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Why are you troubled? ...

Tuesday, Jan 20, 2015. Some days life seems to be quite some unfinished construction site. You put work into something, and finally you succeed, just to realize that 10 other challenges appear quicker than you can think.

Life looks like a Construction Site …

Life is full of challenges on all levels, it starts with kindergarten, with school, with friends, It continues: find the right partner, what education, studies, job, house or flat, kids, their school, get a car, pay the bills. In your job you find challenges again. There are people you have to care for. There are customers who might behave strangely. There is your boss and boss-boss and the whole hierarchy.

As a family, we are in the middle of all this. Every day my wife tells me her challenges - working as a doctor in a big clinic with patients waiting for care day by day, with night shifts, all the trouble when any of the other doctors is ill or on holiday, since the work has to be distributed to the remaining staff. When you are in the middle of life, the responsibilities can fill your days densely.

One sentence from the New Testament echoes in my ears in all these thoughts. It is the sentence “Why are you troubled?” There is a similar question: “Why are you afraid, you of little faith?” Why are you troubled? Why are we afraid? We think we know why we are troubled - since there are many things to do and to take care for, there are dangers and problems, and we are in the middle of them. And yet, Jesus himself is asking these questions to his disciples in times of trouble: why are you troubled?

Risen Lord …

Let us look at the original story. The first question leads us to the Gospel of Luke, chapter 24. The other question is from Matthew 8, 23-27. Here, we look into Luke:

36 As they were talking about these things, Jesus himself stood among them, and said to them, “Peace to you!” 37 But they were startled and frightened and thought they saw a spirit. 38 And he said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? 39 See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” 40 And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. 41 And while they still disbelieved for joy and were marveling, he said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?” 42 They gave him a piece of broiled fish,2 43 and he took it and ate before them. 44 Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” (Luke 24, 36-44)

I interpret this biblical text in your trouble and in my trouble as an encouragement to trust the Lord. He claims to be here, in our life. He claims to be present, where ever we are. For his disciples - for everyone who believes in him - this is a firm and clear promise. That also means that we do not need to be afraid. We can rely on him to help, to act, to be there.

We might need a lot of patience, when we wait for the Lord. He can be as fast as a lightning in the sky. He can also be as patient as a calm ocean. He can be stronger than the strongest storm. And he can be as gentle as a mother with a newborn child. Without doubt he can do what ever is needed. Why should we be troubled? (RWEP) ... more texts