Day by Day with Martin Luther

Read: Ecclesiastes 4:1-12:14 2nd Corinthians 6:14-8:15 Proverbs 22:16-21

“In the Hour at Hand”

“When a woman is giving birth, she has sorrow because her hour has come, but when she has delivered the baby, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world. So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you.”
[John 16:21-22]

For a woman in labor the final hour of endurance is now at hand … everything is concentrated on the moment when the child is born into this world. In that moment the anguish is forgotten because of the happy sight of the newborn child. A change like this is also experienced here in this Christian life. Sadness will not last forever; it will turn into joy. Otherwise our condition would be hopeless and helpless. But Christ has helped by saying that we will not be subjected to the eternal spectacle of the devil with his horns and claws, but that our hearts will again see Christ and rejoice in Him. Our lamenting will not last forever, even though it may feel like it will have no end. Even though we cannot determine the end of the struggles, Christ already has done so. He points this out to us in advance, that we must bear this suffering, no matter how bad and unpleasant the devil makes it. Even though we do not see the end, we must wait for Him who says: “I will put an end to it and will again comfort you and give you joy.”