Reason for Joy

Scripture/Bible: Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; you will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy. 21 When a woman is in travail she has sorrow, because her hour has come; but when she is delivered of the child, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a child is born into the world. 22 So you have sorrow now, but I will see you again and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you. 23 In that day you will ask nothing of me. Truly, truly, I say to you, if you ask anything of the Father, he will give it to you in my name. John 16:20-23

Reflection:  How often can anyone say for sure that our sorrow will turn to joy? Look at the innumerable deaths whether in war or famine, which of them has turned into joy for the victims of such scourges. 

How often can I guarantee someone and say; ‘hey look, your sorrow will definitely turn to joy, your mourning will turn into a consolation, your trauma and pain into peace, your sickness into health, your poverty will turn to into wealth and your impoverishment into sustenance."  

But there is someone here, Jesus Christ, who can for sure do it and that is what he is telling his dedicated disciples; “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; you will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy. (vs. 20)

Humanly speaking he has proved it first in himself and then he has accomplished what he has assured and  the history of those who have put their trust in the Lord has proved it too.

No wonder the Psalmist confidently asserts:  “Look to him, and be radiant; so your faces shall never be ashamed. This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.” Ps 34:5-6

No human being can help another unless the other trusts that that human being can help him or the things that that human being gives can be of help to him. 

Similarly and all the more with God who respects our freewill can only offer his solution, with the death of Jesus on the Cross as a seal and proof of his giving, and if we reject it, to remain in our dungeon of hell, then he is not to be blamed.

Prayer: “Though the fig tree do not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation. God, the Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet like hinds' feet, he makes me tread upon my high places. Hab 3:17-19

DD = Dedicated Discipleship:  Come grow in the Lord with us