I See You
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
On that day you will ask nothing of me.
Jesus says this to his students on their last night together. Everything they think they know about Jesus as the Messiah, as the Holy One from God, as their Teacher is about to be destroyed and changed and turned into something new. Or as Jesus puts it:
A little while, and you will no longer see me,
And again a little while, and you will see me…
I tell you, you will weep and mourn…
You will have pain…
Perhaps John’s account of the Last Supper can be a way for us to understand our own expectations and questions of God. Especially when it all falls apart. When change and loss and defeat take us down it’s like we can no longer see God. We weep and mourn and the pain is awful.
Jesus tells his disciples (and us):
But your pain will turn into joy…
You have pain now; but I will see you again,
Instead of repeating the phrase “you will see me again,” I am encouraged that Jesus tells them “I will see you again.” What is about to happen is not just painful for the disciples—it is painful for Jesus! He is in pain and he is going to rejoice when he gets to see them again. There is a meaningful relationship between these earnest, confused students and their Rabbi. There is love!
Sometimes we cannot see God and it feels like God cannot see us (cannot love us). That is painful but we’re told pain can turn into joy. The joy of being seen.
You have pain now; but I will see you again,
And your hearts will rejoice,
And no one will take your joy from you.
And that’s when Jesus says:
On that day you will ask nothing of me.
Try to imagine being so full of joy that you will ask nothing of God. You will expect nothing of God. You will no longer remember the anguish and pain because of the joy.
That day may not be today.
But that day may be closer than you think.
Written by Troy Schremmer
Troy works with preschool age children as an enrichment teacher in music and movement. He volunteers as a teacher-helper in Children’s Sunday School.