The disciples must have been a little confused. Jesus tells them that, in spite of His death and His leaving, they will have peace. Then, He appears to contradict Himself by saying that in this world, they would have trials. So, which is it? It's both. Okay, so now I'm confused.
The disciples initially must have felt rather insecure as Jesus spoke of leaving them. They didn't yet understand about the resurrection and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. They only knew that He had been with them and they felt safe, secure, full of hope. Now, their hope was about to vanish. I'm sure we know the feeling.
I refer to this passage quite frequently as I counsel with Christian friends and others who are going through difficult times. We really have no reason to believe that things will always go well for us or that we will somehow escape the difficulties that everyone else has to face. Yet, often when we experience trials, we are in disbelief that God would allow us, His precious possession to have to suffer in the same way that others do. Sometimes, we may feel the same way the disciples did, without hope.
I attended two funerals recently and most likely will experience a third in the very near future. The first was the funeral of a former elder of a church where I used to attend. He was a man of great conviction with a witness that had influenced several generations of family and others in the church. His wife, family, friends, and others would grieve, but we are told in the Scriptures, "It is appointed unto man once to die." He would be no exception. The second funeral was for the wife of a man who had worked with me in ministry over the last two years. His wife was only 48 and they had 6 children. It took me over an hour to reach him once I entered the church during the visitation, and still the crowds kept coming. She had meant so much to so many. It was going to be difficult for the husband, my friend, to raise 6 children on his own. Sadness would be a steady part of their diet for awhile. They had reason to question why God would allow them to suffer their loss.
The funeral I expect to experience soon is that of my mother. She is in her last days of battling cancer. She has beaten cancer three times already. The cancer has at times caused her significant levels of pain. Chemotherapy and other medical treatments have often been very uncomfortable. She will be spending her last days in a nursing home. She has suffered from numerous trials throughout her life. In fact, I was one of those trials. I caused her a great deal of grief when I left the church, abandoned my relationship with God, rebelled against everything that she had taught and modeled for me. I praise God she has witnessed the renewal of my faith and my involvement in ministry. Still, there were other trials. If there was ever a person who deserved to be spared suffering, it was her. But, that was not the case.
In this world, we will have trials. At the funerals I attended, I found individuals who were experiencing peace. In my mother's situation, I know she has peace. Most of her family and her friends have peace. We can have peace when we face trials of different kinds, because of a bold statement Jesus made to His disciples. He told them, "In this godless world you will continue to experience difficulties. But, take heart! I've conquered the world." Though we may face trials, difficulties, pain, suffering, we can have peace; because, we know that our Savior has been there, and He has fought that battle and He has been victorious. Nothing that we face in this world can defeat us. Victory is ours because of what He accomplished on the cross.
Paul wrote to the Christians in Rome who were enduring significant trials of their own, "Who shall seperate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?...No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us...Nothing can seperate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Rom. 8:35-39)." I encourage you to take heart. Peace is available because Jesus Christ has gone before us. He has promised us peace because He has overcome the world. We win!
Godspeed, Doulos
The disciples initially must have felt rather insecure as Jesus spoke of leaving them. They didn't yet understand about the resurrection and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. They only knew that He had been with them and they felt safe, secure, full of hope. Now, their hope was about to vanish. I'm sure we know the feeling.
I refer to this passage quite frequently as I counsel with Christian friends and others who are going through difficult times. We really have no reason to believe that things will always go well for us or that we will somehow escape the difficulties that everyone else has to face. Yet, often when we experience trials, we are in disbelief that God would allow us, His precious possession to have to suffer in the same way that others do. Sometimes, we may feel the same way the disciples did, without hope.
I attended two funerals recently and most likely will experience a third in the very near future. The first was the funeral of a former elder of a church where I used to attend. He was a man of great conviction with a witness that had influenced several generations of family and others in the church. His wife, family, friends, and others would grieve, but we are told in the Scriptures, "It is appointed unto man once to die." He would be no exception. The second funeral was for the wife of a man who had worked with me in ministry over the last two years. His wife was only 48 and they had 6 children. It took me over an hour to reach him once I entered the church during the visitation, and still the crowds kept coming. She had meant so much to so many. It was going to be difficult for the husband, my friend, to raise 6 children on his own. Sadness would be a steady part of their diet for awhile. They had reason to question why God would allow them to suffer their loss.
The funeral I expect to experience soon is that of my mother. She is in her last days of battling cancer. She has beaten cancer three times already. The cancer has at times caused her significant levels of pain. Chemotherapy and other medical treatments have often been very uncomfortable. She will be spending her last days in a nursing home. She has suffered from numerous trials throughout her life. In fact, I was one of those trials. I caused her a great deal of grief when I left the church, abandoned my relationship with God, rebelled against everything that she had taught and modeled for me. I praise God she has witnessed the renewal of my faith and my involvement in ministry. Still, there were other trials. If there was ever a person who deserved to be spared suffering, it was her. But, that was not the case.
In this world, we will have trials. At the funerals I attended, I found individuals who were experiencing peace. In my mother's situation, I know she has peace. Most of her family and her friends have peace. We can have peace when we face trials of different kinds, because of a bold statement Jesus made to His disciples. He told them, "In this godless world you will continue to experience difficulties. But, take heart! I've conquered the world." Though we may face trials, difficulties, pain, suffering, we can have peace; because, we know that our Savior has been there, and He has fought that battle and He has been victorious. Nothing that we face in this world can defeat us. Victory is ours because of what He accomplished on the cross.
Paul wrote to the Christians in Rome who were enduring significant trials of their own, "Who shall seperate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?...No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us...Nothing can seperate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Rom. 8:35-39)." I encourage you to take heart. Peace is available because Jesus Christ has gone before us. He has promised us peace because He has overcome the world. We win!
Godspeed, Doulos
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