Sunday, April 17, 2016

Third Sunday after Easter. Jubilate, 2016.
John 16:16-23


Jubilate, The Third Sunday of Easter, 2016


Pastor Gregory L. Jackson



Note - the hymn lyrics are linked on the hymn number, the tune on the hymn's name. 

The Hymn #  536                            Awake My Soul 
The Confession of Sins
The Absolution
The Introit p. 16
The Gloria Patri
The Kyrie p. 17
The Gloria in Excelsis
The Salutation and Collect p. 19
The Epistle and Gradual       
The Gospel              
Glory be to Thee, O Lord!
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Nicene Creed p. 22
The Sermon Hymn # 
518    If Thou But Suffer God To Guide Thee

A Little While - Jesus' Sermon of Comfort


The Preface p. 24
The Sanctus p. 26
The Lord's Prayer p. 27
The Words of Institution
The Agnus Dei p. 28
The Nunc Dimittis p. 29
The Benediction p. 31
The Hymn #231                               We Now Implore                     


THIRD SUNDAY OF EASTER

Lord God, heavenly Father, who of Thy fatherly goodness dost suffer Thy children to come under Thy chastening rod here on earth, that we may be like unto Thine only-begotten Son in suffering and hereafter in glory: We beseech Thee, comfort us in temptations and afflictions by Thy Holy Spirit, that we may not fall into despair, but that we may continually trust in Thy Son's promise, that our trials will endure but a little while, and will then be followed by eternal joy; that we thus, in patient hope, may overcome all evil, and at last obtain eternal salvation, through the same, Thy Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one true God, world without end. Amen.

KJV 1 Peter 2:11 Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul; 12 Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation. 13 Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme; 14 Or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well. 15 For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men: 16 As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God. 17 Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king. 18 Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward. 19 For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully. 20 For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God.

KJV John 16:16 A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me, because I go to the Father. 17 Then said some of his disciples among themselves, What is this that he saith unto us, A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me: and, Because I go to the Father? 18 They said therefore, What is this that he saith, A little while? we cannot tell what he saith. 19 Now Jesus knew that they were desirous to ask him, and said unto them, Do ye enquire among yourselves of that I said, A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me? 20 Verily, verily, I say unto you, That ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice: and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy. 21 A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world. 22 And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you. 23 And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you.




Jesus Sermon of Comfort

KJV John 16:16 A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me, because I go to the Father. 

I was going to use the epistle lesson instead the Gospel lesson, but then I heard of a young family with three auto accidents in a row, each time where they were innocent victims and suffered.

This text is strange in the constant repetition of the same phrase, a little while, for a total of seven times. Luther even commented on it seeming to be excessive. But we see that John's reporting gives us a glimpse at Jesus' method of teaching, using repetition to get the lesson across, so we connect suffering to this little phrase all it means in the entire Gospel itself.

Here Jesus deals with His disciples and their upcoming sorrow. Luther correctly states that we tend to forget the anguish experienced by the disciples and if we lose sight of that we can also lose the Gospel.

That is so easy to see in modern churches when they portray in publicity that theirs is a fun place for the whole family on Easter Sunday. They will have games, bouncy houses, prizes, and live bunnies. And those are the "conservative" Lutherans, the Wisconsin Synod, too pure for anyone else - as they pretend.

This fun and games approach to Easter is the losing of the Gospel itself. When people go to church on Sunday, it is for healing about grief, not for games and pets. And this is so true of Easter in the mainline churches that it gets worse. At my Disciples of Christ church in Moline, the minister had the people reading this litany that he made up - a selection.

People: Are we having a sermon today?
Minister: No.
People: Good.
Minister: You are sermon enough for Easter Sunday.

Perhaps he was trying to locate enough bunnies for that holiest of days to write a sermon or copy one from a book.

A Little While
Jesus prepared His disciples for His crucifixion, but no preparation was enough. Not that anything He said was insufficient, but they had to experience the loss to realize what he was saying. When we go through times of shock and sorrow, it is hard to comprehend what is being said and done. If the warnings are given in time, even then we say, "What are we going to do."

17 Then said some of his disciples among themselves, What is this that he saith unto us, A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me: and, Because I go to the Father?

