THE JOY IN SORROW

There’s never a right time to say goodbye. Because goodbyes are always difficult.

It’s extra difficult if you spent a lot of time together. That’s 3 years for Jesus & His apostles. They went to various towns preaching the Word. They walked around, went fishing, ate meals together & hung around.

But today it was time to say farewell, sayonara, adios, that’s all folks!

Jesus said goodbye in today’s Gospel when he said that in, “a little while & you will no longer see me” (John 16:16).

That must have been a sad moment for the apostles. Jesus also told them that "again a little while later & you will see me” (John 16:16). That meant He would be gone only temporarily.

But the apostles were still worried. Because “a little while” may be longer than shorter. Maybe the apostles knew that "with the Lord one day is like a thousand years” (2 Peter 3:8). They were deeply concern how long would Jesus be gone. They were fearful. They were perplexed. Their minds were filled with “WHYs" & "HOW LONG"

Di ba ganyan din tayo ngayon? (Aren’t we like that too?)

Bakit nangyari itong Covid? (Why did Covid happened?)

Matagal pa ba ito? (How long will this last?)

Jesus notices this so He tells them, "Amen, amen, I say to you, you will weep & mourn, while the world rejoices; you will grieve, but your grief will become joy” - John 16:20

Jesus does not reply to their "WHYs" & “HOW LONG”. Instead, Jesus tells them that there will really be times when we will weep. Sorrow is un-avoidable. Jesus says that His true disciples "must deny himself, take up his cross, & follow me” (Matthew 16:24). The good news is that Jesus says that "your grief will become joy” (John 16:20). The WHYs & HOW LONG isn’t important. The ending is what we should look forward to.

Because our SORROW will NOT BE REPLACED by JOY. GOD’S PROMISE is that our SORROWS WILL BE THE CAUSE OF OUR JOY.

Jesus even compares this to childbirth.

"When a woman is in labor, she is in anguish because her hour has arrived; but when she has given birth to a child, she no longer remembers the pain because of her joy that a child has been born into the world" - John 16:21

That’s what Christianity is all about! That every Good Friday ends with the JOYFUL Easter Sunday.

How about you? Do you also focus too much on HOW LONG the SORROW will last?

Focus on what Jesus said, "your grief will become joy” (John 16:20). Paste those words in every door of your house. Post it in your FB wall. Share that to all your friends.

Have a blessed Thursday! - alvinfabella@yahoo.com

#shareaboutJesus