Wednesday of Trinity I - Devotion in Exile

Lection for Wednesday after Trinity I 
Proverbs 17:1-28      John 16:17-33

Who do you know that keeps all their promises? Nobody! Whether intentionally or not, we have all broken promises, even mothers have broken promises. There is one who has never broken a promise – the man Jesus Christ, true God, begotten of the Father from eternity, also true man, born of the virgin Mary is the only one who has never broken a promise.

Jesus makes a promise in our text that I wish would not come true. He says, “In the world you will have tribulation.”

You are probably thinking, “Thanks a lot for pointing that one out. I already know that. I was looking for some promise from God which gives me evidence of God’s love.”

We don’t like to hear such things because what we want the most, is a quiet place to which we can retreat from the worries and troubles of life. We want a place where we can be refreshed and renewed, and when we come out, our troubled life will be smoothed over. 

Many well-intentioned, but false preachers tell you that if you only believe, everything will go smoothly. They like to tell the people that God wants them to have a successful and prosperous journey through life, that He give them the desires of their heart. Such words sound good and are oftentimes to the words that I quoted from Jesus in our text.

But that is not how life happens. Just when we get our life in order, and things seem to be sailing smoothly along, something intrudes and ruins the ride; illness, the death of a loved one, loss of a job, unexpected bills, or a relationship that has gone sour, strained to the breaking point. (It is amazing how even a simple misunderstanding can become something that ruins friendships.) And of course, there is always that unexpected crisis, whatever it may be. COVID-19 arises and throws life into a tailspin.

In all of life, Jesus’ promise looms large, “in the world you will have tribulation.” Tribulations always seem to be the one thing of which there is always an abundance. Life is sailing along smoothly and all of a sudden the boat is upended, almost drowning us in the tempestuous sea of life.

All by itself, that phrase, “In the world you will have tribulation,” sounds pretty forlorn and without hope. It is also an honest appraisal of life in this world. While everybody wants life to be peaceful and without troubles, that is not the way it is, Jesus promises that tribulations will come upon us in our life in this world.

There is also hope! Listen to Jesus’ words just before that promise of tribulation, Jesus says, “I have said these things to you, that in Me you may have peace.”

To us, this does not make much sense. “Jesus, are you telling us that we will have tribulations, so that we may have peace? How do you figure?”

Yes! This promise frees us from having to put on an act, that everything is just fine. We do not need to fake that life is smooth sailing, that our children never step out of line, our spouses are perfectly loving toward us, or that parents are always self-sacrificing and caring.

If we look at Jesus words, “In the world you will have tribulation,” He is not simply talking about the world around us. This is also a commentary concerning the world within us. This is calling the Old Adam, our sinful nature, what it is. It is what keeps us from perfectly loving our family members. It keeps children from always honoring their parents, and it sometime causes parents to resent children as a burden instead of a blessing. This sinful nature takes God’s blessings of beautiful day and turns it into a “honey do” list, and fills it with angry resentment. It keeps us from failing to love all our neighbors because they are somehow different that us

When we read those words, “In the world you will have tribulation,” these are the things we think of.  But they are also words that call us to repentance.

This word from Jesus confronts us in our sinfulness, grumbling against God, that life has too many tribulations. We are like the Israelites who grumbled against God after He brought them out of slavery in Egypt. They continually whined about how poorly they had it, although God was providing all their needs for this body and life.

In repentance we remember that the Scripture always needs to be read in context.  Jesus said, “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world."

“I have overcome the world,” He says, “I have conquered the sins of the whole world. I have overcome your sins. All the things which trouble you, I have overcome. I took on human flesh, I endured the tribulations of this world – even to the point of sweating blood in the Garden. I know heartache and disappointment. Some of those I loved, died! Close friends betrayed Me. Those who promised never to abandon Me, fled in My greatest hour of need. All those things that trouble you now, your health, your losses, your broken heart, your sinfulness – I took into Myself upon the cross of Calvary.”

In His suffering and death Christ endured the worst tribulations of this life, and He proclaimed that it was for “this hour” that He had come. He came as the “Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world,” to overcome the tribulations in this world.  He defeats death by swallowing it up in the victory of His own death, boldly proclaimed by His rising from the dead on the third day.

It is upon the cross that Jesus overcomes the world Christ crucified is the most vivid evidence of the Father’s love for you – for me – for all. He allowed His Son to endure suffering and death, to bring you through tribulations. Easter’s empty tomb screams the victory won on the cross, “See, it is true, I have overcome the world. Death has no claim on me, neither does it upon you. All that is mine, is yours. I have overcome the world.”

But Jesus’ cross is not some event left in the past. It is not simply something we remember fondly. God’s love, evidenced upon the cross, is delivered to you. Your grumbling against God is forgiven in the blood Jesus shed, applied to you in the Word of forgiveness declared to you – sin and death are gone – I have overcome the world.

Your hunger and thirst for more, is satisfied when the body of Christ is placed into your mouth and His blood is poured between your lips. This eternal food grants you forgiveness of sins and eternal life. In this meal you declare, “I have overcome the world.”

Jesus warns us of tribulation that we may have peace. He knows our sinfulness, that which brings sorrow and tribulations into our life and our little corner of the world.  Christ overcomes the devil, the world, and our sinful nature, and so, it is only in Christ that we have peace – a peace which surpasses all understanding. We are in a newly restored and right relationship with God through His love in Christ Jesus. We are restored in the relationships we have broken with others, by the love of God in Christ Jesus.

Yes, we may face of tribulations, but although we have tribulations in the world – Christ has overcome the world.

You are in Christ Jesus – baptized into Christ – into His death and resurrection. As Christ has overcome the world, all that is His is yours, Jesus has overcome the world for you and in you.

We wait however to see that day come when it will be finally realized. Your baptism is your daily strength which brings true peace when you face tribulations, for in your baptism, you have already been brought through them. As Christ has risen from the dead, you too will rise – and on that day you will enjoy an eternal dwelling place where there will be no more tribulations.

The will of the Father is simple, believe in the One He sent into the world to overcome the world for you. He invites you to call upon Him in your tribulations, knowing that He also has endured them. While you yet remain in this life, and flesh, and world, remember His words to you, “In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world."  He has done so – for you and in you.

Let us pray:    Merciful Father, extend Your compassionate and caring hand toward all who suffer tribulation in this sinful world. Spare us from this pestilence and its effects, and look with mercy especially upon the destitute, homeless and those impoverished in our inner cities. Motivate Your children to be doers of the Word, and not hearers only, that they would be Your instruments of love to help and assist those in need. Amen.