Eventually we see that the point of this sermon and parable, and this lesson, is to teach "a little while" so clearly that our memories call up everything Biblical centered in this phrase.

Jesus foretold His suffering and resurrection at least three times, as recorded in the Gospels. And yet the disciples scattered (except for John) when it happened.
The disciples even had trouble grasping the meaning of the resurrection and were fearful afterwards and wrestled with doubt about it. Luke - they disbelieved for joy. As we say, too good to be true.

If we say, how could they not know, being with Jesus for three years, the Apostles could easily say back to us, "How could you turn Easter into a petting zoo, when you have had Jesus in the Scriptures taught to you for 20, 40, 80 years - for 2000 years - and yet you make a mockery of it and tolerate the clowns who lead the circus!"

18 They said therefore, What is this that he saith, A little while? we cannot tell what he saith. 19 Now Jesus knew that they were desirous to ask him, and said unto them, Do ye enquire among yourselves of that I said, A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me?

This is setting up the disciples for the meaning of "a little while." I have found that a memorable graphic (even if I have done a bad job on the graphic) is ideal for making a concrete point. The abstract is easily recalled when connected with something we can see in our minds (the cross), or taste (Holy Communion), or smell (the Old Testament sacrifices and incense), or hear (hymns and chanting).

I have a lot of trouble teaching this to graduate students, who want every assignment to be an essay, black and white, no color, no graphics, not even an anecdote. One student asked me, "Why do we have so many graphics assignments?" I said, "We don't have enough. Some are still giving me black and white text instead of graphics."

The next stage in this lesson is connecting "a little while" to death and resurrection and childbirth, associating the known with the unknown.

 21 A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world. 

This one verse parable is based upon universal experience, especially then, but still valid today. One young mother said, "I would not trust myself to a home birth, because I want all the hospital services available in case something develops."

And we all know and have experienced those difficulties. God gives laboring women special strength and endurance, but it such challenge that the woman can feel on the precipice for what seems forever.

Men know that bouncing down a hospital corridor on a bed is enough to make anyone feel helpless and weak - and that is before anything happens.

But with a child being born, the fears are transformed into joy and even the challenges are told with some relish rather than fear.

As Luther stated in his sermons on this text, there are many kinds of sorrows, such as loss of property, loss of dear friends and family, loss of reputation. The worst is the thought of no longer having God's love and favor. 

Luther often talked about this silence of God, and Gerhardt wrote his hymns of comfort about the same thing. A layman can easily think, "Can't anyone stand up for a traditional Christian church today?" A pastor can wonder the same thing about congregations, who seem to covet the latest fad the way Israel coveting having a king "because everyone has a king. Why can't we have a king?"

No matter what the trouble, it seems endless at the time. For some, with a disability or accident or chronic illness, it is permanent. For others, a syndrome is so bad that it is always getting worse and not even treatable. We knew an engineer whose bones were so brittle he could not walk without crutches. That meant he could not walk down the hall with his crutches and a cup of coffee. Try that some time. The hands have this stabilizing system that works unless engaged in using crutches. Then it is splash time. 

That little item is not bad in itself but it stands for all the other problems associated with that degenerative disease.

When a crisis comes, we feel like that mother to be in labor, wondering if it will ever end and how badly it will turn out. Satan loves to attack us through our emotions where we are weakest.

But when we see the results of our sorrow, our crisis, our troubles, the joy of realization wipes out the memories of the difficulties - at least the pain embedded in those experiences.

22 And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you. 23 And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you.

Sorrow is a given in life, because we must lose our dearest friends and family members. We must suffer reverses and difficulties. Health problems can plague us or let us alone until we are older and get our fair share. And most of all, anyone faithful to the Word will experience the cross - shunning, revenge, etc.

Whatever difficulty it might be, it is for a little while. Believers see Christ bearing their sins and rising to His Father to work on our behalf in Heaven. After teaching us the necessity of sorrow, He also promises to give whateve we ask in His Name.





Luther's Third Sermon for Jubilate Sunday




Luther's Sermon for the THIRD SUNDAY AFTER EASTER.
   
THIRD SERMON.

JOHN 16:16-23.

