John 16:16-23.
Over a little one ye shall not see me; but over a little one ye shall see me: for I go unto the Father. Then said some of his disciples one to another, What is this that he saith unto us, Over a little thing ye shall not see me; and over a little thing ye shall see me, and that I go unto the Father? Then they said: What is this that he saith concerning a little one? we know not what he saith. Then Jesus perceived that they were about to ask him, and said unto them: Of this ye ask one another, that I said of a little one ye shall not see me; and of a little one ye shall see me. Verily, verily, I say unto you, ye shall weep and wail; but the world shall rejoice. But ye shall be sorrowful: but your sorrow shall be turned into joy. When a woman gives birth, she is sad, because her hour has come. But when she has borne the child, she no longer thinks of sorrow for the joy that man is born into the world. And ye also now have sorrow; but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man shall take from you. And in that day ye shall ask me nothing.
The main point of this gospel is that Christians must mourn and weep for a time, but rejoice for eternity;
on the contrary, that the world be given joy, here temporally, but that it must mourn and weep forever. Choose, therefore, which of the two you desire: whether you will suffer little here, and there, for eternity
or whether you want to rejoice a little here and be tormented for eternity there. There will be no middle here; as he says elsewhere, "Woe to you who have your consolation here," etc.; and, "Blessed are they that weep and mourn." This is the dialectic, and Christ eliminates it by saying that this is a small thing, that the apostles weep temporally; as also Paul says 2 Cor. 4:17, that our affliction is temporal and light; so on the contrary it will be a great thing, that is, an eternal thing, that they will rejoice. And just as on the other hand it is a small thing that they rejoice, so also in the opposite it will be a great and eternal thing that they will mourn.
2. here this small one can be crossed out from both sides by all circumstances, namely, in view of the time, the size, the nature, the relation, the place etc. First, in respect of time. For the pious suffer a short time, some barely a day, a year, as those who are killed; some quite a few years. Second, likewise in respect of greatness. There some are deprived of life; others are deprived of their possessions, others of their honors, and others of other goods of this life. Third, likewise in respect of condition. Some are afflicted by enemies, some by friends, sons, brothers, disciples. Fourthly, likewise in respect of proportion, because in respect of the misfortune which others suffer, there is nothing (for it is not even a little thing) which the pious suffer. For there are found those who are afflicted with diseases, evil names, and other misfortunes; even according to merit, as, the thieves, murderers, robbers. Fifth, likewise in respect of place, that it is better and happier to suffer only with the godly, and in the company of the pious, than among the wicked.
(3) On the contrary, the joy of the wicked is little and small: first, in respect of time, because it is short. Some triumph against the pious scarcely a day and a year; but let them also triumph throughout their whole life: what then is this
Life? Secondly, in regard to greatness. Even they themselves [namely, the wicked] do not obtain good, honor, health, as they seek; yea, they are troubled with miserable cares, counsel, and anxiety in their pursuits, and have more trouble and sorrow in doing evil than the pious in suffering evil; as it is written (Isa. 48:22), "The wicked have no peace"; and the wicked always torments himself how he may harm, and yet ruins himself. Thirdly, with regard to the nature. For they themselves [namely, the wicked] also make themselves odious to all the righteous, and their triumph is not lacking in envy. As Aesop's fable teaches that the cocks themselves also bite one another; so also the world itself is not at peace among itself, but is restless and rages against one another with all fury, being proud and opposed to one another in the application of things, envying, harming; while the pious rejoice with a good conscience in their affliction. Fourth, in respect of proportion: since in respect of the good that others, especially the pious, have, their triumph is nothing but the saddest dream and the emptiest imagination and delusion. To these extensions he adds the example of the woman giving birth.
4 But it is especially to be noted that here he describes the sadness and joy of the pious, that they do not see Christ, and that they see Christ. Seeing, that is, the knowledge of Christ rejoices, the loss of Christ makes sad; just as the evangelist says: The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Therefore strive to know Christ rightly, and you will be glad; but if you are sad, know that you have lost Christ. But do not despair: it is a small thing that you do not see; he will appear again, and then you will not remember your pressure and misery. As a woman seeth not a man to be born, or life; but when a man is born, she seeth not death etc.