Jesus said, “Do not let your hearts be troubled….” Dear Jesus, in times like these, that’s easier said than done. Any troubled hearts here today?
I know that my heart is often troubled. What kind of world will my son inherit when he becomes an adult? Will there be enough water for us in Phoenix in the coming
years? How dangerously hot will the summers get in the future? As the world order unravels before our eyes, what’s next? Will artificial intelligence radically alter life as we know it. That’s a partial listing of what troubles my heart. How about your list?
We are burdened, our hearts are troubled, by many things. The lists could go on and on. And troubled hearts weigh us down, and can keep us awake at night. Right? Jesus said to the disciples, “do not let your hearts be troubled” because their hearts were in fact troubled. They had a good sense of what was about to happen to their Lord and teacher. Jesus said these words at the Last Supper. They knew that trouble
was brewing and that life with their teacher was about to change dramatically. And they had a sense that their lives were also in danger.
“Do not let your hearts be troubled,” Jesus said. Then Jesus goes on to say more to his followers – and to us across the centuries – to reassure us all and give good news: “In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places.” Then Jesus says he’s going to prepare a place for us and that he will come again and take us to himself. Sounds pretty good. It sounds like a place of safety and security, free from troubled hearts.
A common interpretation of this text is that Jesus is talking about the afterlife. That’s why this gospel passage is often read at funerals. But another way of understanding this passage is that Jesus is not talking about a way to a particular place, a geographical location – heaven, the great beyond – at a particular time, namely, after we die. It’s all of that yes, but it’s more.
The way to the place where Jesus is going is himself in union with God the Father. Jesus himself, relationship with him, is the destination. And that’s everywhere and all the time. Even now. Even here. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life.” He didn’t say, I will be the way and truth and life. Rather, I am. Now. And for always.
Our troubled hearts don’t have to wait until heaven to know the consoling presence of Jesus and by extension the calm of the presence of almighty God. This relationship is for us right now. Our share in the fullness of God’s presence is present tense.
This reality helps to calm our troubled hearts. Our troubles pale in comparison to being enfolded in the presence of our gracious God of the cosmos when we’re in relationship with Jesus.
But how does this happen? What did Jesus do to go and prepare this place, this holy reality for us? Remember that Jesus spoke these words at the Last Supper, the night also of Jesus’ arrest and then the trial and then the crucifixion and his death and then the resurrection and then the ascension and also the coming of the Holy Spirit. All of this is what Jesus meant when he said that his was going to prepare a place for us. Jesus was preparing a place in his body, dead and raised and ascended to the Father.
Which is to say, when we are joined by faith to Christ’s death, resurrection and ascension, and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, we are united with Christ and, in fact, the Trinitarian Godhead. And it’s this holy union that makes all the difference for our troubled spirits. Because we know that we are not alone in our troubles and that we are graciously claimed and then calmed by God in Christ through the Spirit. It’s ordinary experience for our troubled hearts to be calmed when in the presence of our beloved family members and friends. Isn’t that right? It’s even more extraordinary to be in the presence of almighty God, creator of heaven and earth in communion with Jesus in the power of the Holy Spirit.
[Here’s what results from our communion with our Trinitarian God because of what Jesus prepared for us on the cross, in the empty tomb, in his return to the Father, and in the sending of the Spirit. Because of all of this, we become “a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people, in order that we may proclaim the excellence of him who called us out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once we were not a people, but now we are God’s people; once we had not received mercy, but now we have received mercy.” (cf. 1 Peter 2:9-10) This is good news indeed to calm our troubled hearts! Amen?]
And all of this comes about sacramentally. In the word with the water and the bread and the fruit of the vine. Baptism joins us to our Trinitarian God. We dine with God in Christ in the power of the Spirit at this table. “Like newborn infants, [we] long for the pure, spiritual milk, so that by it [we] may grow into salvation if indeed [we] have tasted that the Lord is good” (cf. 1 Peter 2:2-3)
Friends, we taste and see that the Lord is good every Sunday right here as we walk wet, at it were, having emerged from the waters of new birth in baptism to recline with our risen Lord at this table.
Again, this is not pie in the sky in the sweet bye and bye. It’s right here. Right now. Dwelling with Christ and through Christ with the Father in the power of the Holy Spirit, our troubled hearts are more easily set at rest. Again, we’re not alone in our troubles.
Or as Jesus succinctly says it also in John’s gospel chapter 14 when he speaks of the coming of the Spirit (and we’ll hear this again next Sunday): “I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you.” (John 14:18) I will not leave you orphaned. Let that sink in for a moment. These are some of the most comforting words in the Bible. And here’s the other thing: the gracious gift of our dwelling with God in three persons is not meant just for our consolation, for calming our troubled hearts. No. Our hearts are calmed that we may also do the works of God in Christ in helping to calm down other troubled hearts. This gift of our dwelling with God in Christ prepares us, gives us the faith, the trust, the courage, to share in God’s work with our
hands. For Jesus goes on to say: “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…” (John 14:12)
Amazing. Greater works than Jesus’ own works!?! How can this be? It’s because Jesus returns to the Father, and as such, Christ becomes a cosmic Christ available universally to all people across the globe through the ministries of the universal church, Christ’s body in and for the world today. In Jesus’ human flesh, he was limited to one place at a time. With his return to the Father in the resurrection and ascension and with the coming of the Spirit, Christ continues to do the work of God now through us, everywhere, for two thousand years and counting.
We see this continued work of Christ in the witness of the deacon Stephen and his martyrdom from our first reading for today: “Look,” Stephen said, “I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!” “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” (cf. Acts 7:55-60) Stephen continued the work of Christ by echoing Jesus’ own words from the cross. “Into your
hands I commend my spirit.” And “Father, forgive them…” And such witness has been repeated by countless named and unnamed saints through the centuries.
And God in Christ in the power of the Spirit continues to do the greater works even through us in this place, in this little congregation near the corner of 7th Street and Camelback in Phoenix when in our words and deeds of love with and for our neighbors we offer the reassuring words of our Lord to our community and those with whom we minister, “do not let your hearts be troubled.” For Christ is risen. Christ is risen indeed. Alleluia. Amen.