This sermon appears in place of the two preceding in edition c. It was preached in 1542 and published in the same year in two pamphlet editions, under the title: “A sermon for Jubilate Sunday, preached before the Elector of Saxony and the Landgrave of Hesse, By Dr. Martin Luther, Wittenberg, 1542.” At the close are the words “Printed at Wittenberg by Nicholas Schirlenz, 1542.”

German text: Erlangen Edition 12:82; Walch Edition 2:1150; St. Louis Walch, 11:853.

CONTENTS:

CHRIST’S SUFFERINGS AND RESURRECTION; THE COMFORT CHRIST MINISTERS TO HIS DISCIPLES WHILE IN SORROW, AND THE JOY OF THE WORLD.
I. CHRIST’ S SUFFERINGS AND RESURRECTION.

1. How and why it is right to speak often of Christ’s sufferings and resurrection 1.

2. How and why Christ revealed his sufferings and resurrection in dark and veiled words 2-3.

* The Holy Scriptures are very different from the utterances and writings of man 4-5.

3. The angels look into Christ’s sufferings in the right way, but man in this life can never fully understand them 5-6.

II. THE COMFORT CHRIST MINISTERS TO HIS DISCIPLES IN THEIR SORROW AMID THE JOY OF THE WORLD.

A. The Sorrow of the Disciples and the Joy of the World.

I. The Sorrow of the Disciples.

1. The nature of this sorrow 7-8f.

2. Who must experience this sorrow in a special way 9-10.

3. The cause of this sorrow 10-12.

4. The greatness of this sorrow 13.

II. The Joy of the World.

1. The nature of this Joy 14-16.

2. That this Joy is found among the papists 17-18.

3. That this joy is the fruit of the spirits of hell 18.

B. The Comfort Christ Gives. (A) This Comfort in Detail.

1. The first part of this comfort. a. The nature of this part 19-21. b. Its use and application 22.

2. The second part of this comfort. a. The nature of this part 23-24f. b. Its use and application 25-30. (B) This Comfort in General.

1. Row and why it is difficult to believe this comfort

2. How this faith must sustain believers

3. Admonition faithfully to grasp this comfort and in temptation firmly to hold to it 32-33.

* Summary of contents of this Gospel, and the conclusion of its explanation 33-34.

I. CHRIST’S PASSION AND RESURRECTION.

1. This Gospel contains, and likewise pictures before us, the high and excellent work God accomplished when Christ, his only Son, died and rose again from the dead for us. Much has been said on this theme and there is much more to say. As for myself, I find that the more I study it, the less I master it. But since it is God’s will that we think of him, praise his work and grace, and thank him for the same, it is proper that we speak and hear all we can about them.

2. The Lord addresses his disciples here in dark and veiled words, which they do not understand; chiefly, no doubt, because he wishes thus to admonish them and thoroughly impress these words, so seldom heard, upon them, that they may not forget. A deeper impression is made upon one by words that are seldom used than by the forms of speech in general use.

3. The result was that the disciples even repeated the words twice and asked one another what they must mean. Christ likewise repeated them, and no less than four times. Still they remained dark and unintelligible words to them until later he revealed their meaning, when he rose from the dead and bestowed upon the disciples the Holy Spirit. Then they clearly understood his words. So we now understand them, to the extent that we hear and read them; but that they should be understood to their depth, that will not be in this life. But as I said, the longer and the more one learns from them, the less one can, and the more one must, learn.

4. For the Word of God is d different government, and the Holy Scriptures a different book, from the discourses and writings of man. St. Gregory spoke truly when he uttered the fine proverb: The Scriptures are a river in which a large elephant must swim and across which a little lamb can wade on foot. For the Scriptures speak clearly and plainly enough to the common people, but to the wise and very learned they are unattainable. As St. Paul confesses concerning himself in Philippians 3:15.

5. And St. Peter says in 1 Peter 1:12 that such things were announced and written in the Scriptures that even tile angels have their satisfaction and enough to occupy them, in the great work that Christ, God’s Son, became man, suffered death on the cross, but rose again and sits now at the right hand of the Father, Lord over all, even according to his human nature, and governs and preserves his church against Satan’s wrath and all the power of the world. We have, it is true, the words treating of this, but the angels see and understand it and therein have their eternal joy. And as they in eternity cannot behold it enough, much less can we understand it, for it is a work that is eternal, inexpressible, unmeasurable and inexhaustible.

