Troubled Hearts

July 9, 2011
The Life of Jesus; read today:  Jesus comforts the disciples; John 14:1-4


ESV: John Chapter 14
[1] Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.
[2] In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?

I really do miss so much when I do not read the Bible straight through.  The breaking up of chapter and verse can lead to breaks that may not be the best place to put them.  So it is as I ponder on the verses for today.  Why does Jesus tell the disciples not to be worried? Why does He talk about building them a house and coming back for them? It does not help that ministers usually preach this as one piece and ignore what is around it.

What is before it is important.  It deals with Peter and the disciples telling Jesus that they will not desert them.  Jesus replies by telling that not only will they do so, but Peter will deny them three times.  Can you feel the tension in the room? Jesus looks at them all, their mouths dropped, maybe in fear that because they will abandon Jesus, that He will be abandon them first.

So Jesus turns to them, ‘do not be troubled, believe in me and in God.  I will come back for you and we will be together.’  There are times that I abandon God, that I want my own way.  At those times I often feel how could God love me anymore.  Like the disciples I must understand the concept of unconditional love.  That no matter what I do, God still loves me.  I may not deserve it but He does, and if I turn to Him when I am at my lowest, He will always accept me back.

Read for next time: Jesus responds to Thomas 14:5-7