Do not let your hearts be troubled

How comfortable we feel, can be directly related to how secure we are – especially about our future. Once, in my business days, I was trying to find a place to stay for the night. I was getting increasingly uncomfortable as I tried hotel after hotel. I wasn’t relishing the idea of sleeping in my car. But as soon as I found a vacancy, all my anxiety dissipated and I was immediately at peace. When a major airport has to close down and all the passengers are stranded, uncertainty, discomfort, distress, and even panic, can begin to spread among the passengers like a contagious disease. There is nothing comfortable about future uncertainty.

But while such things may be stressful at the time, they are totally trivial events when compared with the journey that one day we will all, without exception, have to make. And Jesus recognised the importance of preparing the disciples for their own journey from time into eternity. But, as He told them that He would be leaving them, discomfort, even distress quickly became evident.

The disciples really loved Jesus. They had developed close relationships with Him and with each other and the thought of Him being killed and leaving them behind was something they hadn’t previously contemplated. Seeing their distress, Jesus immediately began to comfort them – not with nice, but meaningless, words of false comfort. But with words of truth and reality about the future that He would be preparing for them.

Yes, it was necessary that Jesus would die for the sins of the world and then return to Heaven – but the Jesus who had embraced them with His love while on earth was now embracing them with real comfort about His plans for their future.

Just as good parents prepare for the future needs of their children, Jesus was telling His disciples how He would be making preparations in Heaven for their eternal future. It’s always comforting to know that your future physical needs have been taken care of. But there can be nothing more comforting than knowing that when this life is over your future needs in eternity have also been taken care of. So take comfort – for those who know and love the Lord, there is a heavenly architect at work preparing a place for each of God’s children – even you!

Prayer: Thank You, Jesus, that You have not only died to save us from the consequences of sin, but that You have also promised to prepare a place for those who know, love and are following You – like those first disciples. Help me, Lord, not to be afraid, especially when the time of ‘going home’ to be with You comes near. I am so grateful that You are preparing a place for me. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.