He is still There

Scripture/Bible:  "A little while, and you will see me no more; again a little while, and you will see me." 17 Some of his disciples said to one another, "What is this that he says to us, 'A little while, and you will not see me, and again a little while, and you will see me'; and, 'because I go to the Father'?" 18 They said, "What does he mean by 'a little while'? We do not know what he means." 19 Jesus knew that they wanted to ask him; so he said to them, "Is this what you are asking yourselves, what I meant by saying, 'A little while, and you will not see me, and again a little while, and you will see me'? 20 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. John 16:16-20

Reflection:  A little while with a dying person is a precious moment; all the memory is vivid and keeps flashing before one’s eyes even when the person is gone from our midst.

The Gospel story is also a dying moment, when Jesus talks about the ‘Little While’, but a one sided knowledge, where only Jesus knows what he is communicating to his disciples.

From their attitude it seems that they never expected the death of Jesus or if expected then not immediately and in such a tragic way; After all, how can a man who healed the sick, handled all types of diseases and sicknesses and worked so mightily with signs and wonders can ever die? How can a man who gave his life to mortal bodies ever die and what is more, he was so popular that they may make him king and these disciples may have thought that they would not see death unless they see his glory.

Another truth that seems to come out strongly is that though Jesus knew about the persecutions his tormentors had set loose on him yet he may have never really shared the same with these Dedicated Disciples.  He had this quality in him not to burden the disciples with more than what they could take in.

How then can anyone say that God doesn’t care and he doesn’t understand our pain? If these disciples had to face a pain then it is the inevitable pain that would arise on account of that “little while’ when the wicked world will separate him from them.

Hence our pain and suffering should never be what people do to us by way of persecution but rather the outcome it brings about; the separation that it brings about on account of our shift of focus from Jesus, who is still with us.  For a Christian this pain even if it is there, it is short lived. It is momentary, it is there as long as our gaze is away from the one who is there with us and yet separated from us on account of our shifting gaze; "your sorrow will turn into joy." (vs. 20)

Prayer:  “My eyes are ever toward the Lord, for he will pluck my feet out of the net. Turn thou to me, and be gracious to me; for I am lonely and afflicted.”  Ps 25:15-16

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

Life: Sweet & Bitter

Scripture/Bible:   Click on “Passion reading/Palm Sunday” above

Reflection:  It’s a long reading and hence I have not included it here as it will cover up the whole of this page and will dwarf the reflections.  If one wants then one can read it by clicking on the page above.

We are into a celebration of Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem; a last piece of glory for him to enjoy from a crowd that receives him with joy.  The celebrations are wonderful as they shout before him welcoming the reign of David, in him.   

The more popular Jesus gets the more the jealousy, and the plan to have him killed gets intensified.

It is like enjoying the sweetness and soon follows the bitter moments of Jesus’ life.  

In fact at this moment we see the extreme in Jesus’ life; we see the ups and lows of life; the sweet and the bitter moments of life.  The sweetness we always like to enjoy but the bitter is what is difficult to swallow. 

When everything is good and we enjoy good relationship with others and receive our daily bread easily and the anxiety of another day is far removed from us then we are happy and want to remain in that state. 

But no one wants to have a friend, only to be betrayed by them or a boss or a parent who is partial or doesn’t seek to understand you and your particular problem or a spouse who cares less for your minimum and basic needs.  In the same way, the anxiety for the daily bread or the fear of losing someone, the guilt of the daily struggle over frail human weakness is too bitter to gulp down. These could be few of the many bitter moments the human being goes through in life.

The worst part is when we have to go through these ordeals all alone not knowing whom to trust in the midst of a series of betrayals.   

Jesus in the midst of us is telling us that if God who has subjected us to such an ordeal on account of our sins then he has also in his loving plan made a way through the passion and death of Jesus to reach out to us in order to console us. Because through his resurrection he lives on to be with us and we are never left alone.  

Prayer:  “Yea, thou dost light my lamp; the Lord my God lightens my darkness.”  Ps 18:28

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