In Luke 21, Jesus is speaking to His disciples regarding
what they are to expect after His departure from this earth. At first glance,
it may seem like a rather brusque and cold farewell speech. “Hey, after I’m
gone things are gonna be pretty rough. Because of following me, you’re going to
be betrayed , hated, seized, put into prison, and generally despised.” I can
just imagine the disciples’ thoughts in response to this…”Umm, seriously? We’ve
been here with You through thick and thin and this is what You’re going to
leave us with as a parting gift?” (At least that’s what would have been going
through my mind…)
However, with a more thorough reading of the passage, it
becomes clear that Jesus is in fact imparting a blessing (not a curse) upon His
followers. He’s letting them (and us) know that no matter how bad it gets, no
matter how much it hurts, He will always, always, always be there. He’ll be
there when those closest to us let us down, when the world turns its back on
us, even when our very life and existence are threatened. Throughout all of
this pain, all of these struggles, Jesus will be there with us, holding us close
and giving us the words of wisdom and the grace needed to turn each of these
moments of hurt into moments of beauty and testimony that reflect back on the
miraculous nature of His love.
Each one of us has experienced unspeakable moments’ of pain,
betrayal and sadness in this life.
Moments when it seemed that all was lost, that nothing can possibly hurt
more or be worse than what we are currently experiencing. All too often in my own life I forget what
should be at the forefront of my mind in times like these….that Jesus has
promised not to leave me, not to forget me, not to turn away from me. He hasn’t
left me out there to wade through the muck and mire of each painful moment by
myself. On the contrary, He’s made a promise to be there, a promise to provide
me with the wisdom to speak His words in every situation, and a promise that
“not a hair on [my] head will be destroyed”.
My prayer today is
that we can each turn to Jesus more instinctively, more completely and more
fully in times of pain and suffering. That our hearts and spirits will be
comforted by the assurance that He will always be there with us, that we are
never alone and that no matter what happens, in the end “all will work for good
to those that love God, that are called according to his purpose” (Romans
8:28). I pray that we may find peace today in knowing that we are never alone
and that our eternal lives are forever secured with Jesus.
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| Immaculate Heart of Mary Pray for us now and at the hour of our death |
Blessed Lord, help us to see the harm we bring upon
ourselves so that we will renew our connection with Your love and truth and so
live in peace, harmony and justice. Amen
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