A Fourfold Remedy for a Troubled Heart

John 14:1-14

I had a rough time sleeping on Wednesday night, one of those nights you go to sleep for a while, but due to something that happened earlier that day, you wake up and can’t sleep anymore. There are a couple of personal conflicts outside the church I had to navigate earlier that day, and I found myself suddenly needing to re-examine them. I then considered how to respond in a pastoral, adult manner to those situations, and wanted to meet in person if possible. Then I began to worry about the relationships involved, among other things. And then, of course, my mind started the loop all over- examine, how to respond, worry. My heart was troubled. Rather than sit there and stew over things, I spent some time praying and got a nudge from the Spirit that it might be a good time to go and walk the dog at 6:30 am.

I have a retired pastor friend who once told me she got a tattoo on her arm, a Latin phrase, Solvitur ambulando, which means "it is solved by walking", referring to an anecdotal, practical solution to a seemingly complex philosophical problem. The phrase is attributed to the 4th-century church bishop Augustine of Hippo. And I have to say, by the time I had speed walked and prayed around the golf course, I felt a little less troubled and began to plan how to handle the situation.

The disciples in today’s passage also had troubled hearts, and for good reason. It wasn’t memories that troubled them; it was a series of current events and future predictions. They had just been through a tumultuous scene of the last supper, when Jesus told the 12 that he must suffer so that God might be glorified, that where he is going, none of them can yet come, that one of them would betray him, and that Peter would personally deny him three times before the cock crowed. Their hearts were troubled indeed.

What are the symptoms of a troubled heart? Doubt, fear, worry, and despair are some symptoms. We doubt our lives and whether God is acting in such a violent, destructive world. We fear we will lose those who are important to us. We worry about those situations in our own personal lives and in our families’ lives. We despair over our struggles and lose all hope. So we try to run from those symptoms. Perhaps we ignore them, or try to numb them through excess. But the symptoms are still there, and if not treated, our lives can spiral out of control into bleak hopelessness.

Perhaps you suffer from a troubled heart. Perhaps you have lost someone you love very recently or a long time ago. Perhaps your relationship with your partner or spouse is going through a rough stretch. Perhaps your marriage has broken apart.   Perhaps your health is in decline, or your spouse’s health is in decline. Perhaps your finances are a mess, and you wonder how you will make ends meet. Perhaps you are concerned about the war in Iran, currently costing American taxpayers 25 billion dollars. Or you are concerned about rising fuel and grocery costs. (I confess I tossed and turned a bit last Tuesday night over this issue) Or you are worried about war spreading to other regions, or the war still raging in Ukraine, the rising temperature of our planet due to climate change, and the polar ice caps melting. It isn’t difficult to have a troubled heart in times such as these!

But there is good news! Jesus has the cure for a troubled heart, and it is a fourfold prescription written by the great physician outlined in John’s gospel, 14:1-14. The first treatment has to do with remembering that there is more than this life we see and know- Jesus says, “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God. Believe also in me.” This is once again emphasized in verses 8-10, as Jesus answers Phillip’s question to show them God. “He who has seen me has seen God.” Despite how difficult our lives may get, despite how bleak and tragic things are in this world, belief in God and in Jesus Christ can help us with our troubles.

This kind of belief can help us to find hope in our struggles, find meaning in our sufferings, find solace in the midst of a bleak world and national news, and find purpose to help others in God’s name. How? By believing that there really is a God who loves us unconditionally, who brings light and hope in the midst of darkness, and who is present in world conflicts and struggles. We can find hope in God sending Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, to the world to teach us to act on his behalf and to love us consistently and persistently. In short, we can know this Creator of the universe through Jesus, the Son of God; we can be in relationship with God, who tells us in Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. Plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Belief in God can help cure a troubled heart.

The second part of this prescription is to remember the promises of heaven and of eternal life. Jesus tells us, “In my Father’s house are many rooms. And if it were not true, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you in that house? And I will come again and take you to myself, that where I am, you may also be.”  If you have lost someone you love, or have lost several family members or friends over the years, or if you are facing your own mortality, belief in heaven can help. For Jesus also tells us later in John, that “although we may be sad, we will see each other again, and our joy, no one will be able to take from us”(John 16:22).

I visited with two longtime members at Celia’s Hospice Home in the last month: Bill Sager and just this past Wednesday, Gladys Fortmiller. My last earthly visit with Bill was quite wonderful. He opened his eyes and smiled as I read scripture and prayed with him. Heaven was real for Bill, and he was at peace with that knowledge.

I do think that Gladys, however, one-upped him just a bit. When she was admitted to Celia’s House on Sunday, the next morning, she kept trying to put on her makeup. Finally, during her third attempt, one of her nurses began helping her and asked why it was so important to wear makeup. She responded, “Because I want to look beautiful for Jesus when I go see him!” “Although”, she said, “He will love me no matter how I look!” Heaven is real for Gladys.

French philosopher and Jesuit priest Theologian Pierre Teilhard de Chardin wrote the following about loved ones we have lost-“If they are with Christ and Christ is with us, then they cannot be very far away.”  And no matter how bad things seem to get in our world, we like Paul, with the perspective of a belief in heaven can say, “I consider the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that will one day be revealed to us.” (Romans 8:18) If we can live from the perspective that Heaven is indeed for real, we can find healing for a troubled heart.

The third part of the prescription for healing a troubled heart is found at the end of our passage for today. Jesus tells us, “Whatever you ask for in my name, I will do it, that my Abba may be glorified in the Son; if you ask anything in my name, I will do it.”(13-14) Now this does not mean that we can ask Jesus for anything at all- it has to be something within his will- something that is holy and within Christ’s purposes. Discerning God’s will in our lives and in the world can be tricky. Yet there is a promise that Jesus will do what we ask if it is in his name and will. This is a promise that Jesus will be active in our lives. All we need to do is ask for help.

Fourth, we can find healing for a troubled heart by serving others, united in Christ’s love. Dr. Angela Parker, associate professor of Greek and New Testament at Mercer University, looks at verse one, usually translated as “Let not your hearts be troubled.” She notes that the word for hearts is actually in the singular form, but that the word for “your” in this case is plural. So, this part of the scripture can actually be translated as “Let not your(plural) heart (singular) be troubled”. So then, Jesus presents the idea of the disciples possessing a single heart as a collective group.

As Jesus talks about going back to be with his Abba, he states in verse 12, “the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these.” Dr. Parker continues, “Our greater works must exhibit the way, the truth, and the life for communities that continue to be disconnected and denied access to all of the areas that can bring abundant life, such as quality food, access to medical care, affordable housing, and continued dignity no matter what their identities are.”  This fourth cure for a troubled heart- doing the work of the kingdom as a church united by a singular heart can bring healing. When we do this work, we can take the focus off our troubles as we help others with theirs.

Friends in Christ, if your heart is troubled for any reason, my prayer is that you also find hope in this fourfold formula for a troubled heart- hope in heaven, hope in a God who loves us and who will not abandon us, hope in Jesus who offers to help us whenever we ask, and faith with works- helping others. Alleluia! Amen.