Book of Common Prayer

⁷ The end of all things is upon us. You must keep sober, then, and self-disciplined for your prayers. ⁸ Above all, keep absolutely firm in your love for one another, because “love covers a multitude of sins.” ⁹ Be hospitable to one another without complaining. ¹⁰ Just as each of you has received a gift, so you should use it for ministry one to another, as good stewards of God’s many-sided grace. ¹¹ If anyone speaks, they should do so as speaking God’s oracles. If anyone ministers, they should do it as in the strength which God grants, so that God may be glorified in all things through Jesus the Messiah, to whom be glory and power forever and ever. Amen.

Sharing the Messiah’s sufferings

¹² Beloved, don’t be surprised at the fiery ordeal which is coming upon you to test you, as though this were some strange thing that was happening to you. ¹³ Rather, celebrate! You are sharing the sufferings of the Messiah. Then, when his glory is revealed, you will celebrate with real, exuberant joy. ¹⁴ If you are abused because of the name of the Messiah, you are blessed by God, because the spirit of glory and of God is resting upon you. ¹⁵ None of you, of course, should suffer as a murderer or thief or evildoer, or even as a busybody. ¹⁶ But if you suffer as a Christian, don’t be ashamed; rather, give God the glory for that name! ¹⁷ The time has come, you see, for judgment to begin at God’s own household. And if it begins with us, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel? ¹⁸ And if the righteous person is scarcely saved, where will the ungodly and the sinner appear? ¹⁹ So also those who suffer according to God’s will should entrust their whole lives to the faithful creator by doing what is good.

¹⁶ “Not long from now, you won’t see me anymore. Then again, not long after that, you will see me!”

¹⁷ “What’s he talking about?” some of his disciples asked each other. “What’s this business about ‘not long from now, you won’t see me, and again not long after that you will see me’? And what’s this about ‘going to the father’?”

¹⁸ They kept on saying it.

“What is this ‘not long’?”

“What’s it all about?”

“We don’t know what he means!”

¹⁹ Jesus knew that they wanted to ask him.

“You’re discussing with each other what I meant, aren’t you?” he said. “You want to know what I meant by saying, ‘Not long from now, you won’t see me; and then again, not long after that, you will see me.’ That’s it, isn’t it? ²⁰ Well, I’m going to tell you the solemn truth.

“You will weep and wail, but the world will celebrate. You will be overcome with sorrow, but your sorrow will turn into joy. ²¹ When a woman is giving birth she is in anguish, because her moment has come. But when the child is born, she no longer remembers the suffering, because of the joy that a human being has been born into the world. ²² In the same way, you have sorrow now. But I shall see you again, and your hearts will celebrate, and nobody will take your joy away from you.”

Ask, and you will receive

²³ “On that day,” Jesus went on, “you won’t ask me for anything. I’m telling you the solemn truth: whatever you ask the father in my name, he will give you. ²⁴ Up to now, you haven’t asked for anything in my name. Ask, and you will receive, so that your joy may be full!

²⁵ “I’ve been saying all this to you in picture-language. The time is coming when I won’t speak in pictures anymore. Instead, I’ll tell you about the father quite plainly. ²⁶ On that day you will ask in my name. I won’t say I will ask the father on your behalf, ²⁷ because the father himself loves you! That’s because you have loved me, and have believed that I came from God. ²⁸ I came from the father, and I’ve come into the world. Now I’m leaving the world, and going back to the father.”

²⁹ “Ah!” said his disciples. “Now you’re speaking plainly! You’re not talking in pictures. ³⁰ Now we know that you know all things, and you don’t need to have anybody ask you anything. This makes us trust that you came from God.”

³¹ “So you do now believe, do you?” replied Jesus. ³² “Look here: the time is coming (in fact, it’s now arrived!) when you will be scattered, each of you to his own place. You will leave me alone—though I’m not alone, because the father is with me. ³³ I’ve said these things to you so that you can have peace in me. You’ll have trouble in the world. But cheer up! I have defeated the world!”