The Trust Way

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[Jesus said:] “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to Myself, that where I am you may be also. And you know the way to where I am going.” Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me”  (John 14:1-6).

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ!

You don’t have to live very long in South Dakota to learn how quickly the weather can turn. A day can start calm and bright, and then—almost without warning—clouds roll in, the wind picks up, and the sky goes that strange color that makes you pause and think, “This could be trouble.” And when that happens, you can watch people respond in different ways. Some grit their teeth and say, “It’ll be fine,” and just keep going as if the storm isn’t there. Others try to outrun it—keep busy, keep moving—anything to avoid sitting still with that uneasy feeling. Still others look for the nearest distraction that makes the moment feel better. But if you’ve ever been caught out on the road when the wind is pushing the car, or when the visibility drops, you know this: pretending doesn’t calm the storm, and distraction doesn’t make you safe.

In a fallen world, trouble can come on like that—sudden, unsettling, and beyond our control. And the question isn’t whether trouble will come; it’s what we do when it does. In our Gospel reading, Jesus speaks to His disciples on a night when the storm is about to break: betrayal is in the air, the cross is near, and the disciples’ hearts are already starting to shake. And right there, Jesus says something that seems impossible: “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in Me.” Those words invite us to look honestly at the different “ways” we try to handle trouble—and then to hear the one true way Jesus gives: the Trust Way.

But, it’s easier said than done, isn’t it? There are so many reasons to have troubled hearts. We have troubles at work, troubles at home, and troubles with our families. There are troubles throughout the Church, troubles throughout the country, and troubles throughout the world. Some troubles come and go as quickly as the weather changes in South Dakota. Other troubles last longer… weeks, months, years. Life in a fallen world is full of trouble.

But Jesus tells His disciples, “Let not your hearts be troubled.”

We continue this week to celebrate the Easter season and the resurrection of our Lord. Easter gives us reason to rejoice, no matter the circumstances. The Psalm for this week reminds us: “I will praise the Lord all my life. I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.” But those praises are harder to muster when troubles arise. It is hard to sing when doubt, despair, fear, or anger rise up. As good as the news of Jesus’ resurrection is, the reality of life in a troubled world challenges us.

However, the last three Sundays of Easter, beginning this week, do turn us toward the ascension of Jesus, His visible departure from our world. Just when the disciples are starting to settle into a new normal—Jesus risen again and visiting them frequently if not every minute—life is going to change again. Radically.

No changes known to man compare with God becoming incarnate, entering His creation, suffering and dying to redeem the world, rising from the grave, and then ceasing His visible presence. The disciples are in the midst of that season of storms in John 14:1-14. Their hearts are troubled; they sense the separation coming. They’d like to hold on to what they have. But Jesus offers better: “I go to prepare a place for you” (John 14:2)—where true joys are found.

To take them there, He must go first: “I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6). That meant Jesus Himself could not hold on even to His own life. He is the Way to heaven by going to the cross the next day. To say He is the Truth means that knowing Him is the necessary insight into what is really what: that the Father loves, that He operates the universe for our good, that living according to His Commandments is also the true good. So, then, believing in Jesus is life that is true and eternal. Everything else we can give up, as long as we have Christ.

“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in Me.” Jesus’ words in this first verse from John 14 invite us to spend some time considering how we handle the troubles we face in life. The world around us offers a variety of suggestions. Let’s evaluate them first and then consider how we may deal with troubles faithfully as Christians whose lives are hidden in the one who rose from the dead (also refer to Colossians 3:3).

First, we have “The Stoic Way.” One way to deal with trouble resembles the ancient Greek philosophy that began three centuries before the birth of Jesus. The Stoics were convinced that troubles could be managed by willing away unhappy and painful emotions. Resilience and self-control were the tools to make it happen. Marcus Aurelius, Roman emperor and Stoic philosopher, suggested that we, with enough determination, are capable of bringing the ship of our soul into “the untroubled peacefulness of a waveless bay.”

There is something impressive about this approach to dealing with trouble. The stern resignation practiced by the Stoic has a certain kind of nobility and integrity about it. It is strong. It is tough. It is undeterred.

But it doesn’t work. Why not? It costs too much. Removing all emotion from life may lessen the sting of pain and sorrow, but in doing so, it removes something essential to our humanity. We are emotional creatures who are created to feel a range of experiences. A waveless bay is fine for ships. But for humans, it is more like a stagnant pond.

Next, we have “The Pleasure Way.” This second approach to dealing with trouble is the opposite of the Way of the Stoic. Instead of repressing emotion and ignoring feeling, those who take this approach dive headfirst into whatever makes them feel better. The way to overcome pain is to fill your life and your heart and your calendar with whatever pleases you. Drown yourself in self-gratification, says the Way of Pleasure.

