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,’
and ‘Because I am going to the Father’?”
So they said, “What is this ‘little while’ of which he speaks?
We do not know what he means.”
Jesus would have known that his disciples couldn't take this teaching in right away. They wanted to know what he meant but seemed to be afraid to ask. So instead, they speculated amongst themselves. Rather than bring the difficult matter to Jesus for definitive judgment they preferred to remain in the realm of subjective opinion. It was true that even in that realm the saying they discussed still seemed quite dark and dire. But at least it wasn't pinned down to something specific.
The disciples modeled a response to difficult things that we seem wont to imitate. We are all too ready to speculate among ourselves about all manner of things, but are not always ready to bring them to God for his definitive judgment. For what if that judgment includes weeping, mourning, and grief? But by not bringing something to Jesus we allow it to have power over ours minds. By bringing it to him he can put it in its proper place and perspective. Yes, we may first weep and mourn. But in Jesus way may look forward in hope to our grief turning to joy.
Jesus knew that they wanted to ask him, so he said to them
Jesus desires to interrupt our closed and isolated conversations and break in with his good news that, whatever the cross might be, in him, it will always lead to the joy of the resurrection. He will wait patiently for an opportunity to do so, a moment when we let our guard down and stop speaking incessantly of our own opinions about things so that he might get a word in edgewise. Better still, though, if we remember to ask him what he thinks and then to listen for his answer. It may for a moment be chastening to hear of the sorrow that must yet come. But when we know the joy to which it can lead we grow strong and can endure, just as Jesus himself did.
looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God (see Hebrews 12:2).
Mourning and grief might be a part of the picture but Jesus taught that the one who mourned was blessed (see Matthew 5:4). This was not for the sake of the grief itself, but because it was a necessary waypoint on the path to joy. There is on the one hand a worldly grief that is not helpful and leads nowhere. But there is on the other hand a godly grief that leads ever nearer to salvation.
For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death (see Second Corinthians 7:10).
Why are we so eager to keep our worldly grief? What keeps us so attached to it and yet shuns withdraws from Godly sorrow? Do we do this because we feel somehow more in control? Do we do it out of fear of the unknown? Are we afraid of the metamorphosis Godly sorrow might require and catalyze in our souls? Let us learn to trade this worldly sorrow along with our control for something better. Even if we can't know exactly where it leads we can nevertheless trust in our leader to guide us safely. Even if we pass through the valley of the shadow of death we can have courage with him at our side.
Learning not to fear what the world fears and not to avoid what the world avoids were prerequisites to Paul's missionary success. He was not swayed by persecution from Roman authorities nor from lack of acceptance by his listeners. He knew that God could somehow turn even such apparent setbacks as this to joy. He learned through his own experience that, "for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose" (see Romans 8:28).
Crispus, the synagogue official, came to believe in the Lord
along with his entire household, and many of the Corinthians
who heard believed and were baptized.
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