You May Remember (John 16:4)

 


Saturday, May 31, 2025



Psalm 59

Deuteronomy 1:22-45

John 15:26-16:11



Observance: The Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary to Elizabeth



You May Remember (John 16:4)



It is tough work being a teenager. Everything is new; there is very little life experience to draw on. Not only that, but the body is dumping a full course of growth hormones into you, and you often cannot understand why you feel the way you do. They say life is full of surprises; and nothing is more surprising than the moment-to-moment experience of teenage years.



Yet as we get older we think we have it all figured out. We plan a course for our lives; we rely on what we have learned through personal experience combined with the cultural wisdom of our peers. Then something unexpected happens, and one finds themselves sitting in a hospital room with a chaplain trying to understand why, in spite of their lifestyle, they are where they are.



Surprises are not always fun. Often they even hurt physically; that sharp sensation one gets when one experiences something both unexpected and unpleasant is painful. When it comes to matters of faith and spirituality, the pain can often be the worst.



Jesus gives us a framework for spiritual pain management. Sorrow is filling the disciples because he is telling them of his future plans. But he knows that if he tells them beforehand, then there won’t be any surprises, and so there won’t be that awful pain that a bad surprise brings. Not only does simply just knowing in advance help manage the pain, either. He tells them that while what he is saying may initially sound painful, just wait – something even better is coming. Jesus will ascend to heaven and be crowned as supreme emperor of heaven and earth, and God the Holy Spirit will come to be with them. Jesus makes sure that there are no nasty surprises by telling us in advance what will happen. And he also gives us courage to see it all through, because there is always something better on the other side.



When was the last time you had a rude shock, maybe in a reaction either from yourself or someone else? How did that feel? How do the promises contained in God’s Word prepare you for the future?



Lord of time and space, providential and sovereign God: teach us so to learn and trust the promises of scripture that we may willingly follow you everywhere you lead us.

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