6. This is said de cognitione objectiva; that is, as one sees it at a glance, as the angels view it, and as we will see it in the life beyond. But in this life we must have a different understanding of it, a practical knowledge (cognitio practica), that we may learn to confess what the power of this work is and what it can do. This is done by faith, which must cease in the next life, where we also shall know it by a full vision of it.

II. THE COMFORT CHRIST MINISTERS TO HIS DISCIPLES IN THEIR SORROW, AND THE JOY OF THE WORLD.

A. THE SORROW OF THE DISCIPLES AND THE JOY OF THE WORLD.

7. We must learn here now what it is that the Lord says: “A little while, and ye behold me not; and again a little while and ye shall see me,” etc.

This passage is fraught with as much meaning as that other: “Ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice,” etc. “But your sorrow shall be turned into joy.” A rare saying: A little while not see and be sorrowful, and yet a little while again see and be joyful.

8. According to the letter and history, it is indeed easy to understand what these words mean, especially in our day. In the confession of our faith even the children say: “I believe in Jesus Christ,” etc; “was crucified, dead and buried; the third (lay he rose again from the dead.” These are the two “little whiles,” of which Christ here speaks. But since there is deception where we also seek, and taste it, and we should try to bring it into life or experience, the words have a wonderful depth of meaning — that we should lose Christ, whom we believe to be God’s Son, who died and rose for us, etc; that he should die in us, as the apostles experienced until the third day. A terrible crucifixion and death begin when Christ dies in us and we also in him. As he here says: Ye shall not see me, for I am to depart from you. That is, I die, hence ye also will die, in that ye will not see me; and thus I will be dead to you and you will be dead to me. This is a special, deep and severe sorrow.

9. As there are many kinds of joy, so there are many kinds of sorrow. As, for example, when one is robbed of his money and property, or is reviled and disgraced when innocent, or loses father and mother, child and dear friends, etc; likewise, when Satan afflicts and martyrs one’s soul with sad thoughts, as Satan so easily can, though one knows not why or whence.

But the really great sorrow above all sorrow is for the heart to lose Christ, so that he is no longer in view and there is no hope of further comfort from him. There are few who are so sorely tried. Surely not all even of his disciples experienced this. Perhaps not St. Thomas, St. Andrew, St.

Bartholomew, and others, who were such good, common and plain people.

But the other tender hearts, St. Peter, St. John, St. Philip and others, to whom these words applied, as they all had heard that they would lose Christ and never see him again.

10. Christ here also addresses, more than others, persons who truly believe and experience that Christ died and afterwards rose again; and it is to them a little while, in a common, small and childish sense, and only a bodily sorrow. But the disciples had to keenly feel and experience what it is to lose Christ out of view, not only to have him taken away bodily, but also spiritually, leaving them in a twofold misery and sorrow. For they had had not only the joy of his bodily presence, in that he was so long with them, cared for them, ate and drank with them, and passed through loving, sweet customs and fellowship, but he had associated so affectionately with them and had borne their weaknesses, yea, companioned with them more intimately and lovingly than a father does with his children. He often gave them remarkable liberties and even animated them by innocent trivialities.

Therefore, they were pained to lose such a companionable Lord,11. But the chief cause of their sorrow lay in the fact that they had set their hearts on his becoming a mighty lord and king and founding a government by which he would make them, along with himself, lords. They thought he would never suffer them to die. Such was hitherto their hearts’ joy and confidence in this Savior.

12. Now, however, they lose both utterly and at one time, not only the friendly companionship of the Lord, but also this beautiful, glorious confidence, and they suddenly fall into the abyss of hell and eternal sorrow, Their Lord is most shamefully put to death, and they must now expect every moment, because of him, to be seized in like manner. They must now sing this song of mourning: Alas, how our confidence is now totally lost!

We hoped to become great lords through this man and possess every joy we desired. Now he lies in the grave and we are fallen into the hands of Caiaphas and Judas, and there are no more miserable and unhappy people on the earth than we.

13. Notice, this is the true sorrow and heart agony, of which Christ here is really speaking, into which God does not lead everyone, nor anyone so readily; for here he offers comfort against it, as he shows in this Gospel.

