Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full

"A little while, and you will not see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me, because I go to the Father." Then some of His disciples said among themselves, "What is this that He says to 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'?" They said therefore, "What is this that He says, 'A little while'? We do not know what He is saying." Now Jesus knew that they desired to ask Him, and He said to them, "Are you inquiring among yourselves about what I said, 'A little while, and you will not see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me'? Most assuredly, I say to you that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; and you will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will be turned into joy. A woman, when she is in labor, has sorrow because her hour has come; but as soon as she has given birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world. Therefore you now have sorrow; but I will see you again and your heart will rejoice, and your joy no one will take from you. And in that day you will ask Me nothing. Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you. Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.

"These things I have spoken to you in figurative language; but the time is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figurative language, but I will tell you plainly about the Father. In that day you will ask in My name, and I do not say to you that I shall pray the Father for you; for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me, and have believed that I came forth from God. I came forth from the Father and have come into the world. Again, I leave the world and go to the Father."

His disciples said to Him, "See, now You are speaking plainly, and using no figure of speech! Now we are sure that You know all things, and have no need that anyone should question You. By this we believe that You came forth from God." Jesus answered them, "Do you now believe? Indeed the hour is coming, yes, has now come, that you will be scattered, each to his own, and will leave Me alone. And yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me. These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."

- John 16:16-33

As Jesus continues His Farewell Discourse to His Apostles, we read His departing words also for ourselves. In yesterday's reading, He reassured them about the Holy Spirit which He would send after He goes to the Father. They will undergo the difficulties and sorrows that they share with Him -- He warns them they will be put out of the synagogues and those who harm them will believe they are acting for God. They are filled with sorrow at His words because He is leaving, but nevertheless, He teaches, it is to their advantage that He go, because then the Comforter will come for them. He said, "When He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you all things to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you."

"A little while, and you will not see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me, because I go to the Father." My study bible points out that the first "little while" is the period of the arrest, death and burial of Jesus; and the second "little while" is the time that Jesus is in the tomb.

Then some of His disciples said among themselves, "What is this that He says to 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'?" They said therefore, "What is this that He says, 'A little while'? We do not know what He is saying." Now Jesus knew that they desired to ask Him, and He said to them, "Are you inquiring among yourselves about what I said, 'A little while, and you will not see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me'? Most assuredly, I say to you that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; and you will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will be turned into joy." The dialogue of this part reminds me of a play, a drama, in which the disciples act as our chorus. They ask the questions for us, they want to know. John's Gospel will always use the people in these scenes to get us to probe a little deeper, to understand there are mysteries involved in Jesus' life, death and Resurrection into which we are admitted -- at least to begin the journey -- in order to participate. And then Jesus begins to reveal a little more of what He is speaking about. He reveals that while He is away the "little while" they will weep and lament, even as the world rejoices, and that they will be sorrowful, "but your sorrow will be turned to joy." He tells them the truth, in all of its stunning paradox and reality.

"A woman, when she is in labor, has sorrow because her hour has come; but as soon as she has given birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world. Therefore you now have sorrow; but I will see you again and your heart will rejoice, and your joy no one will take from you. And in that day you will ask Me nothing." Jesus gives us (and them) the figure of a woman in labor: what is to come will come even through pain and difficulty -- but what will come will erase the anguish, for joy. And it is the joy that will remain with them, no one will take it away. My study bible has an important and poignant note here: "Joy will come with the revelation of Christ risen from the dead, after the sorrow of the Cross. Jesus does not promise sorrow will be removed. His promise is that no one can remove our joy. In Phil. 3:10 we see this same combination of sorrow and joy -- the sufferings of Christ combined with His Resurrection, giving us entrance into the Kingdom of God."

"Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you. Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full." My study bible says that "until now" they asked nothing in His name because Jesus was not yet glorified. But He goes to the Father, and this will change everything.

"These things I have spoken to you in figurative language; but the time is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figurative language, but I will tell you plainly about the Father. In that day you will ask in My name, and I do not say to you that I shall pray the Father for you; for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me, and have believed that I came forth from God. I came forth from the Father and have come into the world. Again, I leave the world and go to the Father." My study bible says, "We know that prayer may be made in the name of God the Father, for Jesus Himself prayed 'Our Father' and 'Father, the hour has come.' Through Christ, we have direct access to the Father. Here, however, our Lord teaches us we may also pray in the name of God the Son. After Pentecost, we learn 'the [Holy] Spirit Himself makes intercession for us' (Rom. 8:26) and we are instructed to be 'praying always . . . in the Spirit' (Eph. 6:18). Therefore . . . we pray continually and with confidence to all three Persons of the Trinity, 'in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.'" But what strikes me most significantly about this passage is that it is linked to the knowledge of God, the knowledge of spiritual truth. It is not a promise that we will receive a house, a car or other such things. The Apostles are asking for truth, to know, to understand God and the spiritual life, to find entrance and participation in mysteries. And it is this, repeatedly, into which Jesus invites us to "ask and we will receive," to seek and to know. It is for this purpose He has become incarnate in the world: to bring God to us, to bring us to relationship. And so it is, and so is this promise in all its plain speaking and its promise of revelation for us. This is the great gift and the message we take with us, and they, the disciples, take forward with them.

His disciples said to Him, "See, now You are speaking plainly, and using no figure of speech! Now we are sure that You know all things, and have no need that anyone should question You. By this we believe that You came forth from God." Jesus answered them, "Do you now believe? Indeed the hour is coming, yes, has now come, that you will be scattered, each to his own, and will leave Me alone. And yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me." And yes, indeed, they and He do truly speak plainly, and use no figure of speech. Here is the crux, the culmination of ministry and discipleship. Their faith is complete. But Jesus warns them again: the hour is coming when they will all be scattered and they will leave Him alone -- yet He is not alone because the Father is with Him.

"These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." Again, to know is to have peace. He shares everything with them; this is communion and relationship. But in the world they will have tribulation. And as the servant is not greater than the master, we will share all things, He assures them: "But be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." And that victory is for us, and with us, and it will always help us. My study bible notes, "Despite persecution and suffering, Christians can maintain the peace and joy of Jesus Christ who has overcome the world of darkness through His saving work."

To know God, then, is our greatest gift. That is, to be in communion with God, in relationship. Through Christ, we receive of the greatest gift of Father, Son and Spirit. He speaks plainly, He tells them all things. What we ask, we shall receive. And so, as this story goes, we are invited in -- to deeper relationship, to deeper knowing and to deeper trust: to plainer talk, to truth. What is this gift of grace for which we are to feel our joy and our trust, despite the tribulation in the world? This is what we must think about, and about how -- today -- it impacts us. How do you experience that, and what is the joy of the Apostles in this knowledge? Is that joy shared with you, despite tribulation? For what do you ask, that your joy may be complete? Jesus has overcome the darkness of the world to bring this light to us.