In this passage, which every Christian's heart must often have dwelt upon, we get the whole chasm of time bridged over from the moment of the Lord's anticipated departure, which was then the occasion of His disciples' sorrow, until He comes again, which is presented to them as the simple and only object of their hope. What might be intermediate in their circumstances is not presented. What would be intermediate in His own is given for their comfort. For a season they must know Him as separated from them-gone to the Father's house, but there as much interested about them and occupied for them as ever He had been on earth. But then He would come again and receive them to Himself. He had been with them on earth. He knew the place He held in their affections, and what He was to them here. It is well. He would come again and they should be with Him in His home, as He had been with them in theirs. This was to soothe their sorrow; this was to inspire their hope. It was enough. All that they had ever valued on earth they had given up and had been separated from, in order to be with Him. If it was little they had to surrender, they had found their all in Him. What was He not to them here? What could fill up the blank in their affections when He was gone? Nothing-nothing but being restored to the object of their affections again. It was not earth's anticipated sorrows that made them sad. It was the thought of being bereaved of Him. Why, the world was so absolute a blank to them when He was gone, that their affection (at least of one of them) would have seized upon His dead body as her only treasure amidst the desolated waste around.
Love asks not to be enriched, to be told of happiness and glory; but to be with the object loved.
Did not the heart that had won their affections know what love's true guerdon is? He knew it well; and therefore says, " I will come again, and receive you to myself; that where I am, there ye may be also." A glorious heaven may well be the home which the God of glory has prepared for those whom His call and grace have made strangers here on earth. It is His goodness to tell His pilgrims amidst their present toils, that "there remaineth a rest to the people of God." But to the desolated affections of His saints He says, "Them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.... then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore," says the apostle, " comfort one another with these words." They are love's only effectual anodyne. He knew it well; his own heaven was to be "ever with the Lord." And ours, what is it, if it be not this? What is our Christianity? The knowledge of forgiven sin? the certainty of acceptance at last through the blood of Christ? the assurance of heaven-a doctrinal heaven-a reasoned heaven-when earth is done with? No; it is this. Christ has loved me, and given Himself for me; and He has said, " Father, I will that they also, whom thou halt given me, be whit me where I am; that they may behold my glory.",