Scripture: John 12:12-19

The next day the great crowd that had come for the festival heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting,

“Hosanna!”

“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”

“Blessed is the king of Israel!”

Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, as it is written:

“Do not be afraid, Daughter Zion; see, your king is coming, seated on a donkey’s colt.”

At first his disciples did not understand all this. Only after Jesus was glorified did they realize that these things had been written about him and that these things had been done to him.

Now the crowd that was with him when he called Lazarus from the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to spread the word. Many people, because they had heard that he had performed this sign, went out to meet him. So the Pharisees said to one another, “See, this is getting us nowhere. Look how the whole world has gone after him!”

Consider:

The saying goes, “Hindsight is 20/20”, which is a comforting idea - that while we may not understand what is going on while we are in the midst of an event, we hope that more understanding might come in the future. It is often so difficult to understand what is happening while we are in the midst of the events, but when we look back, we often better understand the circumstances and impacts of any one decision we made or event of our lives.

Except… Is that always true? Do we understand everything that happens to us better in retrospect or is not also true that our hindsight is often just as clouded as our foresight. How many times have we looked back on an event and felt just as confused and conflicted as we did the first time it happened?

The gospel of John likes to insert the phrase - “his disciples did not understand all this” which makes me wonder if they ever gained understanding or if there might always have been some confusion which shaded their understanding of events even when days, weeks, and years had passed.

Faith is not based on clear-eyed understanding because we will always find ourselves a bit confused with God’s actions in our lives. There may be times we see and understand completely clearly, but most often we see God through a fog. As Saint Paul put it, we “see through a mirror darkly”. We cannot hope for 20/20 vision when it comes to God.

Respond:

Think of a specific event from your past—maybe from a year ago, or even a decade—that still feels “blurry” or unresolved. Instead of trying to force a lesson out of it or find the “silver lining,” answer these three questions:

* What is the specific “fog” or confusion I am still carrying regarding this event?

* How does it feel to admit that I might never fully understand why it happened?

* In what ways can I see God’s presence in the midst of that event, even if the purpose of the event remains hidden?

Pray:

Divine Mystery,

I confess that I prefer clarity over trust. I want to see the road ahead and the path behind with perfect vision, yet I often find myself standing in the clouds. Thank you for the reminder that even Your disciples were confused, and that I don’t need to understand You to be loved by You.

Grant me the grace to be okay with the “dark mirror.” When my hindsight is just as cloudy as my foresight, help me to stop squinting for answers and instead reach out for Your hand. If 20/20 vision isn’t possible, let Your presence be enough. Amen.

These posts will always be free, however, if you find them meaningful and would like to consider supporting our online outreach, you can donate using this link.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit wfpc.substack.com