Do not let your hearts be troubled.

Jesus’ words must have shocked His disciples.

He had just told them that He was leaving (John 13:33) and that one of them would betray him (13:21). He then told Peter that he would deny Him (13:38).

He tells them to trust in Him and in God. 

He tells them that He is leaving to prepare a place for them and will come again to take them there. Many translations pump up our future place to a mansion but it is a place, our place, our place with God, our place prepared by our Savior.

Some Christians feel very much at home in this world. They have succeeded. They have a nice place here. Other Christians are homeless here, do not fit in here, are hated here and some are even martyred here. Even though this world is not our home we can live here when God’s Spirit lives in us (14:27; 15:26-27).

We are strangers in this world. We can expect that it will treat us the same way it treated Jesus (15:18-21). We are pilgrims and we should not expect to fit in.

Jesus offers His peace (14:27). His peace is different from the world’s peace, He is leaving, His is preparing a place for us and He is coming back for us. The world’s peace is ultimately fleeting.

Our peace is centered in our relationship with God and the fact of Jesus’ return.

Do we appreciate it? Is it enough for us?