Other bodily suffering and need may be considered sorrow, as, when one suffers persecution, imprisonment and misery for Christ’s sake, and loses his property, honor and even his life. But the greatest of all sorrows is to lose Christ. Then all comfort is gone and all joy is at an end and neither heaven nor sun and moon, neither angel nor any other creature, can help you; nay not even God himself. For besides this Savior, Christ, there is none in heaven nor on earth. Now, when he has departed, all salvation and comfort are gone, and Satan has gained an opportunity to plague and terrify the troubled soul. This he desires to do in the name and person of God, as he can then play the part of a lord.

14. On the other hand, the highest of all joy is that which the heart has in Christ, our Savior. That is, indeed, also called joy, when one rejoices over the possession of great fortune, money and property, power, honor, etc.; but all this is but the joy of a child or of a maniac. There is also the infamous joy of Satan which even rejoices over the injury and misfortune of others, of which Christ here also says: The world will rejoice, and laugh in its sleeve over your crying and weeping when they put me to death and cause you every misfortune. There are also many like these in worldly affairs, who can never be happy unless they have brought misfortune to their neighbor or have seen him meet it. They are like the poisonous reptile, the Salamander, which (as the fable runs) is so cold that it can live in fire or can exist out of fire. So these people live and grow fat on the misfortunes of other people. The nice, envious person who is sad when another prospers, and would gladly have one eye less if thereby his neighbor had none, is the product of Satan.

15. But all this is still nothing compared with the joy the world, ruled by Satan, has in opposing Christ and his followers. It rejoices the most over the great misfortune of his followers in that Christ is crucified, all the apostles are banished, the church is completely destroyed, God’s Word is silenced and his name totally blotted out. This is spiritual joy just as truly as the severe sorrow is spiritual. However, it is not from the Holy Spirit, but from those who belong, body and soul, to Satan, and still are called the wisest, the most learned and the holiest persons upon the earth. They are like the high priests, Pharisees and scribes, who have no peace and know no joy so long as they hear the name of Christ mentioned and know that his Word is preached, or see one of his disciples still alive. As they say, in the Wisdom of Solomon 2:15: “He is grievous unto us even to hear or to behold,” and while Christ hangs on the cross, they blaspheme and revile in great joy thus: “If thou art the Son of God, and the King of Israel, come down from the cross; he trusteth on God, let him deliver him now,” etc. Matthew 27:40-43. See how their hearts leap with joy, what a paradise and kingdom of heaven they have in seeing the dear Lord reviled on the cross and put to death; and that they themselves did it, is to them nothing but sugar and sweet grapes.

16. Observe, Christ here gives such joy to the world, and on the other hand severe sorrow to his disciples in that they must see, hear and suffer this. It must penetrate through their hearts, through their bodies and lives. And he truly pictures the world here to be as terrible and horrible as a child of Satan that has no greater joy than to see Christ defeated and his followers shamefully condemned and lost.

17. We see almost this condition now in 6ur clever noblemen, the pope, the bishops and their rabble; how they maliciously rejoice and shout when they discover it goes a little ill with us, and how anxious they are that it under no circumstances remains concealed. It must be trumpeted forth until it reaches the abyss of hell. Dear God, what have we done to them? They still have their property and money, power and luxury, while we have hardly our daily bread. It is not enough that they are superior to us in everything they crave, while we are in other ways harassed and afflicted but they must besides be such bitter enemies to us that they do not wish us God’s grace but would have us burned in the lowest fires of perdition!

18. It is always a horrible sight, and the true fruit of the infernal spirit, that people cannot rejoice so highly over the good nor over worldly or human joy. Yea, no gold nor silver they love so intensely, no stringed instrument sounds so sweet to them, no drink tastes so good as to yield them the joy they feel when they see the fall and grief of pious Christians. They are so inflamed by hatred and a desire of revenge that they enjoy no really happy moment until they are able to sing: Praise be to God, the villains are at last out of the way! We have now rooted the Gospel out of the country. They have no rest and taste no joy before they have brought this about.

Heretofore they have sought and partly accomplished this by many prompt intrigues, tricks and ill offices, and God allowed some to have for a short time a little joy, which individuals [contrived and arranged. But they by no means cooled their anger in this way, as they had desired to do.