The upside to this approach is that it often works. A couple revealed their strategy to avoid serious marital fights. This couple struggled with frequent arguments. The trouble would usually start small; a little annoyance here, a minor frustration there. But quickly, things would erupt into knock-down, drag-out battles. To address the pattern, this couple learned they could prevent major blow-ups by making a simple suggestion to do something enjoyable. So, they would go out for dinner and a movie or make a trip to the local ice cream shop or go out for coffee. After doing something enjoyable, the slight annoyance would often fade.

It’s not the worst plan. The Way of Pleasure may work for minor grievances. But when troubles get serious, a little pleasure can only serve to distract. It does not address the trouble in any meaningful way. It is like trying to fix a leak in a boat with Silly Putty. It simply will not hold when the pressure mounts.

Then we have “The Work Way.” This is another way to seek distractions. Rather than pleasure, some try immersing themselves in work. Like the Way of the Stoic, the Way of Work has a sense of nobility about it, especially in a society which places such a high value on productivity and output. It is not uncommon for those who have troubles at home to work longer and longer hours. It can often seem easier to work than to face the struggles at home.

Which suggests that the Way of Work is not as noble as it first appears. Rather than doing the harder work of addressing the trouble, this is another attempt at escape. Far from dealing with the trouble, this approach compounds it. It doesn’t help you through the trouble, but only kicks the can down the road until the inevitable day you must deal with it.  

But there is another way: “The Trust Way.” It is the only way to deal with the trouble we face in life. This way pays close attention to Jesus’ words in our text. “Do not let your hearts be troubled,” He said. Then He went on: “Trust in God; trust also in Me.”

At first glance, the Trust Way seems like a cop-out, as if simply placing your trust in Jesus will make all the trouble go away. So, it is understandable to be a little skeptical of the Trust Way.

But the key to this Way is not the one who pursues it. It is the one who is followed. Jesus knows trouble firsthand. He is the man of sorrows, the one rejected by His own. He suffered trouble to the point of death, even death on a cross. Trouble was not the end of Him, however. On the third day, He rose again from the dead, defeating sin and death and trouble of every kind. In rising on the third day, He vindicated everything He said, including the words in our text.

The Trust Way is honest about the trouble. It faces the tragic reality of trouble in a sinful world head-on and clings to the resurrection of Jesus. The risen one doesn’t promise to take away the trouble; but He does promise to see His people through their trouble and restore them and all things in the end. Stephen, whose witness is recorded in the reading from Acts for this week, is a great example of someone who faced trouble according to the Trust Way. His trouble ended his life. But even at the end, Jesus sustained him. And Jesus promised to raise His broken body from the dead.

 Jesus promises the same to you today. And that is enough to see you through any trouble that comes your way. When Jesus says, “Let not your hearts be troubled,” He is not giving you a slogan to repeat while you pretend everything is fine. He is giving you Himself. The One who went into trouble all the way to the cross—and then walked out of the tomb alive—now speaks His comfort into your real life, your real fears, your real griefs. He does not promise a waveless bay, or a calendar full of distractions, or a stack of accomplishments to hide behind. He promises His presence, His forgiveness, and a place prepared for you in His Father’s house. And because He lives, that promise is not wishful thinking; it is as sure as Easter morning.

So, dear brothers and sisters, when the winds rise and the sky darkens, do not look within yourself for strength, and do not look around for distractions. Look to Christ. He is not only the One who speaks into your trouble—He is the One who has gone through it, who has borne it, and who has overcome it. He is the Way, who has opened the path to the Father by His cross. He is the Truth, who shows you what is real when everything else feels uncertain. He is the Life, who has conquered the grave and now holds your life secure. “Let not your hearts be troubled.” Not because the storm is small—but because your Savior is greater.

And more than that, He has made you a promise. He has gone to prepare a place for you, and He will come again to take you to Himself. The day is coming when the storms will cease, when faith will give way to sight, and when you will dwell in your Father’s house forever. Until that day, you are not left alone in your trouble. Christ is with you. His Word sustains you. His resurrection guarantees your future. So trust in God; trust also in Jesus. For the One who leads you through the storm will surely bring you home.

So, bring Him your trouble. Speak His name into it. Pray—not as a last resort, but as the faithful response of those who trust the risen Lord. And then go where He has promised to meet you: in His Word, at His table, among His people. There, troubled hearts are steadied—not by our strength, but by His. For Christ is the Way through death, the Truth that cannot be undone, and the Life that will not end. In Him, you may face whatever comes, and still say with confidence: “My heart needs not be troubled. Jesus is the Way and the Truth and the Life.”

Amen.

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.