Acts 16:9-15
John 14:23-29
“The Next Step”
“Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you,” Jesus said to his worried disciples. “I do not give to you as the world gives,” he continued, “Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.”
Aren’t those beautiful words? In a world where peace is so desperately needed, Jesus gives his followers the gift of peace. He doesn’t give it “as the world gives” – It’s not an exaggeration or an empty promise. It’s not a trick, with payment or payback expected.
Today’s Gospel text tells us that Jesus gave the gift of true peace to his first disciples in the midst of the most stressful, confusing, and dangerous time of their lives. And it suggests that Jesus wants to give us that peace as well.
The reality today is that “peaceful” is probably not how most people would describe their state of mind. A lot of people go about their daily lives feeling stressed, worried, or fearful a great deal of the time. And it’s not that we’re just a bunch of nervous people who are getting worked up over nothing. The reality is that we have a lot to be worried about.
The Covid-19 Pandemic added a whole lot more worry and fear to many of our daily lives. And then when the pandemic subsided and most aspects of life went back to normal, other causes of concern and stress have continued to come at us. Inflation and the rapidly rising cost of living adds worry to many people’s lives, and when you add things like threatened and actual tariffs and uncertain markets, it becomes even worse.
The most volatile Canada-U.S. relations that we’ve had in many years, with threats to our economy, jobs, and even our sovereignty cause concern for us all. And if we pay attention to the world news, we will struggle to feel peaceful in a world where so many people are living in the midst of violence, trauma, and terrible need.
If you have children, worry about their safety and well-being in the world and online is likely added. And worry about the future for our kids and grandkids is natural. I’ve heard lots of reports that mental health concerns are higher than ever among young people today, and so many are struggling to find peace in the face of so much uncertainty in their generation.
Although what was happening in the first disciples’ lives in our Gospel text was unique, the worry, stress, and fear they would have been feeling are similar. We’re at the point in the story where Jesus is soon going to be arrested and killed, and he’s trying to prepare his friends for this coming reality.
They are slowly starting to realize what’s going to happen to their leader, and the kind of danger that they’re going to be in as well. It’s quite clear that their friend is soon going to be violently murdered, their own safety will be a serious question, and they’re going to have to figure out what to do next without him.
Jesus has several assurances for his disciples, though. While he is clear about the fact that he’s going to be killed, he also tells them that he’s not really leaving them. He says he’s going to “make his home with them.” When they keep on loving him and keep on following his word (his teaching) he will be spiritually right there with them and in them.
That’s how we are invited to access Jesus’ help also – by loving him, coming to him, reading the word, and letting it shape our lives, impact our decisions, and encourage our hearts. Jesus is physically long gone. But he’s also right here with us when we’re experiencing stress, worry, or fear in our lives.
Jesus promises that when he goes, God will send the gift of the Holy Spirit to teach his disciples and remind us of everything that he taught. And then Jesus gives peace. (In another passage, he breathes on them, and they receive it. Here, he simply speaks the words, and it is so.)
And then he instructs them, “Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid,” – which seems like such a strange instruction when we are so used to thinking of worry, fear, and anxiety as things that just happen to us – things that are outside of our control. Certainly, when it comes to serious anxiety disorders, it would be irresponsible to suggest that dealing with that is something that only requires “mind over matter” – Just don’t let your heart be troubled.
But I wonder if Jesus is telling his disciples and us, not just to order our hearts to be courageous, but to choose to rely on his ongoing presence and help. He said, I’m leaving, yes. But I’m not really leaving. I’m going to be with you in my word. I’m going to be in you by the Holy Spirit.
He’s saying, “Don’t let your hearts be troubled,” because he wants us to first of all know and remember that God’s got us. No matter what happens with economics, or health, or relationships, or conflict, or war, or plans that don’t go as planned, God’s got us. God’s got you.
I remember saying that to my little sister a few months ago when her husband was so sick that we didn’t know if he was going to live or die. No matter what happens next, God’s got him. And God’s got us too.
Probably the most frequent time I quote today’s Gospel reading is at funerals. As we say goodbye to our loved ones, and try to get our heads around how we are going to keep going without them, we need to grasp on to that gift of peace in the midst of all the troubled and anxious feelings in our hearts.