B. THE COMFORT CHRIST MINISTERS TO HIS DISCIPLES.

19. Hence, Christ wishes to say here: You have now heard both what kind of joy the world will have, and what kind of sorrow will be yours.

Therefore, learn it and cleave to it when you meet and experience it, so that you may have patience and lay hold of true comfort in the midst of such suffering. I must try you thus and let you taste what it means to lose me and for me to die in your hearts, in order that you may learn to understand this mystery and secret; for you will otherwise not study me. It will be too great for you to serve your time of apprenticeship in this exalted work, that God’s Son returns to the Father, that is, that he dies and rises again for you, to bring you to heaven. And if I do not allow you to be tried for a time, you will remain too imprudent and finally be incapable of doing right.

20. Therefore, he says, you must adapt and resign yourself to this, so as to experience what this “little while” means, and yet not despair and be wrecked therein. And therefore I tell you before, that it must be so. You have to pass through such sorrow inwardly and outwardly, that is, both in body and soul; but when it takes place and the hour comes that you have nothing to comfort you, and you have lost both me and God, then hold fast still to my Word that I now speak to you. It is only a matter of a little while. Now, if you can learn this saying, and retain these small words, “a little while,” and “again a little while,” there will be no trouble.

21. True, the first “little while” that you now see me and still have me with you, until I depart from you — that you can suffer and pass through. But the other “little while,” until you shall see me again — that will be an especially long and hard time for you. For it is the hour of true sorrow, when I will be to you dead, with all the joy, comfort and assurance you had from me, and you yourselves will be totally lost. However, my dear little children, only think of these words and forget not entirely what I now say to you. It shall not be so forever. A little while I shall be lost and not be seen. This you must now learn by experience. But only retain this much, that I called it “a little while,” and in my eyes it is only a little, short hour, although in your hearts and feelings it is not a little but a long while; yea, an eternally long while and a long eternal while. According to your feelings you will not be able to think differently, for when I am taken from you, you have lost all, since I am the eternal good and the eternal consolation. When that is gone, there is no longer a little while, nothing but the eternal; namely, eternal sorrow and death.

22. Notice, Christ preaches here for the comfort of his disciples and of all Christians when tempted thus by God, whether it takes place inwardly or outwardly, bodily or spiritually, especially in the highest form, which is called losing Christ out of the heart; that they may learn this passage, and retain this drop of the lavender water, by which to refresh and strengthen their hearts. Christ, my Lord, has surely said it shall be only a little while.

Although I now lose him and know of no joy whatever, but lie prostrate and languish in pure sorrow, yet I will use that drop and cling to the cordial that he shall not continue to be lost to me. He says that it shall be only a little, short season, although it appears to me indeed to be great, long, and eternal. He will come again, as he here and in John 14:18 says: “I will not leave you orphans: I come unto you,” etc. And thus we shall possess in him eternal comfort and joy instead of this little season of sorrow.

23. On the other hand, Christ says further that you must endure it that the world rejoices over your suffering and sorrow, for which it has no reason except that of pure satanic jealousy, by which it is so completely blinded, embittered and exasperated that no joy relieves it until its jealousy sees you stumble and become ruined. This is its heart’s delight and pleasure and it esteems it a heavenly, eternal joy. Then it says: Let us now see whether God will save him; is he the Son of God, then let him come down from the cross, etc. Mark 15:31-32. As if they should say: He is now out of the way, and we are done with him forever.

24. But notice what further follows. Just as you, he says, shall not be robbed of a view of me forever, nor remain in your sorrow, so they shall not rejoice over your misfortune forever; but it shall be for them also only a short season, and be, as they say, a dance at high mass. For I will soon come to you again and make it worse and more bitter for them than it has ever been before. This was fulfilled in them after Christ’s resurrection, so that the Jews have no severer suffering than that they must hear and see Christ, our Lord. Although it pleases them a little that they slander Christ and his mother Mary and us Christians in the most ignominious manner, yet true joy they can never possess as they desire. And they continually hope that their Messiah will come and uproot all Christians.

25. Thus, also, our Caiaphas and Judas, the pope, with all his factions, who continually console themselves with the hope that we shall yet be uprooted cannot be happy while we live and the Gospel spreads. Nothing that causes man to rejoice has any effect upon them. Some are so angry that they cannot cease their raging and roaring until we all are dead. When that takes place they will be once happy, but the joy for which they long shall never be theirs. For, although we are dead, the Gospel will still remain and others will take our places, and that will be to them a new heart agony.

