This scene in the movie “The Passion of Christ” is forever engraved in my memory.
As Jesus fell beneath the weight of the heavy cross on his way to Calvary, Mary ran towards Jesus and Jesus looked at His mother, saying, “Behold, I will make things new!”
I wonder how would this, “I will make things new” would look like.
Most probably it would look like with that which John saw in a vision, where he saw and hear what will happen at the end of time. (Rev. 21:1 – 8).
In the new earth there will be no fear. Our life in this old earth is full of fear.
There is fear of cancer, of losing a job, of not having enough food on the table.
There is fear of getting old and of dying, among others.
Fear is a paralyzing emotion. It debilitates us. It cripples us.
Fear keeps us from living the life God wants us to live, now and forever with Him in heaven.
“Do not be afraid,” Jesus is saying to us”. “Trust me.” He tells us.
The kind of trust Jesus is talking about is not childish trust. It is not a foolish hope that tough times and challenging circumstances won’t come.
They will come. In fact, Jesus said, “If you want to follow me, you need to pick up your cross, daily.”
“In joy, there is no day without a cross.” Saint Jose Maria Escriva, the founder of “Opus Dei”, once said.
“Opus Dei”, (Work of God), is an institution in the Catholic Church founded in Spain in 1926.
“It is necessary for us to endure many hardships before we enter into the Kingdom of God”, Saint Paul said.
Christian life is not an escape from trials. Christians get sick, lose jobs, go bankrupt, get old and die.
But Jesus exhorts us not to be frightened when trials and challenges come.
Trials are what make us grow. Trials stretch us. Trials conform us to Jesus’ suffering.
In a humbling way, trials reveal to us, who we really are. Trials should not bring out the worst in us. But they should bring out what is truly in us.
Very often though, when we encounter problems and difficulties, we find ourselves unable to comprehend or understand the mystery of suffering.
The enemy is quick to sow doubts and questions in our minds.
We find ourselves questioning God’s goodness and wisdom in allowing these things to happen.
We may even feel bitter and angry with God; we may wonder if God really understands what we are going through.
But God’s word confidently reminds us that God does understand.
The problems and difficulties we face remind us that we are dependent creatures of a loving God.
Our problems and difficulties are not signs that God has abandoned us, or forgotten us, or stopped loving us.
“Behold, I will make things new”, Jesus says. And Jesus does make things new.
By Jesus’ death and resurrection, Jesus has reconciled us to the Father. Jesus has washed away our sins.
Jesus has opened for us the gate of heaven.
In the midst of our sufferings and difficulties, we need to cling to Jesus, Who assures us that one day in the future, He will wipe away every tear from our eyes.
Jesus will put an end to death, pain, war, disaster, cancer and suffering of every kind.
One day there will be no more fear. And that is not a tale. That’s the truth.
Jesus will do this, because His love of us is beyond imagining.
So, in Him and in Him alone, we put our trust and hope, because He promised that no matter what trials come our way in life, He will be with us. And not only Jesus will be with us, Jesus will also give us grace not only to endure our trials, but to endure them joyfully.