Dealing with life’s trouble

Today is the 6th Sunday of Easter, after the resurrection but before Christ’s return to heaven – which we celebrate on Ascension Day, this Thursday 29 May. 

Today’s gospel focuses on Jesus’ words to his disciples as he prepared them for life without him – words that are relevant for followers of Jesus today, 2000 years after his life, death, resurrection and ascension. 

Jesus says, ‘do not let your hearts be troubled’. He is preparing his disciples for trouble in life. Life to the full and eternal life, but trouble too? Does anyone not have trouble in life? Yet Jesus reassures, ‘do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. 

At Easter we celebrate this new life in Christ. In the eucharist we declare: ‘defying death he rose again’. Yet even in this new life, trouble remains.  

V29 Jesus explains: ‘I want to tell you these things before this trouble comes, so that when it does come, you might believe’. 

Jesus equips his disciples (including us) to deal with life’s troubles by emphasising 3 things: 

1st, we deal with life’s trouble by love & obedience 

John Lennon sang ‘all you need is love’ but Jesus says in v23 both ‘love and obedience’ are needed: ‘Those who love me will keep my word and my Father will love them, and we will make our home with them’. Loving God and keeping his word helps us deal with trouble. 

This means that when facing challenges at home, work, with family or neighbours - it is God’s love (our identity in God) and obedience to his word that helps us. An everyday practical thing, love & forgiveness. Try it today! 

We learn love and obedience in community (the Church) and through God’s word (the Bible). We decide to live like this in our baptism/confirmation and this faith journey is not an overnight thing – it takes a lifetime. 

I’m using Faith Confirmed with my baptism candidates. It is a great book and there are copies on a bookshelf near you. It teaches about God, sin, Jesus, the Holy Spirt, Church, Creeds, Bible and more – all to help with this new life, the journey of love and obedience. 

But this is not like school, by which I mean, a simply transfer of knowledge (important as this is) but it is a dynamic living relationship with God. It is mind and spirit, active love and obedience, a new way of living.  

So, we deal with life’s trouble by love and obedience. 

2nd, we deal with life’s trouble with help & guidance. 

Jesus may be going away but he is sending another. 

V25 ‘I have said these things while I am still with you, but the advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the father will send will teach you everything and remind you of all that I have said to you’. 

This promise to his disciples is relevant for us today. Jesus does not want us to be troubled and promised the Spirit. This is a promise for you this morning (whatever your trouble): ‘the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father sends, will help, guide and teach you everything.  

God’s Spirit is in the Old Testament and the Psalmist says ‘teach me to do your will, for you are my God. Let your good Spirit lead me on a level path’. Ps 143. A level path – depending on what stage you are in life – a level path may be all you can cope with! (91yr old).  

Then our Acts reading, at the beginning of the Church, God’s Spirit gives specific guidance: ‘a vision of a man of Macedonia pleaded ‘Come over to Macedonia and help us.’ E.g. James Hudson Taylor, 1832. 

Whether its trouble in normal life (just getting upstairs) or in knowing what to do with your life? We have a helper, a guide, a comforter – the Holy Spirit.   

So, we deal with life’s trouble with help and guidance from God’s Holy Spirit. 

3. We deal with life’s trouble with peace and joy. 

Now let’s be honest, we do not always feel joyful or peaceful. Yet Jesus says we deal with life’s trouble with peace and joy. Easier said than done, I hear you say. But it is a promise from Jesus V27: ‘my peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do be afraid’. 

When we think of peace we may think of the Angels at Bethlehem: ‘peace on earth, good will to all men’. And goodness knows, we need peace on earth, in Ukraine, in Gaza, in Sudan. Or we may think of our own Peace Chapel, and how this Church is used as a house of peace and prayer for all people.  

Jesus calls us to be peaceful in the face of life’s trouble. It’s a good challenge for us this week. What does this look like for you, how can you build and seek peace? In doing this, Jesus says, you will deal with life’s trouble. 

Finally, joy! Again, his words are challenging: If you love me you would rejoice that I am going to the Father’. Am I to be happy that Ascension Day is coming? Yes for 2 reasons: because when Jesus goes, the Spirit comes, and secondly, Jesus will come again. 

John 14 starts with a wonderful promise: ‘if I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again to take you to myself, so where I am, you will be also’.  

That is a joyful thought!  

So we deal with life’s trouble with peace and joy. 

In conclusion: 

Jesus says on Jn16 ‘I’ve told you these things so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble, but take heart, I have overcome the world’. 

The new life in Christ that we celebrate at Easter is not in denial about trouble or the challenges we face in life. 

Before and after the cross, Jesus spent a lot of time giving his disciples a ‘heads up’ about challenges ahead - and reassuring them they had the resources to cope. 

He talked of a way of life the Church has now adopted – love and obedience to God and his word; relying on the Holy Spirit to comfort and guide; working for peace and being joyful and hopeful for the future.  

So yes, we should be joyful - because God the Holy Spirit is active in the world - and Jesus is currently with the Father building a place for us to go to.  

Harrow is a great place to live – and Christians believe that new life in Christ is the best way to live this life to the full – but I am also looking forward to my promised eternal life – and being reunited with Jesus when he comes again.  

Oh yes, and getting the keys to that mansion. You can come around for tea, or something stronger if you like.