What is a troubled heart anyway? Everyone has, or has had, a ‘troubled heart,’ even Jesus! Chapter(s) and verse(s), you say?

“Then when Mary was come where Jesus was, and saw him, she fell down at his feet, saying unto him, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in spirit, and was troubled” John 11:32,33. “Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour. Father, glorify thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again” John 12:27,28. Troubled, tarasso, metaphorically, of the soul and spirit of the Lord, where the true rendering is, ‘He troubled Himself;’ Vine’s Expository Dictionary

Though our Lord be grieved, and His soul full of heaviness, yet this ‘troubling of heart’ was manifested in pure righteous! When one is truly troubled in heart because of his sin, it is the working of righteousness upon him. To be troubled in soul and in spirit is not a bad thing - as long as it is accompanied by faith with God the Father and God the Son as its object! Does not even intercessory prayer stem from a ‘troubled heart’?

Troubled, tarasso, as associated with unbelief: inward commotion, agitation, dis-quieted, disturbed, anxious, distressed, lack of calm, full of fear and dread, perplexed and full of doubt. “Let not you heart be troubled.” Has Christ not borne our troubles: “Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows. . .he hath poured out his soul unto death” Isa. 53:4,12b. Sin carries with it our unbelief; our inward commotion, our agitation, our anxieties, our distresses, our fears, our doubts: and Jesus bore them all in our stead upon the tree!

“Let not your heart be troubled.” Not plainly stated but nevertheless implied: Let not your heart be troubled through unbelief! “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it” I Cor. 10:13. A Way of escape: is it not through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ? “I AM the Way, the Truth, and the Life: no man cometh to the Father, but by me” John 14:5,6. Let not your heart be troubled? “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you. . .let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”

“Let not your heart be troubled” John 14:1. Again in verse 27: “Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid [timid, fearful, faithless”] That is, Stop your troubling of heart - and stop it right now! (The verb tense in both words indicates a command to “stop it now.”) It is not a suggestion, but a much needed command!

The Remedy for a Troubled Heart

A good doctor will hopefully not only give an accurate diagnosis but will follow with a workable remedy. Faith is the medication or spiritual exercise prescribed by the Great Physician. “ye believe in God, believe also in me.” vs.1. “I and my Father are one” John 10:30. The response of the religious Jews to Christ’s word: they “took up stones again to stone him” vs. 31. A Christless religion is likewise a Godless religion.

“Let not your heart be troubled:” so begins the reading of our text. But what if we should back up to the end of the previous chapter. . .?

“Simon Peter said unto him, Lord whither goest thou? Jesus answered him, Whither I go, thou canst not follow now; but thou shalt follow me afterwards. Peter said unto him, Lord, why cannot I follow thee now? I will lay down my life for thy sake. [ But it was Jesus who would lay down His life for Peter’s sake.] Jesus answered him, Wilt thou lay down thy life for my sake? Verily, verily, I say unto thee, The cock shall not crow, till thou hast denied me thrice.” [ In between this warning of our Lord unto Simon and ‘Let not your heart be troubled’, I can sense the words piercing the heart of the disciple as a dagger; the blood draining from his face: he was troubled!] “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me” John 13:36-38, 14:1. Chapter 13 ends and chapter 14 begins - right in the middle of the dialogue! Simon, you are stunned because I said that you should momentarily deny me: you are perplexed because I go away - but ‘Let not your heart be troubled.’

Simon, you, before the morning breaks, are going to deny me; not once, but three times. But you shall follow me afterwards. [What an encouraging promise this disciple’s ears needed to hear just now!] What were Peter’s, yes, even the thoughts of all the disciples? Jesus was to set up His kingdom; they would rule and reign with Him; this was the place that they were anticipating; but now He is going away? Now, no place is to be found for them. . .yes, they are troubled!

Simon, you are going to deny me, but “I go to prepare a place for you. You shall deny me, but I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I Am, there ye may be also.” Simon, for a moment, you shall deny me; but “I will never leave thee nor forsake thee” - not even for a moment!

Let not your heart be troubled? Jesus, anticipating the thoughts of Peter and the other disciples said, “In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you.” (Here is a promise that is impeccable and above reproach.) But Simon, you shall lie to those who would recognize you as Jesus’ disciple: you would have done well to coin these words of your Lord: Shall they ask, “Are you not His disciple?” And Peter could have shouted, “Yes! I am His disciple! If it were not so, I would have told you!”

Thomas and Philip enter into the conversation; the words of our Lord are for all the disciples - and for us, of course! But let us meditate for a moment upon the scene; just Jesus and Simon Peter. It is a tender moment; and the love, the compassion, the mercies and grace of our Savior are delicately put on display before a man who would shortly deny knowing his Lord. Simon, “let not your heart be troubled. . .But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not” John 14:1, Luke 22:32. Did his faith fail anyway? No, he did not betray his Lord, as did Judas, nor forsake Him as such: he denied knowing Him. He denied knowing Him in whom his faith found lodging!

Oh, but I would never deny knowing the Lord! Is our reluctance in speaking of him where opportunity avails, not something akin to denial? Though the servant is often unfaithful, yet He remains ever faithful - and will never deny us - not even for a moment.

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