Sunday Devotional
Fixing a Troubled Heart
John 14:1-6
Pastor Wes
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We are living in troubling times. Many of you would probably agree that our current world is not the most comfortable one, and that we would perhaps prefer an alternate reality than our current reality- if we were given the choice. Living in this world, it’s easy for our hearts to become troubled. Anyone had a slightly troubled heart recently? Anyone experiencing a little more anxiety, stress, fatigue lately? Things seemed ok 4 months ago- the economy was good and life had a good momentum and pace to it. The president’s name was cleared. There wasn’t any rioting going on. No one was living in fear of catching a deadly virus. But then things began to shift, things you nor I had any control over. And when life as-we-know-it shifts, it can be troubling.
Jesus’ disciples experienced a similar shift. We’ve been walking through the gospels chronologically, and over the past few months have been studying Jesus’ final week on earth before His crucifixion. That final week was a whirlwind for the disciples. Up until a certain point, life in general had seemed ok- the disciples were coming to a better understanding of Jesus as the Messiah, Jesus was doing amazing things, even the disciples were doing some of those same amazing things- by this time they had probably settled into a good rhythm of life after joining Jesus over 3 years earlier. By this time, they had probably realized there was a lot of comfort spending every day with Jesus. Hungry? Jesus could miraculously supply food. Sick? Jesus could miraculously heal. And forget about boredom- Jesus was highly entertaining, you never knew what mind-blowing thing He would do next. Life was pretty good. And it had just gotten better. Upon Jesus’ arrival to Jerusalem for the Passover Festival, the people hailed Him as the King- the promised Messiah King- Son of David. In the disciples’ eyes, everything perhaps seemed like it was just getting better and better.
But then things begin to shift, things the disciples didn’t have any control over. Jesus starts talking more and more about His death. He tells them He is going to leave them. He reveals there is a traitor amongst them. In front of everyone He says Peter will deny he even knows Him. In fact, Jesus goes on to say that all of them will fall away and be scattered. Talk about having your bubble busted- these were troubling times. Events were happening that caused the disciples anxiety, stress, fatigue. Jesus knew this. And not just because He had perfect foreknowledge- I’m sure anyone could see on their faces the discouragement and fear resulting from their troubled hearts. I want you to look with me at what He tells them in John 14:1-6…
Now, if your heart has ever been troubled, or if it is currently troubled, pay close attention as we walk back through this passage and work through the truth Jesus presents. The first thing Jesus says in verse 1, and as John records it- the first thing He says immediately after He dropped the bomb on everyone declaring Peter’s denial in the previous verse 38- He says “do not let your heart be troubled.” He tells them though you may have reason for your heart to be troubled- don’t let it be troubled. Resist it. Prevent it from being troubled. Now how do we do that? Well, Jesus immediately connects His command to not let your heart be troubled with these words “believe in God, believe also in Me.” Some of your bibles might say “You believe in God, believe also in Me.” Either way, Jesus is acknowledging the existence of belief, but He is calling for a deeper sense of belief. It was a given at that time that everyone believed in God. Everyone even believed in Jesus- He was a real tangible person that everyone knew existed. But the belief He spoke of wasn’t belief in mere existence. The disciples knew God existed, but He wanted them to believe that He Himself was God with them- Immanuel. They had the basic creed down, belief in God, belief that Jesus was the Messiah, but there was a step up from that into believing the reality of God, the presence of God, the power of God was right there with them- Jesus living amongst them- in whom they could place 100% of their belief and trust.
Probably most of us, if not all of us here, share the common belief in God and in Jesus. But as we look into our own hearts and we each evaluate our own propensity to allow our heart to be troubled- my hope is that we would each take our basic belief, and step it up into a sensitive awareness of God’s presence and power right here with us. I would venture to say that in every battle of a troubled heart, there is a step up that needs to occur in your belief and trust in God and Jesus in order for you to move your heart from troubled to peaceful. Is your heart troubled? In what area is it then that your belief in Jesus has to increased? Take a moment even right now to evaluate your heart, and ask the Lord where it is that your belief and trust need to be greater. Ask Him to show you where you are lacking- to point out what you need to be reminded of- and renew in you the awareness of His presence with you.
The second thing Jesus says to His disciples is, verse 2… In the midst of troubling times and troubled hearts, Jesus shifts the focus from the current dwelling place of Earth, to the future, eternal dwelling place of Heaven. As the apostle Paul says “Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.” (Colossians 3:2) If your heart is troubled, not only does your belief need to increase, but your focus needs to change.
