Read John 16:1-6. Circle the words that stand out to you. What is the Lord saying to you?
“All this I have told you so that you will not fall away. 2 They will put you out of the synagogue; in fact, the time is coming when anyone who kills you will think they are offering a service to God. 3 They will do such things because they have not known the Father or me. 4 I have told you this, so that when their time comes you will remember that I warned you about them. I did not tell you this from the beginning because I was with you, 5 but now I am going to him who sent me. None of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ 6 Rather, you are filled with grief because I have said these things.
Reflections on the Word.
When you and I hear the words, “Please listen…” or “I’m telling you…”, it’s a warning about what potentially might happen. Despite the warning, we usually plunge ahead, thinking we know better or that we can control the events.
I recently booked a last-minute Caribbean cruise for me and my wife. My daughter said, “Dad, did you select your cabin and dining time?” I said, “No, I didn’t select the location of the cabin and I selected, “My Time Dining.” I thought to myself, “The ship is not going to be crowded. There should be plenty of rooms and available seating for dinner.” She strongly encouraged me to call the cruise line to make the reservations.
Reluctantly, I took my daughter’s advice and called the cruise line. I found out that there were only two cabins available, and they were in the back of the ship and on the lower decks. Fortunately, the cruise line representative was able to find us another room on Deck 10 in the middle of the ship and change the dining time to a set time. I was glad that I heeded my daughter’s advice or my wife and would have been stuck in the bowels of the ship.
Jesus states three times in the various verbal form, “I have told you this…” of what was going to happen. The disciples were “deaf” in that they didn’t understand the words of Jesus. This was not the first time Jesus was revealing the future to them. He has repeated it again and again. But they had difficulty comprehending and believing it.
We read the words of Jesus that in this world His followers will have difficulties and tribulations. But in the United States it’s hard to believe that because often we face more physical or spiritual challenges to our faith. Additionally, as Americans, we expect life to get better and better. That we should and will have an easy life of comfort and bliss. That our life’s problems will instantaneously, magically be resolved especially because we are following Jesus. I wished that was true, but Jesus didn’t make that promise to us. In fact, He promises trials, tribulations and even persecution. It’s difficult to accept some of the words of Jesus.
So, let’s ask ourselves, “What are some of the “I have told you…” statements of Jesus that you and I have difficulty believing: Trials, Tribulations, Persecution… When his words come to pass in our lives, will we be prepared because we took Jesus’ words to heart. Or will we slip and fall because we ignored His warning. Let’s stop and reflect on , “What is Jesus warning or revealing to you this day?”
-Kingston