take place among us.


Through Suffering, We Draw Near to God

At the Spiritual Formation Academy, we shared our stories of pain and brokenness. In those tears, we found how much of our ego must die before God can fill our lives. The deeper the valley, the higher the mountain. Every time we kneel before God, He places an unseen medal of grace on our hearts. The greater the suffering, the deeper the soul.

Jesus did not come as a royal prince in luxury but as the poorest and weakest. He, the Son of God, suffered and died on the cross. That is why, in our suffering, we can meditate on His.

Like David, we cry out to God, pray honestly, and leave the judgment of the wicked to Him. Last week, Victor’s sign at the church deeply touched me. It said, “Let them. Let me. Let God.” That is the posture of trust. When we trust God like David, we can even sing praise in our pain.

David declares,

“I will declare your name to my people; in the assembly I will praise you” (v.22).

He does not hide his faith. In front of those who mocked him, he boldly praises God. And at the end of the psalm, verses 30–31 proclaim that even the unborn generation will tell of the Lord’s righteousness. What a vision of hope!


 Looking Back: My Own Psalm

In Arizona, I cried a lot—so much that people asked, “Where do all your tears come from?” I became like a crying baby with endless tears. But through those tears, I looked back on my forty years of life and thanked God for His unchanging love.

I remembered that day three years ago when I went to the Korean pastors’ wives’ retreat—dragging my weary body, like the bleeding woman or Like Hannah, who was so sorrowful she appeared to be drunk, but praying in the temple. God met me there, comforted me, and confirmed my calling. Since then, He has opened doors for me to share the gospel.

During times of suffering, I often felt God’s silence—as if I were abandoned. But looking back, I now see that God was always there, right in the middle of my pain. Through that suffering, I met the suffering Jesus. And slowly, I am learning to live a life that resembles Him.

When my children suffer from allergies, or when they fall and bleed, or when they struggle to make big life decisions, I remind them to pray and reflect on Jesus’ suffering. Just as David’s pain foretold Christ’s suffering, may our pain help us understand Jesus more deeply and share His gospel more boldly.

 

 

“My God, like David and like Jesus, I cry out to You in my suffering. At times, Your silence feels like abandonment. Yet even in the silence, I look to You.

I look to the Cross, where You suffered for me. I bring my pain to You, Lord, because only You can heal me and save me.

Let my lips never cease to praise You. Teach me to live a life that becomes more like You each day. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”

 

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

2025 영성 훈련 아카데미 (2025 Spiritual Formation Academy)

A Pastoral Letter about 4 Church Ministries in Han Family

2025 Pastoral Letter of Church Conference