In that day you will ask
nothing of me. Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father
in my name, he will give it to you. 24 Until
now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will
receive, that your joy may be full.
25 “I have
said these things to you in figures of speech. The hour is coming when I
will no longer speak to you in figures of speech but will tell you plainly
about the Father. 26 In that day you will ask in my
name, and I do not say to you that I will ask the Father on your behalf; 27 for
the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have
believed that I came from God.[a] 28 I
came from the Father and have come into the world, and now I am leaving
the world and going to the Father.”
29 His
disciples said, “Ah, now you are speaking plainly and not using figurative
speech! 30 Now we know that you know all
things and do not need anyone to question you; this is why we believe that you
came from God.” 31 Jesus answered them, “Do
you now believe? 32 Behold, the hour is
coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own
home, and will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone, for the Father is
with me. 33 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.”
Christ is Risen,
He is Risen indeed! Alleluia. Amen.
Dear friends in Christ. In this
world you will have tribulation. Jesus
word’s are plain enough in our text today, and as pastor’s serving His church,
we know it well enough. Day in and day
out we see tribulation. We “wade through
it” if you will. You see firsthand the
terrible effects that sin has on this world.
You've been there
at the side of the woman whose husband was suddenly taken from her after 25
years of marriage by heart attack and stroke. You've been there when the words “Cancer, or Alzheimer’s or There’s nothing
left we can do,” were spoken. You've talked with the families who wouldn't talk to each other because of foolish
problems from years ago. You've seen the
alcoholics, the drug addicts, the adulterers and more. Jesus word’s ring true for you, because you
have seen directly the tribulation that sin, death and the devil has brought
into God’s people in the town that you serve.
And let’s be
honest here. The tribulation you've faced, isn't just something that the people of God around you have faced. It’s in you, it infects you, it is your
sinful nature that brings some of the tribulation in your life about.
We pastors are not
holier than any other. Our sin stinks
just as badly as anyone else’s. We
deserve the same condemnation as any one else.
We should suffer the same consequences.
We confess it every week. I a
poor miserable sinner. Justly deserving
your temporal and eternal punishment.
This sin has been by our fault, our own fault, our own most grievous fault.
We've failed our
people at times. When the phone has rang
at 3 in the morning, we've wanted to stay in bed. We’d have preferred to not have the awkward conversations about sin with our member, perhaps we've purposely avoided
it. We've been so irritated at a member
that we've written them off, rather than spend the time to get to the root
cause. We live in sin. We live in tribulation. We’re guilty as the next person. As Christ says, “In this world… in our world,
there will be tribulation.
But, Christ goes
on, dear brothers. Take heart. I have overcome the world. Take heart, your sin is gone. Take heart by Christ’s death and resurrection
you are not guilty, but righteous before God.
You no longer face punishment, your brother Christ paid for it. He knew your tribulation, so he went to the
cross to die. He knew your sorrow, so he
suffered for you. He called you by name
in the waters of Holy Baptism, yes even you sinful pastors. He washed you white as snow in his own
blood. He feeds you with His holy
Sacraments. He proclaims his victory to
you in the word preached and proclaimed as well.
And not only that
he promises to you the same eternal promise he promises to all people. An eternal home. Apart from weeping and tears. Apart from sorrow, pain and suffering. An eternal home where you will stand in peace
before Christ forever.
In this world,
you, dear pastors will face tribulation.
But take heart. Christ has
overcome the world, and you belong to him, even for all eternity. IN the name of Jesus. Amen.
