“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God[a]; believe also in me. 2 My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. 4 You know the way to the place where I am going.” John 14.1-4
Do not let your hearts be troubled. It is an American epidemic to have troubled hearts. We who have more stuff and access to more “things” than any other society yet we lack so much. What we have materially, we lack both spiritually and relationally. It leaves us with troubled hearts. In contrast, this is not the case in other countries I’ve visited such as Costa Rica or Kenya. Surely there is truth to Jesus’ statement, “Blessed are the poor in spirit….”
In this passage Jesus was facing a troubling fact — he was going to die. He had told the disciples as much in several different ways and at different times. But his time was drawing near. It was now only a matter of hours before he would be arrested, imprisoned, tried and killed for what the Jews would call rebellion and blasphemy. The disciples were troubled and had every right to be. Jesus too was troubled as we will see later in the Garden of Gethsemane when his sweat becomes like drops of blood.
However, there’s a good reason why even in the midst of despair, Jesus tells us not to be troubled. He knows the end game. He knows the rest of the story. In this instance, his death will lead to eternal preparation for all who believe, so that when he returns, he might take us with him. And where is this place? Heaven! Eternal rest, eternal care, a place more real than earth itself.
It’s hard to wrap my brain around Heaven, by the way. I know I wanna go there one day, and God-willing, I will. I trust in Jesus’ words to lead me there. He who overcame sin and the grave, prepares a place for us after this body fails. When the world is falling a part, when our souls are troubled, Jesus calms our fears and prepares for our eternal rewards.
This is good news. Why allow our hearts to be troubled? Jesus says, “Believe in God, believe also in me. For in my Father’s house there are many rooms.”
Praise be to God.
“O Lord God, you are good. In the midst of potential despair, loss and death– you overcome all our fears. We have no reason to be afraid for our future is secure in you. Thank you Lord for allowing all who believe in your name to have everlasting life. I trust you Lord. I love you deeply. I thank you for being a God who made a way and who prepares a place for me. For you are good and your love endures forever.” Amen