Do Not Let Your Hearts be Troubled

“Do not let your hearts be troubled...” John 14:27

In John chapter 14, Jesus says this twice, that we should not let our hearts be troubled. He has left us the tangible gift of peace. 

Yesterday when I was looking through Facebook, I watched a video about an ancient Japanese technique to relieve stress and anxiety. Since there’s a correlation between stress and high blood pressure, heart attacks, strokes, weak immune systems, etc., I started massaging my fingers and thinking, “Am I relaxed yet?” 

And then I watched a video of the Pope and an obviously distressed little boy. He was crying and could not seem to ask the Pope his question even if so many people were waiting for him to speak. In a touching moment, the Pope asked him to come closer and whisper his question to him. The boy approached and whispered, “My father died, but he is an atheist. Is he in heaven? He is a good man.” The Pope said that the boy gave him permission to tell his question to everyone as he answered it. I am sure many will be disappointed and even angry at the Pope’s answer when he said that God is a Father and will bring a good man home. That’s the short version of his answer, but I am sure it gave the little boy his much sought after peace. 

I believe that Jesus is the only way, but I also believe that the only way can make a way where there is no way. In the cross we see the only time in history where perfect love, mercy, holiness, justice and forgiveness intersect. That is why we can trust Jesus to give us peace in any situation. It is not the peace that the world gives, that hand pressure, or all the money in the world can give. It is the peace that only Jesus can give.