Reflection on Today’s Readings, first Friday after Ascension, May 27th, 2022
Texts: Acts 18:9-18; Psalm 47:2-7; John 16:20-23a
The words of Jesus Christ in today’s gospel reading are very difficult to take. He puts it thus: “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; you will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy.” Why should sorrow, lamentations and weeping be the lot of the children of God and joy for the world? What could Jesus Christ have meant by these His words? I do not want sorrow, lamentations and weeping and I believe you do not too. The words are somehow discouraging. These words of His actually express the true state of our existence as the children of God. This is clearer in the words of Paul: “We know that the whole creation has been groaning together as it suffers together the pains of labour, and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies” (Rom. 8:22-23). Our sorrow is the fallout of our dissatisfaction with the world, its decay, crimes, sins, wickedness and evil; we mourn for the world and long for its salvation, its freedom from decay.
Sorrow is also a condition of a life growing towards maturity. Growth comes with crisis and the need to leave our comfort zone. This does not come easy; it comes with sorrow. Sorrow, here then, is a condition of our growth towards maturity in Christ. It is also a condition of being in a foreign land. Being in a foreign land we experience longing for home; as we long for home we experience sorrow. The sorrow we experience is actually the condition of our longing for a homeland. Hence, Jesus says, “So you have sorrow now, but I will see you again and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you. In that day you will ask nothing of me.” We live our lives daily, doing all that is possible to reach the homeland, where we find joy and peace. As we search for our homeland here and now we experience sorrow.
The account of Paul’s missionary endeavour in today’s first reading expresses the fact of sorrow of the children of God and the fact that God does not abandon us to sorrow, lamentations and weeping. God often tells us, as He did to Paul in today’s first reading, thus: “Do not be afraid, but speak and do not be silent; for I am with you, and no man shall attack you to harm you; for I have many people in this city.” Our sorrow should not daunt our spirit and faith. God often ensures that the sorrow we experience is not beyond our strength. God came to the aid of Paul and turned the sorrow against his enemies.
Joy, on the other hand, is the condition of being satisfied. Those people who are of this world are satisfied with it, love its deeds, sins, crimes, wickedness and evil. Their joy lies in being satisfied with the things of this world. The world loves decay and degeneration. The world always rejoices since there is decay and degeneration everywhere. As we are not happy about the insecurity, terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, bribery and corruption, bad governance, to mention but a few, the people of this world are happy and they are making fortune from it. What do you want to say about those who are making their logistics possible?
The world does not grow but decay and degenerate. Paul says, “For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God, for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its enslavement to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God” (Rom. 8:19-21). Those who see this world as a home rejoice. Home is a place of rejoicing and peace. Joy is a condition of reaching one’s home.
O God, who restore us to eternal life in the Resurrection of Christ, raise us up, we pray, to the author of our salvation, who is seated at your right hand, so that when our Saviour comes again in majesty, those you have given new birth in Baptism may be clothed with blessed immortality. Amen (Collect)
Fr. Andrew Olowomuke
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