5 "Now I am going to him who sent me, yet none of you asks me, 'Where are you going?' 6 Because I have said these things, you are filled with grief."
In our verses for today, our Lord’s disciples appear both absorbed and overwhelmed with sorrow over their Master’s announcement of His imminent departure. His mission on earth was fast approaching its end. Yet, in lieu of seizing the opportunity to learn more of His work and place in heaven in the time they had remaining with the Teacher; they chose to steadfastly focus on and be consumed with their own sadness. It is certainly not foreign to human nature to be self absorbed in our time of grief and loss – it is most difficult to fix our gaze further still. It would seem we need a constant reminder to make the most of every opportunity – even in the times we go forth weeping. Scripture tells us:
15 Be very careful, then, how you live--not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is. Eph 5:15-17 (NIV)
The disciple’s preoccupation with their own problems prevented their understanding of the crucial nature of the moment and the momentous significance of the upcoming events – our Lord’s death, burial, resurrection and ascension. Distracted by discouragement, disillusioned over plans differing from their own, the disciples wasted what little time and energy they had left, wallowing in wailing. They miss out on what would truly bring them comfort by indulging in their woes. They quite simply neglected their means of peace by continuing to look at that which was against them and overlook that which was for them. Isn’t that the common way of human nature? Paul tells us clearly in Romans where our source of abundant joy is found – in the constant love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord:
35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written: "For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered." 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:35-39 (NIV)
“The underlying foundation of the Christian faith is the undeserved, limitless miracle of the love of God that was exhibited on the Cross of Calvary; a love that is not earned and can never be. Paul said this is the reason that ‘in all these things we are more than conquerors.’ We are super-victors with a joy that comes from experiencing the very things which look as if they are going to overwhelm us.” Oswald Chambers
Interestingly, either Christ is a deceiver having even duped the apostle Paul or else something extraordinary as well as magnificently unearthly occurs when someone holds on tightly to the love of God when everything appears totally against him. Let’s consider for a moment Paul’s “easy” life. The following is his description of some of his circumstances:
What anyone else dares to boast about--I am speaking as a fool--I also dare to boast about. 22 Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they Abraham's descendants? So am I. 23 Are they servants of Christ? (I am out of my mind to talk like this.) I am more. I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. 24 Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, 26 I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false brothers. 27 I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. 28 Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches. 29 Who is weak, and I do not feel weak? Who is led into sin, and I do not inwardly burn? 2 Cor 11:21-29 (NIV)
Yet through all this Paul could say he was more than a conqueror. He could maintain the perspective of the following verses that he penned earlier in 2 Corinthians:
16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. 2 Cor 4:16-18 (NIV)
“Afflictions are but the shadow of God’s wings.” George MacDonald
“God loves you as though you are the only person in the world, and He loves everyone the way He loves you.” Augustine