“Troubled Soul”
by Keith Leach (April 2024)

John 12:27-28 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.

This passage from the Gospel of John speaks to the very heart of the Good News of Jesus’ sacrificial death. Jesus is letting the Disciples know what is going to happen and they cannot understand because it is a counter to how we as humans think. However, God understands that the problem of sin is not fixed with human wisdom.

The problems of the world are here. While we work diligently to erase racism, it still raises its ugly head day in and day out. We see war and try to stop the horror of people killing people for reasons we cannot understand. We hurt when we see people who do not have enough food, or do not have adequate housing, or none at all. We spend billions of dollars a year fighting hunger, homelessness and poverty and the problems get worse. We see people killing people in the streets of our cities and towns. Yet there is no legislation that seems to stem the tide of violence and hate in our neighborhoods. The problem is not that we lack trying, spending and working. The problem is we are humans infected by sin. Sin is not going away as long as humans live on this planet.

Jesus came and uttered the most counter cultural words ever. He told his disciples that instead of seeking life, he would allow himself to die so that others could live. Jesus lived into the hurts of the world and expects his disciples to do the same thing. Christians are called not to comfort, but to an uncomfortable knowledge that we are to work tirelessly to ease the pains of others. Those who are Jesus’ disciples are to give up their desires for comfort and give their lives away to help others.

That is what this season of Lent is. A reminder that we should be shedding our cozy, easy lives and follow Jesus, even to the point of hurt and death. It is not that we should seek pain or death. However, it will happen because “the world” does not like those who get out of line.

As we move toward Easter, remember…a Christian should have a troubled soul.