26. The Turk likewise imagines he will exterminate Christ and enthrone his Mohammed in all the world, and he rejoices whenever there is any hope of doing so; but this joy he craves he shall never experience. Our Lord, whom the Turk himself highly exalts and must esteem as a great prophet, shall restrain him; yea, finally season his joy and make it bitter enough through the exalted work of his death and resurrection, by which he tramples under foot sin, death and Satan. The victory which God accomplished through Christ was long before announced in the Scriptures, whereupon the beloved prophets and fathers died in this joy, as Christ says of Abraham in John 8:56.

27. Since Abraham received such joy before it had yet transpired, but was only in word and promise, how much more can and will he receive it in the future after it has transpired and is proclaimed in the earth and even in heaven by the angels! Neither pope nor Turk can smother and extinguish it.

They may indeed try to smother it, and fancy they have a bite of sugar when they do Christendom a little harm; but they shall never obtain the joy they hope for and for which they thirst.

28. They may rejoice for a season, Christ says, but not longer than while you are in sorrow. That joy is particularly short, as your sorrow is short and lasts only a little while, and shall soon be turned into joy that no one will take from you. Without doubt that joy will, on the other hand, be also turned into sorrow that will never end.

29. Here upon the earth, however, you will not be able to have enough joy, nor will it be of the true, perfect quality that will quench your thirst. Only a foretaste, an appetizing morsel or a refreshing sip. It is too great ever to be exhausted as also the work that develops this joy is far too great to be fathomed by our learning. God mingles and tempers things thus upon the earth so that those who should by right rejoice must experience great suffering and sorrow; and, on the other hand, those who should be sorrowful here are happy and have a good time, but still in a way that this outward joy works their ruin. For they cannot acquire the true inner joy they long for, therefore their outer joy will also be their destruction. Their wealth, power, honor, pleasure and high living by no means make them happy, and they cannot lay their heads down to rest until they see that Christ is dead and his disciples are banished from the earth. These are always poor, miserable people whom one may truly pity. They fare the worst in that they cannot have their temporal joy pure, as they desire, because of their jealousy and hatred; and we even are altogether too ready to take vengeance by doing them harm. What more misfortune can they have and what greater injury can they do themselves than that they themselves should spoil and annihilate their own joy?

30. We also have true sorrow, both outwardly and inwardly, when Christ conceals himself from us; not like them, moved by jealousy and hatred, but because we do not possess Christ, the chief good. For this, however, there is already mingled with the sorrow the sugar that Christ speaks. Beloved, only persevere a little. It shall not be eternal, but short-lived sorrow, and soon it will be better. It is only a matter of a little while.

31. These words I hear, but when sorrow comes, it is stamped so deeply in the heart that I do not feel this comfort, and I fancy that it is impossible for the sorrow to have an end. However, this comfort keeps me, so that I do not fall from Christ to the other party. Though I experience grief and need, still they keep me, so that the sorrow must not be thoroughly bitter. As in the case of the others, their joy is sweetened and sugared through and through, yet it is always spoiled by wormwood and gall, so in our case sorrow has within itself its sugar and honey.

32. Therefore, let us continue to hear Christ and learn to understand his language, that we judge not according to our feelings, as if comfort were lost forever and sorrow had no end. That you feel and think thus, he says, I know very well; but still listen to what I say to you and learn only this word modicum, a little while. Sorrow must also be felt, but it shall not harm you, besides it shall not last long. Even by this the sorrow is already sugar-coated and tempered. Later, when the “little while” has passed and triumphed, then one feels what Christ says: “Your sorrow shall be turned into joy.” Then the true joy of the heart commences and the soul sings an eternal Hallelujah, and Christ is Risen — a joy which will in the life beyond be perfect, without a defect and without an end.

