TRANSLATION MATTHEW 27:45

From noon onward, there was darkness over all the earth until three in the afternoon. Around three o’clock Jesus howled in a great voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachtani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you deserted me?”

Some of the bystanders who heard it , said, “He’s calling for Elijah, this one.” Straightaway one of them ran to get a sponge, soaked it in sour wine, put it on a reed, and gave it to him to drink. But the rest said, “Let it go, and let’s see if Elijah comes save him.”

But Jesus howled out again in a great voice, and let go his soul.

And -see this- the veil of the sanctuary was torn in two from top to bottom, the earth shook and rocks were shattered, tombs were opened and many bodies, of holy people who had fallen asleep, were raised up. (After Jesus’ resurrection they came out from the tombs, into the holy city, and appeared to many people.)

The centurion and those guarding Jesus with him were struck with fear when they saw the earthquake and what was happening, and they said, “Yes, this was the son of a god!”

Many women were there who watched from a distance, those who had followed Jesus from Galilee, looking after him. Among them were Mary of Magdala, Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of Zebedee’s sons.

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Jesus was on the stake from 9am to 3pm, although Matthew is not explicit about the former. He makes no attempt to represent the thought of Jesus but follows Mark in giving the howl or cry of Jesus in two languages. It is the first verse of Psalm 22, which has already been referenced in the narrative of Jesus’ death. Some say that of course the Psalm ends with words of trust in God, but those are not the words he howled. Others suggest that Jesus just howled inarticulately, and believers added the words. Well maybe, but the howl is so near to blasphemy that it is unlikely to be the work of pious souls. But was anyone who could treasure the words, near enough to hear them? Could it have been any of the women mentioned by Matthew? In any case they were remembered by someone who knew that you don’t die on a Roman stake imagining that God is holding your hand.

I have translated the Greek verb “Boao” as ‘howl’ because it is an onomatopoeic word, which goes beyond ‘cried’, the usual translation.

The person who offers Jesus the cheap sour wine used by soldiers and poor people is trying to do him a kindness. There is a link between the “Let it go’said to this helper and the “Let go his soul” of Jesus. The word indicates a voluntary action.

The disturbances of the earth that Matthew only partly gets from Mark his source, mirror what could not be openly narrated, namely, disturbances in the life of God. Indeed that’s how the centurion and the soldiers interpret them: a God is angry at what has been done to his child.

But the centurion himself is a product of the Jesus-tradition of which Matthew is both a receiver and an author. Does he know that the sorts of events he can change on his page, were probably not visible to the ordinary observer? He may have had some hint of this in his head. But his magical realism provides a representation of something he knows is real but cannot otherwise express: in this case, the anger of God. The anger of the one whose ceaseless, persuasive creativity – in partnership with his human son Jesus- has been opposed by the deadening force of human religious and imperial power. The disturbances in the cosmos assure the reader that in, and in spite of, defeat, that creativity – still in partnership with his son Jesus – will find a way of winning.

The note about the women is important. Where are the men, the sex given power over women in the religious tradition, and will continue in spite of the bible to be given that power by ridiculous Christian sects, including the Roman Catholic Church? The women were not there to exercise authority, but to ‘look after Jesus.’ And they were still with him at Golgotha while the official pupils had executed an apostolic body swerve. It’s reasonable to note however, that just because of that difference in social status, women could be there without much danger to themselves whereas the men might well have been arrested.

The veil of the sanctuary separated the holy place from the holy of holies where once a year on the day of atonement the high priest went with animal blood to pray for and to receive God’s ample forgiveness for his people. The tearing apart of this veil suggests the openness of the holy of holies, which needs no priestly mediation, but is visible on the stake.

There are other interpretations of this symbolism, but this one has the backing of the whole argument of the book of Hebrews.