“A little while and you will no longer see me,
and again a little while later and you will see me.”
So some of his disciples said to one another,
“What does this mean that he is saying to us,
‘A little while and you will not see me,
and again a little while and you will see me,’
T he scriptures seem to delight in riddles; they're very useful for pointing to, and playing with, our foolishness. There is much we will never understand despite our baseless confidence in science, rationality, and experience. The creature should not expect to understand the Creator, anymore than the eye can expect to see itself. It may gaze at a likeness in a mirror but even that knowledge is clouded with uncertainty, for it sees only an appearance of something which resembles other eyes.
The riddle in today's gospel is found in the seven-fold repetition of little while. Jesus insists upon the phrase and the disciples don't know what to make of it. How soon will it begin; how long will it last; how certain is it; how necessary is it; where is he going; will he return? What on earth does it mean? Can we remain faithful without him even for a little while?
We understand that John's Gospel was the last of the canonical Gospels, written apparently in the early second century. So the little while had already lasted a long time, all of the eyewitnesses of the Lord's resurrection had passed, and the first generation of Christians were disappearing. There was already plenty of disagreement and strife within the Church, while Jewish and imperial authorities violently opposed it. How long must this little while last?
And yet, we're still here! We still believe in the Risen Lord with the same assured conviction of the earliest disciples. Our opponents have their way of shunning us in public, confiscating our property, imprisoning, and killing our martyrs; and yet more and more people are coming to believe as we believe. But how long will it last? And when Lord will you come?
"But of that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone." (Mt 24:36)
Our foolishness includes the ardent belief that we should know when this little while will end. We think we have a stake in it, and a right to know. And that presumption, like all of our sins, teaches us the majesty, mercy, and good humor of our eternally patient 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.