Room with a View
- Gary Fritsch
- May 30
- 2 min read
Perspective is everything. Many of us have children and certainly have experienced a time when our child has fallen and scraped a hand or knee. Perhaps there is blood, there is pain, and there is crying. Lots of crying.
From the perspective of the child, this could represent the greatest pain that they have ever felt. As they look at the blood on their hand, they don't even really know what it is and if it will ever stop coming out of them. Their hand or knee seems to be ruined. If they have to live with this pain forever, it will be terrible. And it would be.
From the perspective of the parent, we know that the pain will subside in just a few minutes. The flow of blood will stop just as quickly, and in a week or two - you won't even be able to see that it happened. Parents know this because they have a broader experience over a great period of time. We have seen it happen over and over and have confidence in the outcome. We don't really even have any control over what happens, other than to apply some medicine and a band-aid, but we can still have significant confidence, and with this, we can console the child.
Jesus is providing a similar example to the apostles in today's Gospel. He came from heaven, He's going back there, He knows that it is great, and in fact far better than the life on earth. His perspective is an eternal one. Just as the parent tells their toddler: 'Shhh...it's ok, some medicine and a band-aid, and in a few days it'll be good as new,' Jesus tells the apostles: " I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you." Notice that Jesus' consolation is not just that it will be restored, but that it will be BETTER!
This is the eternal perspective, what many might call the Blessed Assurance. The confidence that what Jesus promises will indeed come true and all of our pain and challenge in this life will be gone. We can start to take this view every day. Every room we enter can be a room with a view. Pray to God that He will fill you with this confidence in His promises. It is a way better view.
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