Hey All,
This is my reflection on the Gospel of John, 16: 16-20.
It is of the priestly prayer of Jesus at the Last Supper.
I really love these passages of the Bible as they dialogue faith, hope, doubt and certainty.
Here is audio on my website: Daily Bible Verses Easter Season To Pentecost | Thursday Week 6 | The Fullness Of Joy | A Little While And You Shall See Me – Listen To the Bible! | King James Audio Bible | KJV | King James Version
The reflection goes like this - with the KJV text:
16 A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me, because I go to the Father.
17 Then said some of his disciples among themselves, What is this that he saith unto us, A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me: and, Because I go to the Father?
18 They said therefore, What is this that he saith, A little while? we cannot tell what he saith.
19 Now Jesus knew that they were desirous to ask him, and said unto them, Do ye inquire among yourselves of that I said, A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me?
20 Verily, verily, I say unto you, That ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice: and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy.
We are presented in these Bible verses with a peculiar sense of our understanding of time, our human time, in relation to God’s great plan for our salvation, and to the fact of God’s encompassing all time, from which perspective we are born and pass on within the blink of an eye.
‘A little while… and again, a little while…’ The Greek word, micron, is so translated. Really, it could mean ‘an instant’: less than a little; the tiniest amount. This conveys to us something of the immediacy and urgency of the plan of salvation in our lives. The overwhelming of sin and the acceptance of grace and life, the revolution we are called to embrace in our lives, can be the work of a moment and instantaneous; a lifetime, a life eternal, can hinge on what is happening right now in this moment.
In an instant, the Christ the disciples know will be taken away from them. In an instant, their knowledge of Christ will be restored and renewed. The repetition of the verb ‘to see’ is important. Through Christ’s death on the cross, one mode of seeing is come to an end. Through Christ’s glorious resurrection, a new mode of seeing, and so knowing, understanding, is come into fruition. This is now how we see and know Christ.
The disciples do not know what Jesus means. They talk among themselves, as if not daring to display their ignorance to Jesus. Jesus, though, knows what they are thinking. This too is a mark of Jesus’ divinity: where people may not really know of each other, no matter how close to each other we may be, the deepest, most secret thoughts that we carry inside ourselves, Christ as God knows everything about us, indeed more about us individually than we might know ourselves.
Jesus, then, takes care to encourage his disciples to speak their questions openly and to understand. He tells them that, though they will be sorrowful for a while, soon their sorrow will be turned to joy. They will both witness the risen Christ and, ultimately, come to the full knowledge of God when they have passed from this world to live forever.
‘16 A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me, because I go to the Father.
17 Then said some of his disciples among themselves, What is this that he saith unto us, A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me: and, Because I go to the Father?
18 They said therefore, What is this that he saith, A little while? we cannot tell what he saith.
19 Now Jesus knew that they were desirous to ask him, and said unto them, Do ye inquire among yourselves of that I said, A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me?
20 Verily, verily, I say unto you, That ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice: and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy.’ Hebrews 9: 23-28
Additionally, I put this reading of Psalm 78 up on YouTube today with a slide-show of images. It is rather a long psalm! All likes and shares welcome there. Here it is:
Thank you.
This is my reflection on the Gospel of John, 16: 16-20.
It is of the priestly prayer of Jesus at the Last Supper.
I really love these passages of the Bible as they dialogue faith, hope, doubt and certainty.
Here is audio on my website: Daily Bible Verses Easter Season To Pentecost | Thursday Week 6 | The Fullness Of Joy | A Little While And You Shall See Me – Listen To the Bible! | King James Audio Bible | KJV | King James Version
The reflection goes like this - with the KJV text:
16 A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me, because I go to the Father.
17 Then said some of his disciples among themselves, What is this that he saith unto us, A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me: and, Because I go to the Father?
18 They said therefore, What is this that he saith, A little while? we cannot tell what he saith.
19 Now Jesus knew that they were desirous to ask him, and said unto them, Do ye inquire among yourselves of that I said, A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me?
20 Verily, verily, I say unto you, That ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice: and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy.
We are presented in these Bible verses with a peculiar sense of our understanding of time, our human time, in relation to God’s great plan for our salvation, and to the fact of God’s encompassing all time, from which perspective we are born and pass on within the blink of an eye.
‘A little while… and again, a little while…’ The Greek word, micron, is so translated. Really, it could mean ‘an instant’: less than a little; the tiniest amount. This conveys to us something of the immediacy and urgency of the plan of salvation in our lives. The overwhelming of sin and the acceptance of grace and life, the revolution we are called to embrace in our lives, can be the work of a moment and instantaneous; a lifetime, a life eternal, can hinge on what is happening right now in this moment.
In an instant, the Christ the disciples know will be taken away from them. In an instant, their knowledge of Christ will be restored and renewed. The repetition of the verb ‘to see’ is important. Through Christ’s death on the cross, one mode of seeing is come to an end. Through Christ’s glorious resurrection, a new mode of seeing, and so knowing, understanding, is come into fruition. This is now how we see and know Christ.
The disciples do not know what Jesus means. They talk among themselves, as if not daring to display their ignorance to Jesus. Jesus, though, knows what they are thinking. This too is a mark of Jesus’ divinity: where people may not really know of each other, no matter how close to each other we may be, the deepest, most secret thoughts that we carry inside ourselves, Christ as God knows everything about us, indeed more about us individually than we might know ourselves.
Jesus, then, takes care to encourage his disciples to speak their questions openly and to understand. He tells them that, though they will be sorrowful for a while, soon their sorrow will be turned to joy. They will both witness the risen Christ and, ultimately, come to the full knowledge of God when they have passed from this world to live forever.
‘16 A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me, because I go to the Father.
17 Then said some of his disciples among themselves, What is this that he saith unto us, A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me: and, Because I go to the Father?
18 They said therefore, What is this that he saith, A little while? we cannot tell what he saith.
19 Now Jesus knew that they were desirous to ask him, and said unto them, Do ye inquire among yourselves of that I said, A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me?
20 Verily, verily, I say unto you, That ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice: and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy.’ Hebrews 9: 23-28
Additionally, I put this reading of Psalm 78 up on YouTube today with a slide-show of images. It is rather a long psalm! All likes and shares welcome there. Here it is:
Thank you.