Jesus: the Way of Hope

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Scripture Reading: John 14:1–14 (NRSV)

1 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. Read more…

Looking to Sunday

by Elaine Poproski

Picture the scene: Jesus and His disciples are sitting around a table, sharing a meal. They’re remembering together, with the rest of Israel, the miraculous intervention of God in their nation’s birth when He rescued them from slavery in Egypt. They’re celebrating God’s provision and presence. They’re imagining the next intervention by God through Jesus, who they’ve come to believe is Israel’s long-awaited Messiah/Saviour.

But then Jesus tells them He’s going to be betrayed by one of them. And He tells them that Peter is going to deny even knowing Him. And He tells them that He’s leaving, and they can’t go with Him.

And then He says, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me” (John 14:1).

In other words: “Don’t let these hard truths I’ve just spoken, cloud your memory of God’s provision and presence through history. Don’t let these realities of betrayal and denial and departure, shake your understanding of who I am. Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God [who you know], believe also in me [who you know].”

There’s a lot going on in our lives and in our world that could shake our faith. A lot of Canadians are still reeling from the terrifying violence in Nova Scotia a couple weeks ago. The murder of yet another young black man (Ahmaud Arbery) who’s killers have not been brought to justice shines a light on the prevalence of racism and hate our humanity can’t seem to shake. A 3-year-old named Dylan Ehler is still missing after wandering away from home yesterday afternoon; they found his boots last night in a nearby brook. And then, of course, there’s the global pandemic and all its secondary tragedies like the predicted worldwide economic depression and all its devastating ramifications.

Into this reality Jesus speaks: “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me.”

When we gather on Sunday I’m going to invite you to remember who God is and who Jesus is. I’m going to invite you to remember that God is good, present with us, compassionate, and our eternally loving Father. I’m going to invite you to remember that Jesus is the way to God; He is the truth by which we know God; and He is the life by which we are with God.

As you prepare for Sunday, perhaps spend some time remembering who you have experienced God to be in your life. Why (if indeed you do) do you choose to follow Jesus? Why do you choose to believe that He is, as He claimed to be, the way, the truth, and the life? (John 14:6).