October 23

Comfort in Sorrow

Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe in Me as well. — John 14:1 BSB

Jesus always seeks to comfort those in sorrow. He delights in bringing light into dark places and turning grief into joy. His comfort is not like the hollow words of consolation that people sometimes offer one another. We may say, "Don’t worry! Don’t be troubled!" when we have nothing substantial to offer. But when Jesus speaks words of comfort, they have the power to quiet the troubled heart.

It was in a time of deep grief and sorrow for the disciples that Jesus said, “Let not your heart be troubled.” They were about to lose their best Friend, and not just in any way—He would be taken from them by death, in the shame of the cross. To make matters worse, they had hoped that He was the Messiah, and now that hope seemed lost. They were left in utter despair, a darkness with no light. It seemed impossible that any comfort could reach them in that moment.

Yet, into the midst of this deep grief, Jesus spoke words of comfort: “Let not your heart be troubled.” This reminds us that no grief, no matter how deep, is beyond Christ’s comfort. Even in the darkest night, Jesus can place stars in our sky, and after the darkness, He brings the light of morning. For Christ’s disciples, there is always comfort, even in the most hopeless situations. If we look ahead just a few days from this moment, we see how the disciples’ sorrow turned into great joy. It is always this way for believers. No matter how heavy our grief, there is always the promise of peace and joy on the horizon.