You are not alone… (John 16:32) 081008
Behold, an hour is coming, and has already come, for you to be scattered, each to his own home, and to leave Me alone; and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me. (John 16:32)
I am not too sure why I am feeling so sleepy when I am writing this. Maybe it is because I worked full day yesterday and had a long meeting after that and discussing some emotionally draining matters. Maybe it is because my coffee this morning is not powerful enough. Maybe it is because I am simply weak and tired and God just wants me to have more rest. Anyway, I am sleepy.
Sleepy brain does not produce alert mind, and without alert mind, I am not too sure what am I writing. I should know what I mean by now, do you?
Let me try to start all over again.
An hour is coming and has already come. What is this ‘hour’? Of course this is not referring to a specific time as in 4pm or 5am, but rather this hour is a time or season or moment whereby certain event is taking place. So what is this ‘hour’ Jesus is referring to? He is referring to His crucifixion on the Cross. He is referring to the moment whereby He demonstrates God’s perfect love by dying on the Cross for the forgiveness of our sins, the sins of ALL humanity. He will be there alone. He has to be there on the Cross alone.
Though there were two other criminals besides Him, He was there alone; alone on His own Cross. His disciples had scattered as He had predicted. His disciples had gone back to their own homes, doing their own things as He had foretold. Some went into hiding, some went fishing, and one went into the hand of Satan. Whatever and wherever His disciples were, they were not with Him on the Cross, even the Father seemed to have withdrawn His presence from Him. He was all alone on the Cross, but Jesus said that yet He was not alone, because the Father was with Him.
Jesus knows that His Father is always with Him, even when He was on the Cross. Though Jesus might have called out: ELOI, ELOI, LAMA SABACHTHANI? Which means: My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me? This does not imply God was not presence during the crucifixion. But God the Father had chosen to let Jesus to demonstrate to the world His love by such a painful manner, so that the world might know that Jesus is truly the Son of God when He resurrected from the dead three days later. As for that moment, as for that hour, Jesus was alone on the Cross, even in His fully human form, He sensed the forsakenness of God, but He was very sure that He was not alone on the Cross for the Father was there too.
This is a very difficult truth to grasp. Some anti-Christian theologian accused God for doing what he called: Cosmic Child Abuse. But the reality is that it was we human being, and the bondage of our sins nailed Jesus on the Cross. Jesus never went to Cross alone, God was with Him there.
Likewise, we can never go through moments of trials and pains and suffering without God noticing it. We can never escape the eyes of God even though He seems to us that His back is facing us or rather our back is facing Him. I have gone my moments of darkness in life, I have experienced the forsakenness of God in those moments; God was so aloof and He didn’t seem to be there where I was. But in reality, from the hind side, I know for sure, God has never left me, He was always there waiting for me.
I am not alone, because God is with me. You are not alone, because God is with you. You are not alone when you are going through O or A levels and you don’t seem to be able to finish all you need to study and you may even fail, God is with you at where you fail. You are not alone when you are facing the current financial crisis and your job may be at stake, God is with you even if you are to be axed. You are not alone when your relationship with your love ones turn sour and they seem to be scattering away from you and leaving you alone, God is with you as you reflect and examine your life and those relationship. You are not alone when you are so upset about what is happening in the world and around you for all the injustice and moral failures, God is with you and transformation is taking place starting from you, within you. You are not alone, you are never alone.
The hour has already come. For God, the Holy Spirit is always dwelling within you. Open up your heart, your soul, your mind and your strength to receive the awareness of Him in you. You can never be alone, for the Holy Spirit is in you. This is the hour: you are not alone.
HHS…
Abel…
