"For Troubled Hearts"

Jesus just told His disciples, Peter in particular, some disturbing news about up-coming events (John 13). Afterward Jesus speaks, "Do not let your hearts be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me." (John 14:1)

How many times have we been with people, who are hurting, troubled in heart and frivolously say, "Don't worry about it! Everything will be fine!"? To a broken or troubled heart, those words mean little.

Jesus was not asking His own (or us) to deny what we feel because He had shortly before this confessed that He was going through some deep, inward struggles Himself (John 12:27). What does Jesus mean by saying, "Do not let your hearts be troubled..."?

He is calling on them (and us) to act on the truths revealed and the realities of those truths. Truth is just as real and even more powerful than fears and the inner turmoil one may experience. There is nothing more irritating than people, who have good intentions, who have not suffered or experienced serious heartaches, spew out advice that is so shallow and glib. Remember the saying that was popular for a while, "Don't worry! Be happy!"? They were printed on shirts and made into jewelery. That is one of those shallow and glib sayings. On the other hand, you have those who insist that if you truly trust in God, you will not experience that pain in the heart! Those kind of people are an irritant and have little clue on how to overcome.

Listen, there is no sinfulness in the feeling of a heartbreaking experience! Our sense of deep loss is a great measure of the genuineness of our love. Look at Gethsemane. What was Jesus going through? I can hear people, "If He really trusted God, He had nothing to fear or worry about!" The deep, intense struggles were realities in the heart of our Lord and He felt a great pain. Why? Because of the lostness of His creation and the price to pay for our lostness. That's the deep sense of love for people.

Sometimes things are very difficult when disappointment sets in. People we loved and trusted go off into a depth of sin that leaves us hurting to a degree few understand. The power and depth of the pain is real...but so is the Lord and His truth!

After taking His apostles to the side, with no interference from outside, the last words He said to their troubled hearts, "These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world." (John16:33) Right there, in Jesus we have our answers. Overcoming is the answer and He is the power for overcoming. Does it hurt? Oh, yes! But the hurt is not to be the focus. The truth of God, the power of Jesus and His resurrection become our hope and focus. The bottom line, we need to believe in the words that our Lord spoke and take them to heart. Only then do we find relief in the midst of pain.

I am careful not to change the words of Jesus or speak in His place . That would be arrogant and wrong. By looking closely at the Greek text, understanding the words John 14:1, here is what it seems was flowing from the mouth and heart of our Savior: "Do not let the turmoil you feel control you. The trust you have in God and Me is well placed so make that the controlling reality in your lives." Place your faith, no matter how little or great it is, in the truth and reality of God. Believe the Lord! Believe His word! Believe who He is! "...if it were not so, I would have told you!" (John 14:2)