When looking through a rifle scope, the field of view is wide at the lowest zoom setting. You’re able to see the target, but also much of its surroundings. But when you zoom in, the peripheral, side surroundings, exit the picture and the target gets closer. In essence, the distracting/non-target things disappear, and the icing on the cake is that the target, the very thing you are aiming for, becomes closer, clearer, more visible. This world is looking for the target. The target of happiness and contentment, the end of fear and stress- we are all aiming for the target of having a good life. Those in the world, who don’t know the Lord, are operating without a scope. The target is known, but it’s too far off to be visually inspected, and the field of view is wide open with abundant distractions. As Christians, we are given the gift of a scope, and God’s word puts us on target, showing us the way to eternal happiness, contentment, the end of fear and stress. With this scope, we are a leg up from the rest of the world in the search for a truly good life.
But I believe, that most of us as Christians tend to live life with the zoom setting at its lower magnification setting. We have the right answers, the right belief statements, but if we could just turn up the magnification, zoom in a little better on the target of the eternal Kingdom life, then that Kingdom- that true, good life- would appear closer, more detailed- and the surrounding, peripheral, unimportant distractions, wouldn’t even be in our sight. The 3rd thing Jesus says to those with troubled hearts is, verse 3…
Jesus has asked for belief to be increased, for focus to be changed, and now He emphasizes to the disciples the purpose of Him leaving them in such a dark, troubling time. Their comfort and contentment with Him are being taken, but the comfort and contentment are being taken for the purpose of Him later returning, in order to bring them to a better place with Him. There was purpose in Jesus no longer being present physically with them. There was purpose behind Him leaving. There was purpose behind all the bad things that happened in the hours and days that followed. There was purpose in the persecution that came about over the next several months and years. There was purpose in the violent political situations that spanned over the next few decades. There was purpose in the wars that ensued, there was purpose even as Rome destroyed Jerusalem and the temple. God was providing the way to salvation and forgiveness, He was orchestrating the spread of the good news, He was bringing about judgement- fulfilling prophecy and fulfilling the old covenant. When it seems like Jesus is leaving, absent, or disappointing to your expectations- there is purpose! But you will miss the purpose if you allow your heart to be troubled. You will miss the purpose if you are not continually attempting to increase your belief and trust in Him. You will miss the purpose if your scope is not dialed in on the target. Verses 4 and 5…
Like most of us, Thomas and the disciples were equipped with the knowledge they needed. Actually, from a knowledge standpoint, perhaps we are better equipped now with knowledge than the disciples were at the time- having the bible assembled in our hands, and living in a time where knowledge is so easily accessible. But when we are tempted to let our hearts be troubled, often the problem is not a lack of knowledge or information. In today’s reality, the opposite is probably truer. We are tempted to let our hearts be troubled as a result of knowledge and information overload! We become fearful, paralyzed from all the knowledge of the many opinions, events, news stories, tragedies, wars, injustices.
Now I’m not advocating that we should be uniformed, I’m not saying that as Christians we are to live with our heads in the sand, or that we should become hermit monks. But as we hear of all the different “ways” out there, as all the different “truths” are being presented, as we consider all the different paths of “life,” I believe Jesus is calling to us, as He did to Thomas here and the other disciples, saying: “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” (Verse 6)
With these words in verse 6, Jesus brings this segment of the conversation back full circle, back to verse 1. He is calling for belief to be increased- believing not just in His existence, not just that He’s the Messiah, but for a deeper belief, trust, and faith in Him. To us he’s not just calling for belief that He died for our sins, not just that He rose again so that we too will rise again one day. No, He’s calling for more than that. When we have to look for a way, He wants us to immediately turn to Him and His teaching. When we consider truth, He wants us to immediately turn to Him and His teaching. When we consider life and all that it entails, He wants us to immediately turn to Him and His teaching. Finding the way, sorting through truth, experiencing a good life- can only happen in and through Him. He is the answer. Your relationship with Jesus determines everything. You cannot get to God the Father nor experience His reward, justice, peace, and blessing in this life or in the one to come- without Jesus.
I pray that as you leave this place, and encounter the world this week, as you are faced with so many opportunities for your heart to become troubled- may your belief and trust be increased, may your focus be zoomed in on His kingdom, may you know God is working behind the scenes with purpose, and be reminded of what you already know- that Jesus is the way, and the truth, and the life. Church, do not let your heart be troubled!