But because I told you this, grief has filled your hearts.
Jesus had explained to the disciples that he went to prepare a place for them, to himself be the way by which they would come to the Father. But he also warned them of tribulations that were to come, tribulations during which he would not be present with them in the same way as he was then.
and not one of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’
In their response to Jesus the disciples exhibited negativity bias. The truth that Jesus revealed the Father, that he went to prepare a place for them, that he himself was the way and the truth and the life, this was all abstract and easy to ignore. The hostility of the religious authorities was already a reality and the prediction of more challenging times to come easily dominated their attention.
But because I told you this, grief has filled your hearts.
The disciples had to struggle with what all generations ever since have in turn had to face. How could it be better for Jesus to go? In the face of a world with so much darkness, how could we be expected to face it without the physical presence of the light of the world? Many people still assume that if Jesus were real we would not have to contend with his absence in this way, especially in the face of all of the evil that is incontestably present in the world.
But I tell you the truth, it is better for you that I go.
Jesus explained why he would not always be present to the disciples as he was then, that it was a part of his perfect plan, that it was, in fact, somehow better than him simply remaining with them as he was.
For if I do not go, the Advocate will not come to you.
But if I go, I will send him to you.
Christianity only makes sense if we take seriously the promise of Pentecost. Jesus said that it was better that he go precisely so that we could receive the promise of the Holy Spirit. Jesus present to the disciples teaching and working miracles was doubtlessly a great blessing. But in that mode he was confined by the limits of space and time. He remained in some sense external to his followers.
The coming of the Holy Spirit allowed the power of Jesus to reach the whole world through his Body, the Church, of which the Holy Spirit is the animating principle, bestowing gifts hierarchical, sacramental, and charismatic. Each member of that body could now experience Jesus living within her. Jesus was no longer merely close at hand, but rather began to speak to and transform believers from the inside.
And when he comes he will convict the world
Because Jesus chose to fill us with his Spirit and to make his home in us in the way he did he empowered us to overcome the limits that normally apply to our ability to know the truth. In him we could come to understand that our inherent negativity bias is a lie, no matter how the circumstances appear, knowing that the ruler of this present darkness has been condemned.
in regard to sin and righteousness and condemnation
Within our hearts the Spirit wants to reveal Jesus as the righteous one, but in a way that is not merely abstract or intellectual. The conviction he accomplishes in us can be faith strong enough to change our lives.
Only the presence of the Spirit in the hearts of Paul and Silas could explain how they responded when they were imprisoned. Rather than letting grief fill their hearts they prayed and praised God in such a way that the very earth shook.
About midnight, while Paul and Silas were praying
and singing hymns to God as the prisoners listened,
there was suddenly such a severe earthquake
that the foundations of the jail shook;
It takes much less than imprisonment for most of us to fixate on the negative, to make our prayers desperate and doubtful, and to silence our praise. In the event that we do receive a miracle we often rush as far from the problematic circumstances as we can get. Even when we're free from the circumstances we aren't really victorious over them. Not so for Paul and Silas.
But Paul shouted out in a loud voice,
“Do no harm to yourself; we are all here.”
It is natural on a human level to fixate on darkness and the shadow of death. It is, after all, all around us. The only way to be free from this deception is to believe in the truth, for only the truth sets us free (see John 8:32).
“Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus
and you and your household will be saved.”
Believing in Jesus means, among other things, believing that he will give us his Spirit. His Spirit makes it possible for the truth to transform us from within. Let us believe him when he tells us how important the Spirit is meant to be in the lives of believers, that he will be the consolation that makes sense of everything else we must face.
I will give thanks to you, O LORD, with all my heart,
for you have heard the words of my mouth;
in the presence of the angels I will sing your praise;
I will worship at your holy temple,
and give thanks to your name.
If there is any way in which we are in prison today let us ask the Holy Spirit to help us make it a prayer meeting, full of his consolation and strength.
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