Let not your heart be troubled

I love the ending of John 13 and the beginning of John 14.
Sometimes it pays to not stop reading at chapter divisions.
Somebody definitely messed this one up.

Let me set the stage for you.

Jesus is with His disciples at the Last Supper and He's telling them some things
He really wants them to grasp.

He's telling them that He is leaving them and then He says,
"Love one another as I have loved you."
('I won't be around to love you like I love you
so love each other like I love you.')

Peter asks Jesus, "Where are you going?"
Jesus says, "You can't come with me where I am going now
but you'll come later."
Peter says, "I want to come with you now! Why can't I?
I'll lay my life down for you!"

This makes me cry.
Jesus looked at him and asks gently,
"Will you lay your life down for Me?
Before the rooster crows,
(before morning comes)
you will have denied me three times.

Let not your heart be troubled;
you believe in God, believe also in Me.
In My Father's house are many mansions;
if it were not so,
I would have told you.
I go to prepare a place for you,
And if I go and prepare a place for you,
you better believe that I'll come back again
and take you to that place,
so we can be together there."

There's more.
Read it for yourself in chapter 14.

I love that Jesus addressed Peter's cocky statement
with a gentle rebuke.
(And then said, "Let not your heart be troubled.")
When His words were later fulfilled,
Peter could look back and remember
that Christ already knew.

Jesus turned to Peter and said these personal words
but then moved on to
address the real cry of Peter's heart,
which was,
"Don't leave me!
I left everything to follow You
and now you're leaving me?!
Don't leave me!"

"Let not your heart be troubled...
Don't be afraid...
I'm going to prepare a place for you in My Father's mansion...
And then I'll come back for you...
I'll receive you to Myself...
Where I am, you'll be also...
Where I go, you know, and the way you know..."

The One who minutes before
had served the wine and the bread-
His brokenness,
to those who would deny Him
and run from His trouble,
That One
comforts those who don't want Him to leave them.

Even if you deny Me.
Even if you run.
I'll be back.
For you.
Don't worry.
Don't be troubled.
I'll be back.
For you.

Thank you dear Jesus
for reaching into our hearts with your healing balm
to touch the real issues of our souls
hidden by our prideful words.

Thank you dear Jesus
that even though we fail to prepare a place for You,
You prepare a place for us
to be with You.

Thank you
that even if we would deny You,
Your grace is offered back to us.