Thoughts for the Day

Jesus said, ‘A little while, and you will no longer see me, and again a little while, and you will see me.’ Then some of his disciples said to one another, ‘What does he mean by saying to us, “A little while, and you will no longer see me, and again a little while, and you will see me”; and “Because I am going to the Father”?’ They said, ‘What does he mean by this “a little while”? We do not know what he is talking about.’ Jesus knew that they wanted to ask him, so he said to them, ‘Are you discussing among yourselves what I meant when I said, “A little while, and you will no longer see me, and again a little while, and you will see me”? Very truly, I tell you, you will weep and mourn, but the world will rejoice; you will have pain, but your pain will turn into joy.... you have pain now; but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you.

(Church in Wales Lectionary, New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

On Sunday 31st August 1997 I was about to take my usual three morning services, starting with the 8 o'clock Communion Service. I always checked the tv for anything that would make me update my intercessions. This day I heard the shocking news that Princess Diana had died in a car crash. I did a quick rethink and started the service with the announcement of her death, a prayer for the Royal Family, and then we sang the National Anthem. At the end of the service half the congregation asked why we'd sung the National Anthem. They had simply not heard my announcement. The Princess' death had 'gone in one ear and out the other', probably because it was so shocking.

Jesus has been telling his disciples that he will shortly die and rise again on the third day (Mark 8.31), and in the previous chapter of John's Gospel he has also warned them that they would be persecuted (John 15.20). However in today's passage when Jesus says that shortly they will no longer see him, the disciples simply don't understand what he is saying. It is as though they have gone deaf!

Shocking, as well as good news, can do the same thing to us. How often have we heard that God loves us, and that He sent His Son, Jesus, to offer us forgiveness for our sin and to reconcile us to Himself. So how often do we list our sins and ask to be forgiven, and believe that God has forgiven us? Or do these words simply go over our head?

Lord Jesus Christ,
You came to call us back to God our Father,
who loves us and wants to be reconciled with us.
May we truly acknowledge our sin each day,
learn to accept His forgiveness,
and make positive steps to change our life.
Amen.