Hindsight
AM Psalm 20, 21:1-7(8-14) • PM Psalm 110:1-5(6-7), 116, 117
Exod. 17: 1-16 • 1 Pet. 4: 7-19 • John 16: 16-33
In today’s gospel, Jesus gave his final teaching to his disciples. After the final meal and foot washing and before he prayed so eloquently and passionately for his disciples, right before the betrayal. I’m trying to imagine what it was like for the disciples. After everything that happened that week, the disciples must have known something was up. Jesus had been talking about his death again, he had washed their feet, told them they were to do the same. They must have been tense, on edge, and then Jesus seemed to be speaking in riddles as he finished his teaching. “A little while, and you will no longer see me, and again a little while, and you will see me.” What? Huh? Then he tried to comfort them, The comforting words: “..the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God.” “I have said this to you, so that in me you may have peace. In the world you face persecution. But take courage; I have conquered the world.” (This thing about persecution, is that comforting?) According to John, the disciples were able to say that they believed: “we know that you know all things…we believe that you came from God…”
I wonder how comforted and believing they really were. I’ve had the experience of listening to spiritual teachers who knew things that I can hardly imagine. Followed by a confused split in my reaction - of course it’s true because the teacher says it’s true, and at the same time, no way!, This doesn’t make sense to me, and I can’t comprehend it at all.
Sometimes we take things on faith because we trust God, or the teacher, even if it doesn’t make sense at the time. We continue living until life shows us the truth of the teaching. Aha!! In hindsight we see the truth in what confused us so much at the time. And we see Jesus again, just as he promised.
Written by Cathy Campbell
Cathy is a parishioner who used to sing in the choir, who used to do Healing Touch, and who is waiting for Life to show her the truth about this present time.