The month of May, especially for all our graduates, is a time of farewells. They’ll hear commencement speeches, all encouraging them to face their future with enthusiasm, courage and commitment. The graduates themselves will fumble for words when saying goodbye to one another, promising to stay in touch somehow, and sharing words of wisdom or good wishes.
In our gospel, Jesus is saying farewell to his beloved friends and disciples, but the mood is far from the joyous celebration of a graduation. In fact, the setting and the timing of his words are very poignant. They are all at the Last Supper, Judas has just betrayed him, and Jesus knows his suffering and death are imminent. He is telling the disciples that he will leave them soon, so they surely must have felt confused and wondering what will happen next.
Knowing all this, what words of wisdom does Jesus impart to them? Yet again, he says: “Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.” Ironically, Jesus knows their hearts will be troubled. Even his own heart was ‘deeply troubled’ when he announced that one of them would betray him and then watched Judas leave.
So, rather than think of his words “Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid’ as a command or directive, perhaps these words can best be understood as a consolation. Knowing the anguish they will all soon face and feel, Jesus wants to comfort his disciples.
Many of you know that my nephew died suddenly of a massive heart attack 2 weeks ago leaving 7 children, the youngest being 11 years old. At the wake, this precious youngest child was having a very difficult time. Gently and sensitively, his mother, who is grieving herself, took him to a couch in the back of the room, sat with him with her arm around him and comforted him. As they talked and shared, you could see him become calmer and more peaceful. He needed that reassurance and to feel her love. That is a scene I won’t long forget.
I believe that’s what Jesus was doing with his disciples when, knowing they would face very troubling days ahead filled with grief and sorrow, trials and challenges, he consoled them by saying “Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.” He wanted to reassure them, and us, that despite the pain and suffering we experience now, these do not compare to the joy and happiness we will know when we are lovingly united with him in eternal life.
Imagine Jesus sitting with us now on our couches, with his arm around us, reassuring us of his love, and saying again: “Do not let your heart be troubled or afraid.”
