2 In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
4 And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.” (John 14:1-4)
My aim here is to focus our attention on the first phrase, “Let not your heart be troubled.”
This passage of Scripture is used often to encourage and give hope to many of the eternal promises Jesus made. I would imagine this passage in John 14 rivals the 23rd Psalm for bringing comfort to the grieving in many Memorial Services, and rightly so.
However, may I point out that these words of hope are a response to what had been going on before in chapter 13? One of the difficulties in Bible reading happens with chapter divisions. Though the numbering of chapters and verses are extremely helpful in finding your way through these holy writings, they can interrupt the flow of what is happening in the larger context. Jesus is first and foremost speaking to His disciples in an on-going set of circumstance and conversation in the upper room during the Passover.
To the disciples Jesus spoke a strong word to turn their focus back on the glory of Who He is, “Let not your heart be troubled.”
Why might the disciples be troubled? Here are a few of the happenings of chapter 13:
At the conclusion of the feast of the Passover, Jesus, their master, put aside His garments and knelt before each disciple washing their feet in humility; something any one of them should have already done. This was humiliating, even troubling.
Immediately thereafter, He reveals Judas as a traitor. The fact that any one of the twelve could turn against the Master, Jesus, was an overwhelming shock to these that followed Him closely for some three years. This, of course, was very troubling, indeed.
Now, I can imagine a man as Peter, at least in his own mind, began to cast judgment on the traitor, Judas. After all, that is what we do, is it not? Yet, in the midst of Peter’s private thoughts of Judas, Jesus makes the prophecy of Peter’s soon denial of Jesus himself. Trouble. Trouble. Trouble.
Moreover, in the wake of all this unsettling revelation, Jesus brings up the fact of His soon coming departure from the world. How much can a person bear in one evening?
Therefore, Jesus, knowing all things that bother us, and hearing all our thoughts regarding those bothers, says with great compassion, “Let not your heart be troubled.”
Beloved friend, I must ask, what bothers you? What is troubling your mind? Perhaps we could word Jesus’ challenging statement in another way. Instead of being troubled . . . instead of allowing yourself to become troubled . . . instead of that, do this . . .
“Ye believe in God, believe also in Me.”
There it is! There is the solution to allowing ourselves to become troubled over the difficulties that plague our lives. Believe in God! Believe in the Son!
Understand, Jesus is not giving two contrasting images of personhood in this statement of comfort. Rather, He is showing two interpenetrating or permeating thoroughly images of the same. God the Father and God the Son is One God!
My friend, Jesus says to you and me in all that conflicts our hearts and minds, “Trust Me. I will never leave you alone, nor abandon you as you walk through this valley of life!” “Let not your heart be troubled, trust Me!” Pray On!