Read John 16:16-22. Circle the words that stand out to you. What is the Lord saying to you?
16 Jesus went on to say, “In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me.”
17 At this, some of his disciples said to one another, “What does he mean by saying, ‘In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me,’ and ‘Because I am going to the Father’?” 18 They kept asking, “What does he mean by ‘a little while’? We don’t understand what he is saying.”
19 Jesus saw that they wanted to ask him about this, so he said to them, “Are you asking one another what I meant when I said, ‘In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me’? 20 Very truly I tell you, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy. 21 A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world. 22 So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.
Reflections on the Word.
“I didn’t get that! It’s over my head!” At times this is what we think when we read or study the Bible. Who hasn’t read the Book of Daniel, Revelation, or the Prophets and we find ourselves scratching our heads and saying to ourselves, “It’s all mumbo-jumbo to me!” The meaning of the words escapes us.
Is there a difference between The Bible and the Word of God? Does the Bible become the Word of God? How about the words of evangelism and evangelical? Are they interchangeable words? What is water baptism and baptism of the Holy Spirit? Some of these words, phrases, and concepts are difficult to understand.
Here, the disciples had a difficult time understanding the words of Jesus. They said, “What does he mean by ‘a little while’? We don’t understand what he is saying.” They heard the words, but they didn’t understand the meaning of it.
I wondered why the disciples didn’t come right out and ask Jesus to explain it further. Was it because they didn’t want to be considered ignorant or unspiritual? Was it because of their pride? Were they afraid that Jesus would rebuke them for asking a clarification question? They talked among themselves, and no one seemed to know what Jesus was talking about. Their questions remained unanswered.
When you and I are in a Bible study, how comfortable are you in asking questions? Do you have a problem forming the question or how to phrase the question? I know that by the time I form the question in my mind, the topic has moved on. I wonder, “Should I ask my question or just forget it?” Do you wish the facilitator would repeat it or say it in another way? How many of us wished that we had a follow-up question time after the study? More often than not, we just “drop” our questions and just move on.
If you have a question, don’t be afraid to ask it. It shows that you were truly listening and wanted to know more about the Word. Don’t walk away from your questions. If you do, you and I may be missing out on greater growth or worse we may become callous to the Word of God. If you don’t understand something that you are reading, read the Bible notes, look online or ask the pastor or teacher for clarification.
So, this coming week, what spiritual answers are you seeking to find? What questions do you have? Write them down. Search the internet, bring it up to your Bible study leader or pastor. It’s time to search for the answers that are truly troubling us so that we won’t be calloused in the Faith, but rather to continue to nurture and grow in it.
-Kingston