By Pastor Mark Clayton
“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also. And you know the way to the place where I am going.”
Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you know me, you will know my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”
Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father and we will be satisfied.”
Jesus said to him, ”Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father?’ Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own; but the Father who is in me does his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; but if you do not, then believe me because of the works themselves. Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these because I am going to the Father. I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it.” – John 14:1-14
These words of our Lord Jesus Christ are surely among the most challenging words of scripture, beginning with and perhaps particularly with the first verse. The instruction (arguably a commandment) to not let our hearts be troubled surely hits us close to home.
It is hard to imagine a more difficult one to live out when there is so much in the world and in our lives to be troubled about. There is sickness and suffering and sorrow in the world and in the lives of those we know and love.
There is war and the economy and political turmoil and terrorism and violence. There is worry over our children and our jobs and the bills. There is the intrinsic uncertainty that is inevitable to life in a mortal body that is subject to the natural forces of gravity and time. Who doesn’t have “heart trouble” of one kind or another at times?
Jesus’ disciples were no strangers to troubles of the heart. He has announced that he is leaving them when these words are spoken. They had hoped for freedom from the Roman oppression. They were hoping to rule and reign with him. While the promise of a heavenly home must have given them definite hope, the words of Thomas likely speak for us all.
As the old saying goes, “Everybody wants to get to heaven but nobody wants to die.” As my daddy once said to me, “Son, I want to go to heaven but I ain’t in no hurry.” The promise of a bright and blessed future is wonderful indeed, but we still must survive the present. How do we live today with peace in our hearts?
Jesus’ words in verse 12 are both instructive and compelling. “Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these because I am going to the Father.”
That’s quite a mouthful, isn’t it? In honest reflection, I don’t recall Jesus’ disciples or the Church raising the dead or changing water into wine or feeding thousands on a few loaves of bread and a couple of fish, so what is he talking about? Perhaps the fact that during his lifetime the ministry was limited to Palestine but now extends all over the world and is open and available to you and me on the other side of the earth and 2,000 years after his life on this earth. My friends, he is talking about the Church.
If your heart is troubled today, I can imagine no better remedy than to immerse yourself in the blessed kingdom work of Christ’s Church, which is busy bringing present and eternal hope to people of all ages and life situations here in Patrick County and all over the world. Turning our focus away from our own afflictions and wrapping our hearts and our hands around the needs of others is the first step in following Jesus Christ and blessed “heart medicine” too.
If you don’t have a church, I encourage you to find one. If you already have one, get involved. You’ll be glad you did, others will be blessed, and the world will be a better place because you did. May God bless and keep you through the living Christ.
