The hard test
I have told you all this so that you may find peace in me (John 16, 33)
His disciples said to Jesus, ‘Now you are speaking plainly and not using metaphors! Now we see that you know everything, and do not have to wait for questions to be put into words; because of this we believe that you came from God.’ Jesus answered them: ‘Do you believe at last? Listen; the time will come – in fact it has come already – when you will be scattered, each going his own way and leaving me alone. And yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me. I have told you all this so that you may find peace in me. In the world you will have trouble, but be brave: I have conquered the world.’(John 16, 29-33)
The faith of the disciples will be harshly tested by the passion of Christ. It will scatter them and Jesus will be left on his own to make His sacrifice. In turn, the disciples will experience the persecution of the world, but they need not fear. Christ has conquered the world: this is the reason for the hope which prevents the Church being overwhelmed by any difficulty. Ask yourself, what would you have done if you had been in the apostles place?
