My Bible reading guide has me scheduled to be reading in the OT this morning, but my thoughts are stuck in John 14. Several issues come to mind when reading 14:1.
"Don't let your heart be troubled" is a command; it is in the imperative mood. It is very cool to think that this can be done, but how? We have terrorists, stock market woes, war, productivity gains (layoffs), medical issues, crime, tuition bills . . . the list of things to cause us trouble seems to be infinite. How can I find peace and calm in the midst of all this turmoil?
It is interesting to note that Jesus gives this command to the disciples right after he informs them that he is leaving them, that Judas will betray him, and that Peter will deny him. At the time when these words were being spoken, the disciples did not fully understand what they were going to go through in the next week, it was going to be stressful.
To better understand what they were feeling, imagine that you are having dinner with your boss and friend. The start-up operation that you've been working hard to get off the ground for the last three years is showing promise of paying off big time. The company is about to do an IPO. In fact, recent events show your boss as being the darling of Wall Street. Expectations are high.
But, during dinner one night, your boss informs your team that he is leaving, that the controller will provide company secrets to your competitor and that the director of sales will make public statements against your boss. And, oh, by the way, when the boss leaves, you will have nothing to show for three years of dedication and hard work. And that IPO that was going to help you realize your dreams, it is going to go up in smoke.
Jesus just informed the disciples that everything will change for them in the next few days. And then he tells them to keep their hearts from being troubled. He gives them some reasons to be confident in the second half of verse 1 and the following verses, which I'll write about in subsequent posts.
1 comment:
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