“Do not let your hearts be troubled.”
John 14:1a

As I heard this verse mentioned in church recently, I was struck by the seeming impossibility of it.  At the time, my heart was troubled by many things; not only did I not know how to stop being troubled, just changing my mood would do nothing to eliminate the hardship.  This type of peace seemed out of reach.

This had to seem impossible to the disciples as well.  They had just spent years walking with Jesus only to be blindsided by him saying, “My children, I will be with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now: Where I am going, you cannot come.” (John 13:33)  They had given up everything — left homes, families, jobs, safety, belongings — and now the man they followed said they couldn’t follow him.  Even more, he was beginning to talk and act weird, to the point that many turned away (John 6:66), and they had just arrived at a place where people were actively scheming to arrest and kill him (and perhaps them!)

To say their hearts were troubled was an understatement.

As they let their hearts be troubled, they completely missed some of Jesus’s most important words in deference to their overwhelming anxiety:

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
Simon Peter asked him, “Lord, where are you going?” (John 13:34-36)

“My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.”
Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?”
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”
Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.”
Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? (John 14:2-9)

It seemed like every time Jesus shared a profound truth, they were oblivious because concerns consumed their minds.  Meanwhile, he was telling them everything they needed (note: not wanted) to know.  While we can’t blame them — the risks were real and Jesus’ answers were confusing and “spiritual” — they had been following him for years and had committed to follow no matter the cost; his words should have been enough even when they didn’t seem enough.

Let’s be honest: we do the same frequently.

Amidst legitimate risks, we stop hearing Jesus’s words of truth and focus on trying to control the situation and outcomes; our prayers become more for solutions than presence.  We lose sight of the eternal because the here-and-now is so distracting.  And yet, as our anxiety takes the lead, Jesus says to us, “do not let your hearts be troubled.”

Perhaps your gut response is like mine: “But how, Jesus?  These hardships are overwhelming, and my strength is gone.  How do I keep my heart from being troubled?”  It’s a fair response, and one that does what the disciples did: forgets — or even dismisses — all the Truths he’s already spoken.  Between their anxious questions Jesus gave the answers they needed, and like them we can’t hear because they aren’t the answers we want to hear.

Still, they are the answers we need.

The good news is Jesus knew we’d struggle to hear and trust him, which is why a Helper was sent:

And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.
John 14:16-18

We do not need to let our hearts be troubled because we are never alone in our struggles.  We can have peace not because things are peaceful, but because peace exists beyond our circumstances.  You do not need to understand any of this to receive it: you simply need to receive the Spirit:

The Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
John 14:26-27