Brothers and sisters in Christ, most of the preaching you hear in the world is a promise that if you become a Christian, you'll stop suffering. That preaching says that if you give your life to Jesus, He'll make sure your life is happy and prosperous. But that's not what Jesus Himself says! He tells His disciples—and He says it three times today—that in a little while they will not see Him and after a little while they will see Him. They will weep and mourn. The world will rejoice and then finally their sorrow will be turned into joy. Brothers and sisters in Christ, Jesus tells us that we will suffer tribulations which will cause us to sorrow. But He promises that there will come a time when this suffering will end. Think about the example our Lord gives: Moms can attest to this. When the time comes to give birth, it hurts! There is pain and agony and suffering but suddenly it's over. The baby is born and the mother holds in her arms that little bundle of joy. Where did the pain go? It is overcome and wiped out with joy and happiness. Another example: When my Dad came down to New Orleans to help me drive our loaded moving truck back and put our things in storage I commented on the work that would be needed to move some of our heavier items. He says, "Well, we'll get there and unload the truck and after it's done it will be like it never even happened." Isn't that the way of it? We have periods of labor and work and hardship and suddenly the job is done, the child is born, the work is past and now we have joy.

Our problem, though, is that when it comes to the serious sufferings in our lives, instead of awaiting the joy to come, we wallow around in the misery of our circumstances. Maybe it's that we never seem to have enough money to pay our bills. Maybe it's that we can't come to grips with the sorrow and sadness we have because of a loved one's death. Maybe its bitterness when our marriages and families seem ot unravel and come apart. Perhaps it's a chronic or even terminal illness that causes us to wake up every day ready only to complain and gripe and be miserable. And we weep and mourn. And the world laughs and rejoices! "Look at those stupid Christians! They think if they pray to their invisible God they'll stop hurting. Why don't they just give up on God and enjoy life!" And you know what? What the world says sounds pretty good! Who wouldn't want to be happy instead of miserable? Who wouldn't rather laugh than cry? Like the apostles we ask, "What in the world is Jesus talking about? All this about seeing Him and then not seeing Him? What's He getting at?" But such talk is selfish talk! It's "woe is me" talk! If the purpose of our having any religion is just to get rid of our own problems and suffering, then we aren't going to weep and mourn just in this life! Repent of trying to turn weeping into joy under your own steam and just for your own sake. Hear the promises of Jesus which rescue us from our misery and sorrow and turn our weeping into true joy.

"A little while and you will see me no more. Then a little while and you will see Me." Jesus says these words and they are repeated three times! Three times means "Listen up!" Pay attention to those words and learn what they mean. These words mean that because Jesus suffers in this world, His disciples will suffer also. These words teach us that there will be a time when it will seem as if Jesus is gone for good. That will be followed by a time when we see Jesus again and are comforted. These words are fulfilled three times. First of all, these words are true that very night that Jesus spoke them. It would not be long before Jesus would be taken from them and they would be scattered. During that time Jesus would suffer for the sins of the world and He would suffer alone. Forsaken by His followers, mocked and tortured by his accusers, and finally even forsaken by the Father as He hung on the cross, Jesus would suffer. He weeps and mourns as He carries the sins of the world to His death. But then victory! Easter! Christ is risen! The mourning and sadness of the disciples is turned into joy on the third day. See how the suffering that Jesus undergoes is painful for the disciples for a time, but that sorrow and suffering of Jesus is our salvation.

"A little while and you will see me no more. Then a little while and you will see Me." These words come true again. For again Jesus is not seen. He ascends to the Father and is hidden from the sight of our eyes. Yet the church sees Him again by faith in the divine and holy gifts. Surrounded by sorrow and weeping and mourning, we rejoice in the gifts Christ gives us and the joy they bring. We weep when we behold the world into which we bring children. But weeping is turned to joy at the font when water and the word make us and that child children of the Father. We weep over our sins and iniquities and the things we have done wrong to offend God. Yet weeping is turned to joy by the holy and certain words of absolution, declaring our sins forgiven. We weep that Jesus is not with us as He was with the disciples, visible to our eyes. Yet weeping is turned to joy as we behold our Lord upon His altar in His holy supper of forgiveness, life and salvation. Every day of our lives is an opportunity for sorrows and heartaches. Yet come here, dear Christian, to Christ's holy church, to receive the gifts in which by faith you see Jesus and receive Him. Receive these holy gifts and live in them that the sorrow that comes upon you daily in yoru life may be turned to joy by Jesus who is seen here in His church.


"A little while and you will see Me no more. Then a little while and you will see Me." There is yet one more time that Jesus words will come true. On the Last Day when He comes again, we, who have not seen Him with our eyes will see Him face to face. And then, all of our sorrows, griefs, sufferings, pain and sadness will be turned to joy and rejoicing and happiness and gladness. At that moment, the "like it never even happened" of childbirth will be ours. It will be as if these sorrows and suffering never took place and we shall forget them for the joy that a "man has come into the world," that is, that Jesus, born of Mary, has arrived once again. On that Day the sorrow of God's people will be turned to joy and the joy of the world will be turned to fear and terror. THIS is the Christian life, brothers and sisters, not to escape suffering in this life by the religion of this world which will only make you happy for THIS life. As Christians, we suffer because Christ suffers, knowing that the glory He has received we will share with Him one day when our sorrows are turned to joy.

So why then the suffering? For the sake of your neighbor! To teach you to turn from trusting in yourself. To turn your heart to the Lord and His promises and the service of your neighbor. No more wallowing in YOUR grief. Turn now to your neighbor's grief and sorrow and comfort them. Seeing how you have suffered, yet clinging to the promises of Christ, so turn now to your neighbor in their need. Having suffered yourself, having been smoothed down by the worries of this life, care for those around you with gentleness and softness. Teach your neighbor what you have learned: that Christ has sanctified your suffering and that weeping will be turned to joy one day in Christ. Encourage your neighbor in those true promises by pointing them to Holy Baptism, by offering them absolution in Christ and by directing them to the gifts of Christ's supper. It says elsewhere in the Scriptures, "Weeping remains for a night; but joy comes in the morning." So Christ our Savior has taught us with His words in today's Gospel. He who has undergone suffering for your salvation now promises to carry you through your suffering in this world so that you can carry your neighbor through theirs. And on the Last Day, rejoice! For that Day WILL come when Jesus returns and then the pain is just a memory and our weeping and mourning are turned into joy. For Jesus will SEE US. His eyes will behold you, His beloved Bride, and the celebration will begin! A little while and you won't see Jesus. Then a little while and you will see Him. And He will see you. Not for a little while but for all time. That's weeping turned into joy in Jesus. Amen.