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For the week of April 20, 2008
Let Not Your Hearts Be Troubled
Has your heart ever been troubled? Is
it troubled now? Your troubled heart
may be occasioned by a variety of
events. However, I suspect that at the bottom
of a troubled heart there is fear —
fear of the unknown or fear of the worst
happening.
The gospel selection for this weekend
can be a help to troubled hearts. Jesus
knew that the hearts of his disciples
would be “troubled” when he told them
about his impending death and departure. The disciples grew to love
Jesus and expected him to be around for a good number of years,
much like we expect people around us to be around for a long time.
But after being with them for some 3 years and only being in his 30’s
he was informing them that he was to die. Undoubtedly, knowing
this event before it happened troubled their hearts. Aware of this Jesus
said to his disciples: “Do not let your hearts be troubled.”
This statement may sound simplistic and one could retort: “It’s
easy for you to say this, Jesus, but it’s not that easy for us to experience
it.”
Jesus then gave them a remedy for a troubled heart. He said:
“Have faith in God and have faith in me.” Do you think that this
answer was simplistic? Would you have accepted this answer if you-
- as one of his disciples -- heard this from Jesus? Being a disciple of
Jesus -- and believing that he died and resurrected-- do you accept
this answer at this time of your life? Will it be sufficient for you at
any time when your heart is troubled? “Have faith in God and have
faith in Jesus.”
Jesus not only offered faith in God and in him (who are one) as the
remedy for troubled hearts, but he also offered two bases for this faith.
One basis was his word of promise: He said: “In my Father‘s
house there are many dwelling places.” He promised: “I am going
to prepare a place for you. “ WOW! What a word of promise! In
effect what he was saying was this: he would return to his Father in
heaven. His death was not to be the end but a door to a more glorious
way of living that has begun already now and was to be completed
in a way that “eye has not seen or ear heard.“ His departure
through death was to be a momentary separation from his disciples
but he promised to take them to himself forever, so that where he
was they also would be. WOW! What a promise! What a gift which
none of his disciples -- you or me-- can merit. We don’t deserve it,
but it’s there for us to accept! Do you trust Jesus’ word of promise as
a basis for your faith?
Jesus offered his disciples and offers to us another basis for
faith, namely, that they could believe and trust in him, because he
declared himself to be “the way to truth and to life.” That is why the
early Christians called themselves “the followers of the Way.” Jesus
was not only showing them the way to truth and life by his words
and deeds, but in his humanity he was the way to the Father, who is
the source of life and truth. And because he is one with the Father,
Jesus becomes the truth and life as well. His very divine and human
person incarnated or enfleshed the way, the truth and life.
In conclusion and in summary: Jesus is interested in our troubled
hearts. As a remedy He offers us faith in Go d and faith in him. Both
are one. This faith is based on (1) his word of promise and (2) his
being the way to the truth and to the life, all wrapped into one person.
Peace and Good!
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