Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.
You heard me tell you,
‘I am going away and I will come back to you.’
If you loved me,
you would rejoice that I am going to the Father;
for the Father is greater than I.
We live in that time between the Lord’s going away and his coming back. We have his reassuring word which comes in the form of a command, “Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.”
Although we understand that the future is not determined, that it is shaped by rushing, overpowering momentum of the past and by decisions made in the present, we are nonetheless free to trust in his word, “I will come back to you.”
Without his promise our future would be bleak indeed. And so we rejoice with the Lord that he is going to the Father.
Sometimes a friend or acquaintance tells me some really exciting and important news, and I haven’t the foggiest idea what they’re talking about. But it’s good news and I can be happy for them and with them. If my understanding is not quite satisfied, and my mind is just a bit confused by too little or too much information, I can nonetheless rejoice for my friend’s evident happiness. I don’t really need to have all the facts or comprehend its full significance even if it is very important. I am not in charge and whatever this great thing is, it’s good news and that’s wonderful!
So the Teacher and Lord Jesus sits at table with his disciples on the night before he died, and they wondered what he might be talking about. As events unfolded the next day, they were profoundly bewildered, and some must have remembered his evident joy. “This can’t be what he meant!” they said.
It is hard to comprehend how such horror can be blessed, but we follow the Lord and we cling to his word, “I will come back to you.”
How often in this world are we troubled by events around us and wonder, “What good can come of this?” Faith assures us, and we keep faith because the Lord is faithful. And we rejoice that he is going to the Father.
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I love to write. This blog helps me to meditate on the Word of God, and I hope to make some contribution to our contemplations of God's Mighty Works.
Ordinarily, I write these reflections two or three weeks in advance of their publication. I do not intend to comment on current events.
I understand many people prefer gender-neutral references to "God." I don't disagree with them but find that language impersonal, unappealing and tasteless. When I refer to "God" I think of the One whom Jesus called "Abba" and "Father", and I would not attempt to improve on Jesus' language.
You're welcome to add a thought or raise a question.