But I don’t think that this passage is only intended as comfort in the most difficult times of our lives. I think it’s also a gift for us to hold on to on all the other days – the regular days that are marked by everyday decisions and directions, by everyday stresses and anxieties, by everyday challenges and situations to navigate.
By the time we get to the 16th chapter of the Acts of the Apostles, Jesus has been up in heaven for a while. Paul has become a Christian and is working with the other apostles to spread the good news to Jews and Gentiles alike. But as far as I can tell, there isn’t a really clear and well-articulated plan for the Christian mission.
There are risks all around and persecution has begun against the followers of Jesus who continue to challenge the popular religions of the day. But Jesus has not provided a strategic plan that will keep his missionaries safe while they go about upsetting the status quo and gathering communities of Jesus followers.
What Paul and the others have to rely on is the gift of peace and the promise of the Spirit’s guidance. In today’s passage, that guidance comes in the form of a vision or a dream. A man from Macedonia appears to Paul, saying, “Come over and help us,” so they do.
They don’t have a plan. They don’t know who they’re going to meet or help. They have good reason to be at least nervous, if not worried and anxious about the journey and the prospects for success.
But they step forward in faith, not worrying about what will come next – what they will say, how people will respond, whether there will be danger. And the result is a wonderful encounter with Lydia and other women of the community, leading to the establishment of a new Christian community.
Now, I suppose it’s probably not appropriate for me to advise you – whether in regard to your personal life decisions or in relation to our shared church decisions – not to plan. That doesn’t seem smart. Shouldn’t we be prepared by anticipating, planning, and carrying out our plans? Yes, we probably should.
But I think the readings are also reminding us today that we should not be afraid of the changes in plans, or of the situations that don’t go according to plan. We need to be attentive to the times that God is calling us to do something different, to go somewhere new, to accept certain risks – because we just may not know God’s better plans for us when we are setting our own agendas. And when the unexpected turns are beyond our control or our desires or hopes, we need to remember that Jesus is with us in those situations too.
A number of years ago, I received a letter from an Interim Moderator in another part of the country. They were searching for a minister for a particular Presbyterian congregation and were inviting me to consider it. They referenced Paul’s vision of the man from Macedonia, and suggested that perhaps I would read their letter and hear the call of the community to “come over and help us.”
Although I read the letter with openness, at that time I wasn’t convinced that God was calling me there. I stayed in Saskatoon for several more years before hearing a call to Regina next.
But it made me think about how God calls us, and the need to be open to hear and respond to the Spirit’s guidance. It might be through a letter, or a phone call, or a request for help. It might be through what seems like a chance encounter, but turns into an opportunity to serve God’s purposes. Sometimes it might just be a brief detour on your planned route, and other times it might lead to a whole new journey.
I think that the peace that Jesus offers us is the opportunity to trust that God’s got us when we don’t know where we’re going yet, and we haven’t got the route all planned out. When all we know is that God is asking us to take one step over here or over there, on the mapped-out route or in a new direction, and we don’t let our hearts be afraid and we just do it.
Friday was a weird day for me, because even though my travels were planned and timed perfectly, God sent me on several detours with conversations and engagements that I didn’t expect to have.
As I travelled in Ubers to and from my Canadian Council of Churches meeting, and later to the airport, I was greeted by three Uber drivers in a row who wanted to talk. They talked about church, they talked about politics, they talked about peace and conflict, and family, and practices of faith. And they all asked me lots and lots of questions, and listened to my answers with curiosity and interest.
Then, in the Ottawa airport, I encountered two more individuals who reached out to me – one of whom clearly needed someone to listen and provide encouragement, and another who just needed some practical assistance.
When I boarded my plane and started to reflect on my day, the formal church meetings that I had prepared for and strived to moderate well faded into the background as I considered how God had guided my steps towards each of those remarkable interactions and conversations.
Sometimes people ask me if I have a plan to move back to Ontario and serve a congregation there one day, and more and more, my response is, “I have no idea.” I don’t know where God will call me years from now. I don’t even know where God will call me tomorrow.
And although I do make some plans, most of which are together with you – the congregation of First Church – I also just want to focus on the next step. I want to love Jesus, and do my best to keep his word, and know that wherever the journey leads, God’s got me.
God’s got you too. So don’t be afraid to take a next step, a new step, a different step, even a detour step. May the peace of Christ be with you on every step of your journey.