John 16:16-25 Your Grief Will Be Turned Into Joy

A little while, and you will no longer see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me.”  Some of His disciples then said to one another, “What is this thing He is telling us, ‘A little while, and you will not see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me’; and, ‘because I go to the Father’?”  So they were saying, “What is this that He says, ‘A little while’? We do not know what He is talking about.”  Jesus knew that they wished to question Him, and He said to them, “Are you deliberating together about this, that I said, ‘A little while, and you will not see Me, and again a little while, and you will see Me’?  Truly, truly, I say to you, that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; you will grieve, but your grief will be turned into joy.  Whenever a woman is in labor she has pain, because her hour has come; but when she gives birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish because of the joy that a child has been born into the world.  Therefore you too have grief now; but I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you.In that day you will not question Me about anything. Truly, truly, I say to you, if you ask the Father for anything in My name, He will give it to you.  Until now you have asked for nothing in My name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be made full.These things I have spoken to you in figurative language; an hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figurative language, but will tell you plainly of the Father.

You have probably noticed in your life that there is a difference between happiness and joy, confusion and clarity, and fleshly and spiritual.  Jesus is telling us that soon He will be speaking clearly to those who are  His.  He explains the world is His enemy because of Satan is its prince.  Finally, His hour has come to make the Great Sacrifice so that no longer will they be sorrowful, but will have joy that cannot be taken away.  Happiness is a temporary condition which the world entices us with.  Joy is complete and it leads to confidence which leads to our trust in Jesus.  Not as the world gives to I give to you, Jesus declares.  But we are his and our joy complete.

Daily Prayer:  Lord Jesus, the gift of joy is what I and everyone else desires.  It takes away fear, anxiety, desperation, hunger - all things which the world possesses.  It replaces them with peace, well-being, confidence, and love - Your gift to those who are Your followers.  Amen and Amen.