Fourth Sunday of Easter (1885)John 16:16-23a

We would be far more patient and confident in all afflictions if we would always keep in mind 1 Peter 1:6: "though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved." But few at all always rightly believe and keep it in mind; thus so much impatience and grumbling. One complains partly about the nature of suffering, partly about the length of suffering. How quickly the time is too long for us when we should bear the cross a few steps farther than we had imagined.1 However, it remains true that our light affliction lasts but a short time. This is quite clearly evident from today's Gospel, among other things.

The short duration of all our suffering and tribulation on earth.

These are briefly:1. in comparison with our sins and guilt accumulated by it,2. in view of the many hours of divine assistance that do not fail to

appear, and finally3. in terms of the endless duration of the future eternity.

1. Let us remember our sins and what we have earned with it. We are born sinners, by nature enemies of God and have a very corrupt heart; from where misconceptions stirred among the disciples about the kingdom of Christ and their misunderstanding regarding His suffering.2 Though countless actual sins are added from inborn sin in thought, word, and deed that we have committed since infancy. One reflects on the terrible insult of the great God committed by it, Who showers us with grace and mercy, Who endures the unfruitful tree for so long; one considers how we loaded God's wrath upon us through ingratitude, obstinacy, disobedience; on the other hand, one considers the bitter suffering and death of Jesus Christ, His "going to the Father"3, and what kind of suffering and pain we have caused Him by our sins4, then should our suffering on earth seem too hard, too lengthy? What a slight affliction in comparison with our guilt!5;

2. and how many are the hours of divine help in our days of suffering! The Lord indeed has startled the disciples by saying that He indicated to them His departure to the Father and the imminent

1 Job 7:3.2 John 16:17-18.3 John 16:16.4 Isaiah 53:3-4; Hebrews 12:2-3.5 Ezekiel 21:10.

departure involved with it. But how quickly He comforts them with the prospect that they would see Him again in a little while! And it is still called "in a little while!" regarding Christian suffering. Nothing stops a disaster, an emergency to the extent that at times a standstill may not occur. The Lord knows our weaknesses and He is far too faithful and compassionate than that He should let us be tempted beyond our ability.6 God often completely diminishes our burden and turns our sorrow even here into joy, like a woman in labor, in recovery from a deadly illness, etc., where distress passes and is almost forgotten. If suffering further continues, then the faithful God still gives times of relief; the crushed heart is raised up; the spirit refreshed.7 Our sufferings are shortened by this change of good and bad days or hours, the bitter cup of suffering sweetened. Even in the highest degree the time of suffering here on earth appears as a short time;

3. when one compares endless eternity with temporal suffering. What is our life, even the longest life, compared to eternity? Like a little drop compared to the sea.8 So it goes even with our tribulation, it is "temporal" - even "light".9 It must certainly sometime come to an end.

And we think of the eternal punishment of hell of those who persistently reject Christ in unbelief, of the unceasing agony and torment of those condemned, of the never-extinguishing fire10 - oh, how all our temporal suffering then disappears! How happy we should bear it in the knowledge and in the cheerful confidence that we are redeemed from hell by Christ!

Likewise, finally, temporal affliction must appear as quite short and simple when we compare them to eternal glory. "Your joy no one shall take from you!" the Lord says.11 Not only therefore the anxious hours pass by, not only the sorrow should one day be turned into joy, as with the disciples, but this joy shall be an eternal joy. Eternal bliss for a short suffering in time! Oh, how we will one day agree with jubilation in the word of St. Paul: "This time of suffering is not worthy" etc.!12

Georg Stöckhardt

6 Psalm 103:14; 1 Corinthians 10:13; Isaiah 54:7-8.7 Psalm 30:6; Jeremiah 10:24.8 Psalm 90:10; 2 Peter 3:8.9 2 Corinthians 4:17-18.10 Isaiah 66:24; Mark 9:44; Revelation 14:11.11 John 16:22.12 Romans 8:18.