Jubilate 2025

Jubilate

St. John 16:16-22

May 11, 2025

Alleluia! Christ is risen!

Today’s Gospel says, “Now Jesus knew that they desired to ask Him.” The Lord knows our thoughts. We may hide them from others, but “all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account” [Heb 4.13].

The Lord knows our thoughts. This should cause us to tremble. For when “the Lord comes, [He] will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts” [1 Co 4.5].

What is the remedy? We take the hidden thoughts and hand them over. Whatever you struggle with, confess it to Jesus like this: “Lord Jesus! You know my anger and my melancholy, my lust and rage. Calm and quiet, absolve and heal these passions!”

In today’s Gospel, the disciples are distressed by Jesus telling them of His impending death. Their whole world is being turned upside down. These episodes come to all of us at some time: through death, a relationship crisis, a financial blow, or bodily affliction. The greatest crisis is spiritual despair, when hell itself looms.

In Eastertide, we hear repeated messages from what’s called the Upper Room Discourse, five chapters in John’s Gospel devoted to the final teachings of Jesus to His disciples. He is preparing them for how to deal with the trials ahead of them. They are recorded for our comfort too in times of affliction. In today’s section, one little word keeps repeating: mikron. It’s three words in English, “A little while,” but just one in Greek: mikron. It’s something micro, very small. We use a microscope to look at very tiny things. And that’s how our sufferings are described: very tiny, lasting only a short while, a micro-time.

The Gospel is describing Jesus being taken away, and if you think about it, that’s our own experience in suffering. We suffer because it seems Christ is not present, does not care, is not protecting us. When things appear to us this way, when Christ seems gone, and all seems lost, this one word mikron (“a little while”) comes to refresh and strengthen us.

The problem is really with us; we thought life would be easy and if we followed Jesus we would get earthly rewards. That’s what the false prophets promise, and it’s how the wicked live.

But we should not expect great success or worldly prosperity. Sorrow and crosses come to conform us to the image of Christ. When a sculpture is being fashioned, much stone is chiseled away. When the branch is pruned, the scissors bite. In suffering we experience the chiseling, the cutting.

Jesus said it would be like this: “If anyone wishes to follow Me, let him take up his cross and follow Me” [Mt 16.24]. And St. Paul says, “All who wish to live piously in Christ shall endure persecution” [2 Tim 3.12]. And he says that even in the visible church, the Antichrist will rule until the final judgment. And especially for today, Jesus teaches us not to be surprised when we now have sorrow while the world rejoices. That’s how it is in an upside down world.

But even in the midst of this, Jesus gives His disciples—and this, we pray, includes us—Jesus gives His disciples a joy the world cannot touch. This joy of the kingdom, “no one will take from you.” What is the source of joy? I think it’s harder to comprehend than ever. So much of our life is mediated. We don’t see things in person, we see them through screens. Live music is almost gone; even so-called concerts are often computers and lip-synching. The window shades used to stay up on airplanes. The view is amazing, and the natural light is great for reading books. But nobody brings books, everybody is staring at a screen, and the shades are down. Man chooses the darkness.

But what Jesus describes in today’s Gospel is called in theology the beatific vision: a direct, face-to-face experience of God’s glory and perfection. “A little while, and you will see Me…. You now have sorrow; but I will see you again and your heart will rejoice.” This pairs with the beatitude from the Sermon on the Mount, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” [Mt 5.8]. All other joys we search for are attempted substitutes for the one joy, the beatific vision: to behold and know the God who made us for Himself.

From the beautiful fabrics, weavings, and artistic work of the tabernacle, to the iconography, paintings, architecture and statuary of the eastern and western churches, Christians have sought to draw man’s heart to contemplate and desire the beatific vision, the joy of being in God’s presence. “Heaven” as commonly suggested is disembodied and frankly boring. It’s a deception; God’s Word describes the glory of God’s Kingdom as to be in the presence of the Creator in the new creation.

From brutalist federal buildings to horrific human mutilation, what we’ve made of the world is grotesque. And our experiences of sickness and betrayal, sin and meaninglessness, could cause us to despair and lose our hope of the vision. That’s why this one little word of Jesus is given us today: mikron - “a little while.” Don’t lose heart! It’s just a little while.

It’s setting us up for the hour of death, the moment of trial. Whatever we face, we cling with faith to that little word mikron - “a little while,” when the ugliness, brutality, and demonic are destroyed.

Knowing that, we can walk even the path of sorrow with joy. You see this at every step in the gospels. The angel said to the shepherds, “I bring you good tidings of great joy.” The Magi saw the star and rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. There is joy among the angels when a sinner repents. The women left the tomb with great joy. Jesus tells us to rejoice and be exceedingly glad when we are persecuted. Think of that! When the disciples are given power over the demons, Jesus tells them not to rejoice in that, but to rejoice that their names are written in heaven.

Jesus is the cause of all joy. And without Him, there is none, nothing real.

So when next you suffer some affliction; when next you struggle under the weight of sin; when the hour of death draws near, remember the joy that is coming. And remember your Lord’s little word to you, mikron - “a little while.”

And that “little while” should make us hurry to remedy what is wrong, eager to embrace what is holy. Behold, Christ stands now at the door of the church and knocks - He knocks on the door of your ear and heart with His Word. “Here am I in the midst of you! This is My body, take eat! This is My blood, take drink! These are My brothers and sisters, go forgive! This is My money, use it for holiness, and not foolishness.” You have just a little while here; don’t waste it. It is just a little while; don’t lose heart!

My friends, be of good cheer. Your sins are forgiven. Christ has conquered death. His gospel makes us rich beyond measure. +INJ+