A little while… (John 16) 060508
I attended a thanksgiving dinner last evening, spending meaningful time to bid farewell to our lecturers who had taught my classmates and I for the past three years. It was very memorable gathering. The students washed the feet of the lecturers and they served us the Lord ’s Supper in return. There are so many words in my heart that I want to say, but just could finish saying enough thanks to my teachers and friends. As my graduation day approaching, I know that I will not have a chance to express my gratitude to these men and women who have invested their lives in mine; I realize that I really owe them a lot. It is not only about their knowledge, but also about their love in Christ for us. I am sure in this parting moment; they will have many words for us as we venture into the reality of ministry world.
Jesus, at the last supper, also has many very important words for His disciples, recorded for us in this Farewell Discourse in John 14-17. There is one theme keep appearing again and again in this long discourse is about the promise of the Holy Spirit (Jn 14:12-17; 14:25-31; 15:26-16:4a; 16:4b-11; and 16:12-15). It appears five times! Then between these five promises of the Holy Spirit and Jesus’ High Priestly Prayer in John 17, He reveals to His disciples about ‘a little while’ (vv16-22).
In context, this ‘little while’ was referring to the time for Jesus to go to the Cross and die and the time for Him to be resurrected. I am not too sure how Apostle John feels when he penned these words ‘a little while’ down in this Gospel. Though Jesus says it will be ‘a little while’ for Jesus to die and then resurrected, in reality, this ‘a little while’ could has seemed to him and other disciples eternity of doubts, shame, confusion, fear, rejection, hopelessness and disillusion. I remember Esther saying that her comparatively short, two hours of labor, seemed to her eternity. She doubted if she could get out of the delivery room alive. I believe all mothers will say a big ‘AMEN’ here.
For guys who had gone through real national service in the Army, especially infantry men, when you were lead by your commanders to walk through some strange places the whole night long, you were tired, sweaty, dirty and probably hungry, wanting to know when will it end. Your commander will very diplomatically reply, ‘a little while more’. How long is this little while?
I believe that Jesus purpose for His disciples is not to focus on the time span, but rather on the surety of hope of His return (v22). I am not too sure what you are suffering now, but three years ago, I was told that theological education was tough and demanding, for that ‘little while’ I am graduating soon. Now I am a ‘broken’ person for ‘a little while’, this is so that I can rest and be healed and to serve the Lord’s people with complete of joy and health.
What is a little while to you? Doing your MasterLife homework? Just a little while more.
HHS…
Abel…