33. Notice that the articles of our faith, both on the death and the resurrection of Christ, are thus set before us in this Gospel, and how the same must be put to practice by us. learned, and exercised in our deeds and our experiences, and not only heard with the ears and spoken with the mouth. Also, that we thus feel it, and such power works in us that both body and soul thereby become changed; that is, Christ dies in us and we also die in him. That is a great change, from life to death. However, then I must cleave firmly by faith to the words Christ says, “A little while,” and not only hear, but also take to heart the truth that trial will not last forever, but there will be a change from death to life when Christ again rises and lives in me and I become alive in him. Then the words shall come true, “I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no one taketh away from you,” etc. For this meeting every Christian should be prepared whenever he is called for it; for he must experience something of it either in life or at the hour of death; so that he will then be reminded of this saying of Christ and let nothing tear this comfort out of his heart. Amen.

34. Whatever is to be said further on this Gospel in a textual exposition of it you can read in the explanation of the three chapters of John, the discourses Christ spoke at the Last Supper to his disciples, where this and the Gospel for the following Sunday are treated at length.

Roses - From Last Year - Are Budding at the Jackson Rose Farm

Hybrid tea roses are budding at the Jackson Rose Farm

Hybrid tea roses from last year are budding already. Last year our helper was shocked at how fast the newly planted roses were blooming. They do not take long from newly planted, ugly, thorny canes and drooping roots to productive bushes.

The KnockOut roses, owned by everyone now, are growing faster than taxes, and budding in the midst of red-green leaves. Fast growth is red and then turns green to start feeding the rose through photosynthesis, a long name for solar panels, which God established in every possible form.

Look at the windows. In the lower left of the two large windows are small black squares. Those are solar collectors that recharge the batteries each day for free light all night long. They only have one function while leaves also serve to evaporate air and lift water up through the plant and cool the air.

God created the rose to grow, bud, bloom, and produce seed. This spring, I even found a few seed pods (rose hips) left on the older bushes. The pods are packed with Vitamin C and eaten by birds all winter.

When the roots are established, they network with fungi - and donate carbon in exchange for elements and moisture they need from the fungi in the soil. One fungus can connect several plants at once while growing out to a lump of wood to dissolve it with powerful chemicals.

The roses are planted first. Next we lay down cardboard
over the grass and clover, then add shredded cyprus.
Daffodils have bloomed. Tulips and giant alium are next.
More mulching is needed to finish the main rose garden
and the maple tree garden.
Every old rose bush was pruned by about 50%
when the season started.
The large bushes on the right are KnockOuts.


Our helper's children walked over to assist in mulching. This works out well, because their father tells them which jobs to do to speed his work. Their mother brings over cardboard from her job. We always have a jolly time and drink Mr. Sam's bottled water.

Roses flourish with little work. All they need are:

  • Pruning
  • Watering
  • Mulching
  • Red wiggler earthworming.


Pruning seems to be the mind-block for most new gardeners. They think of pruning as taking away. But John 15, about the True Vine, identifies the two parts of pruning. One part is prune away dead wood, because nothing grows in dead wood, and it slows down the plant. The second part is to prune what is fruitful because this kind of plant (grapevine, rose) is energized by pruning and slowed down by going to seed.

Both parts of pruning help the plant and give it a growth surge. If I have a newly planted rose that is thinking rather than growing, I prune about 1/4 inch from each cane to remind the rose why it was created - to bud and bloom.

John 15 is a perfect parable, because anyone with experience in bushes or grapevine knows that the comparisons made are exactly what Jesus is teaching spiritually. Nothing grows apart from the True Vine - Christ. The dead wood is pruned away because it no longer contributes to the Body of Christ. The fruitful branches are pruned to make them even more fruitful.

Like some other terms in the New Testament, pruning or cleansing is used in a positive and a negative way. Yeast can be good or bad; either way, yeast grows and permeates. Pruning is negative in removing dead wood, but positive in cleansing the believer. Justification by faith is that cleansing. By abiding in Christ, the True Vine, we are forgiven daily (cleansed, pruned) of our sins; therefore, we flourish.


I pruned the KnockOut roses by 50% to get them growing above and below ground. When it was full of roses and the the blooms are starting to fade, like the picture above, I cut them back by 50% again. They regain their growth quickly and produce around 50 blooms per bush.

The roses cut away went all over to friends, doctors, anyone. The rose demonstrates the German adage -

A cut joy is a doubled joy. Geteilte Freude ist doppelte Freude.

Fireworks rose is a long cane full of thorns and flowers.