Lord, though each of us rises alone to start this new day, bind us to the faith of the saints who have gone before us, and guide us to walk with our brothers and sisters in community. Amen.

John 14:18-31
¹⁸ “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. ¹⁹ Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. ²⁰ In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. ²¹ Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.” ²² Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, “Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us, and not to the world?” ²³ Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. ²⁴ Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father’s who sent me.

²⁵ “These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. ²⁶ But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. ²⁷ Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. ²⁸ You heard me say to you, ‘I am going away, and I will come to you.’ If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. ²⁹ And now I have told you before it takes place, so that when it does take place you may believe. ³⁰ I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no claim on me, ³¹ but I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father. Rise, let us go from here.

And we hear Jesus continuing on in this truth of His intimate community with God the Father, and our community with Him. This is a great comfort to us, and it is meant to be one. Even people who have full homes, and loving family experience times of loneliness. We all have moments where we feel like it really is just us against the world. And as difficult as it is to think about, even our closest friends and family members will let us down from time to time, even if that was the farthest thing from their heart or intention. This is why our community with Christ and His with the Father is so important. listen to His words again:

³ Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. ²⁴ Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father’s who sent me.

Our love is exhibited by our obedience, His love is exhibited by His presence with us. Sin should divide us, but Jesus has broken down the dividing wall of hostility. His holiness and our sin should have nothing to do with one another, but He has provided the way for us to dwell with Him, and the Father with us through the Holy Spirit. And because of this great act of love, like Jesus says, we obey Him in our love for Him.

This community with God is what brings us peace. Just like Isaiah was given when he stood before the altar of God, we receive the same peace. Just like John was given as he was being shown the new heavens and the new earth. Just like Moses, Elijah and so many other messengers of God were sustained in their hardship by the presence of God, we are given that same peace.

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

Rest in this knowledge, in this truth of faith, when you are in Christ, you are never alone. Fear is not your master, Jesus will never let you down. Simply trust. Simply rest. Simply know that you are precious to Him, and that He is glorified in you as you walking in that loving obedience to Him, powered by the gift of grace through Christ Jesus.  We are blessed by this hope, and blessed to be a blessing to others as we live in this truth. This is how we walk in confidence in the rhythms of grace, knowing we are never alone.