“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in me 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?” John 14:1-2 (NIV)
My family moved often for various reasons and changing schools nine times was torture sometimes. Guess what, I married a military man and we moved eleven times in twenty years! We always lived far away, and holidays were the hardest but we had many great adventures and made great friends. Now our three sons and their families live far away from us, so we cherish time together. We have so many great memories of people in the different places we lived in the States and overseas.
John 14 is a continuation of Jesus’ conversation with his disciples after supper. After Judas was dealt with, he focused on comforting the sorrowful disciples who were sad about his talk of leaving them and that they would betray him that night. How could that be? By now, they had found a home with Jesus–he was their friend, leader, and mentor and they were feeling anxious. Jesus told or commanded them not to “let” their hearts be troubled. This didn’t mean they wouldn’t have trouble in this life, but that they could choose their heart’s response to it. Instead of wallowing in their sorrow and giving in to the separation anxiety, Jesus told them firmly to put their full trust in Him just as they trusted God the Father. The result would be comfort and peace for their troubled hearts and much less anxiety. Here comes the question that brings hope: 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? At the same time, he told the disciples that they would betray him, he also reassured them that in spite of it all, he would be waiting for them in heaven. Once again, Jesus would forgive and be merciful–knowing what was coming didn’t change his love for them one bit! What a Savior!
We have lived in our current California home for over three decades, with lots of memories, but this house and the rest are not as important as the people who lived there. Just as the disciples found their “home” in Jesus, we found our earthly homes in family and friends. More importantly, we have a future home to look forward to in heaven with Jesus just as he reassured the disciples. We won’t live trouble-free lives here but he will be with us and help us choose the peace and comfort he offers in the midst of it all. In the end, we know that he has gone before to prepare a place in heaven for us to live for all eternity where we are loved by him completely and unconditionally.
Deb Hill