[ Today's Readings ]
“Are you discussing with one another what I said,
‘A little while and you will not see me,
and again a little while and you will see me’?
LORD teach us to turn to you with our questions. Don't let us be so embarrassed by our lack of understanding that we are afraid to ask. Sometimes you tell us things that are difficult. What do you mean we won't see you? What do you mean that you're going to the Father? In the face of the cross human understanding fails. It leaves us feeling defeated and hopeless. But if we look to you rather than our own understanding you provide the context that allows us to endure.
Amen, amen, I say to you,
you will weep and mourn, while the world rejoices;
you will grieve, but your grief will become joy.
Sometimes the world is going to oppose and revile us. The more we become like Paul who "began to occupy himself totally with preaching the word and testifying to the Jews that the Christ was Jesus" the harder it is going to be to avoid this.
But if we have know you in the power of your resurrection, Jesus, this won't slow us down. Your resurrection power in our lives (see Romans 8:11) renews our minds (see Romans 12:2). It shows us that this brief momentarily affliction (see Second Corinthians 4:17) will become joy unending. It is because we know this that we are able to make such a clean break with arguments we did not win and all other discouragements.
When they opposed him and reviled him,
he shook out his garments and said to them,
“Your blood be on your heads!
I am clear of responsibility.
From now on I will go to the Gentiles.”
This is not defeat for us because heaven is our horizon. We are able, by your power, to forget what lies behind and strain toward the goal of our upward call in you (see Philippians 3:13).
We tend to dwell on the past our fixate on the hardships of the present. But if we can just learn to turn to you, Jesus, you teach us how to hope. And even when we don't think to ask or are afraid to do so you still come to us to teach us.
Jesus knew that they wanted to ask him, so he said to them,
“Are you discussing with one another what I said,
‘A little while and you will not see me,
and again a little while and you will see me’?
Your Holy Spirit is coming to remind us of all that you yourself first teach. Help us prepare! In the power of your Spirit we can begin to sing of your victory even now.
Sing to the LORD a new song,
for he has done wondrous deeds;
His right hand has won victory for him,
his holy arm.
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