In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

     Most of us fear the future. We may fear tomorrow-or we may fear what may happen next week or next month, and some of us may spend time worrying and being anxious about what might happen next year, or ten years from now, or yes, some of us fear our time of death. Today, our gospel lesson and the words of Jesus, Himself, challenge us to confront our fear and to find strength and assurance, in faith.

     And we begin this morning, not with ourselves, but with the disciples, reclining at table with Jesus at the Last Supper, just hours before He would be arrested, beaten and tried, and then condemned to death. We can picture Jesus and the twelve, that Maundy Thursday evening. They were sharing the Passover Meal, and Jesus had arranged for a room and for all that would be needed to celebrate the special meal that would bring into the present, the experience of the Israelites in Egypt-- how, having smeared their doorposts and lintels with lamb's blood so that the angel of death would "pass-over", they then ate the flesh of the sacrificial lamb, drank of the cup, and prepared for their deliverance. Contrary to what some would have us believe, the disciples and Jesus the head of the household at this Passover Seder, did not sit in a circle around a table, facing each other-which is where we got the free-standing table-altar arrangement. Rather, Jesus and the twelve would have all been seated on the same side of the table, facing the same direction-so that those serving could approach from the other side of the table. And they were not sitting up, in padded black folding chairs-they reclined for the meal, as did all in the middle-eastern world. But the twelve were not lying back, relaxing, enjoying the food and wine and conversation. First, because they all knew the tension that existed in Jerusalem, upon Jesus' return. First, because Jesus had been warned not to return to Jerusalem, for fear of the religious leaders who were out to get Jesus by hook or by crook. The Pharisees and scribes had tried to trick Jesus into incriminating himself, they had tried to get Him to blaspheme, which was a capital offense. And when Jesus had left Jerusalem, they had all breathed a sigh of relief that Jesus would not now be in the face of the religious establishment. But on Palm Sunday, He had returned-not sneaking quietly into the Holy City, but riding into the city on a donkey, like a King entering the city! And they all knew that this would've stirred up the anti-Jesus sentiment among the leaders. And now, as they were at the meal, Jesus told them quite plainly, that one of them was prepared to betray Him. This meant they would be coming for Jesus. And then, Jesus began to talk with His disciples about what was to come-how he would be glorified, by His own death, and how He would be leaving them alone-going to a place they couldn't come. All of this they understood, at least on the surface, because they knew His very life was in danger. And for one of them to betray Jesus meant certain death-for Him, and maybe for them, as His associates! So, knowing all this, did they sit at meal, calm, collected, laughing and taking their ease? Did they rest there, being refreshed, like people should at a dinner-party? Hardly. They were instead, filled with fear and trepidation. The tension was palpable-you could cut it with a knife. They were afraid for what would happen-later that night, the next morning, the next week. In fact, their entire future as followers of Jesus was in question, because the death of Jesus might mean, not just the end of the mission, but their end, as well! They were guilty by association, and might very well be arrested with Jesus, and find themselves nailed to crosses, with Him! And Jesus saw the fear in their eyes. Jesus saw their anxiety and worry. Jesus knew they were troubled. If you're aware and perceptive, it's not difficult to see that in someone-especially someone who's right there with you!

     And I have to say, some weeks, I think I can see that in some of you. I see you sitting there, afraid, worried, anxious, troubled. Concerned about what the future will bring. Unsure about tomorrow, next week, next month, next year. Concerned about whether you will have a job next week-and how you will provide for your family. Worried about the lump just recently discovered in your body. Troubled by your teenagers who seem, at times, so difficult and unwilling or unable to apply themselves, and cooperate. Afraid for your spouse who is deployed, afraid what might happen while deployed, afraid what might happen when he or she returns. We are anxious about many things-job, finances, relationships, elderly parents, cancer, surgery, mortgage, college tuition, children and youth, oh, the list of things that cause us fear of the future is endless-so great that our lives can be consumed, really, by our worry and concern. So that we come to sit at the meal-the meal that should be the Passover meal of our deliverance, and instead, we are burdened and troubled. We gather at the table with Peter and James and John, and yes, with Judas, and Jesus can see it in each of our faces. Life sometimes makes us afraid. Life makes us uncertain about the future. And our hearts are bothered, and weighed down. Today, we sit in the Upper Room with the disciples, and maybe some few of us are uplifted and light-hearted. Maybe some few of us have things going great in life, and we just don't have a concern about the future. But our faces betray most of us. And Jesus sees, and Jesus knows-which is why Jesus says, "Do not let your hearts be troubled." Do not let your hearts be troubled, says Jesus. And how does that strike you? Does that sound like so many other well-meaning friends and confidants, urging you, "Don't worry, be happy?" It might sound like that, were it not for the fact that Jesus goes on to explain and instruct and encourage His disciples, in how we are to deal with our troubled hearts-how it is that we can move from fear of the future, to the strength of faith-faith which gives us courage and confidence to continue on in life. And Jesus offers this, to His disciples, because He knows those first followers were going to need courage and confidence, to get through the next two or three days. Jesus saw in their eyes, debilitating fear, that might cause the disciples to lose all hope and abandon life itself, once they saw Him arrested, humiliated, scourged and crucified. The problem with the disciples, and our problem, at times is-we focus only on the moment. We see only our momentary trials and tribulations. We become blinded by the troubles of the day, and have difficulty looking beyond this present affliction, to God's wonderful, exciting future. Jesus didn't need to get the twelve disciples past the next decade or so, He just needed to get them past the Garden of Gethsemane, past Good Friday and Golgotha, past the darkness of Holy Saturday, to the joy of Easter Sunday! He really just needed to get them through the next two and a half days-to be through what would seem the end, to God's new beginning, and new life and resurrection. And to get them through, what does Jesus offer? To help them overcome their fear and anxiety, what does Jesus give? Faith, that is itself a gift from God-because it is not faith as a human construct-it's not faith as an intellectual exercise-it's faith in the God who created us and sustains us, and now, through Jesus' death and resurrection, is with us always, even to the close of the age. St. Cyril of Alexandria writes, "Here, Jesus makes an able soldier out of one who recently was a coward. And while the disciples were suffering with the anxieties of fear, he commands them to cling to the intense power of faith. Faith," writes Cyril, "is a weapon whose blade is stout and broad; it drives away all cowardice that may spring from the expectation of coming suffering and renders the darts of evildoers utterly void of effect and makes their temptations utterly profitless." This is why Jesus says not just, "Do not let your hearts be troubled", but then, "believe in God-believe also in me". And then Jesus goes on, "in my Father's house are many dwelling places.and I go to prepare a place for you, and just as I will go and prepare a place for you, I will also come again, and take you to myself. So.believe in God, believe also in me. Believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in me. Because.the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do, and in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father, and I will do whatever you ask in my name. If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it."

     Now, whether those first disciples grasped hold of the power in these words of Jesus, we don't know for certain. What we do know is-Judas still betrayed Jesus, and Peter still denied Him three times, and the eleven remaining disciples hid behind locked doors, after Jesus was arrested and put to death. But before we chastise them, let's ask ourselves whether we grasp hold of the power in these words of Jesus. To ward off fear and calm our troubled hearts, and combat worry and anxiety in life, do we grab hold of the intense power of faith? Do we wield faith as a weapon whose blade is broad and stout-believing in God and in Jesus His Son, in such a way that we receive power and courage and strength and steadfastness in life? Do we cling to this faith, so that we can do the works of Jesus, and even greater works than these-works of love and service, doing the will of the Father, as we follow Jesus, the Way, the Truth and the Life? Without a doubt, we do at times falter and fail. At times, our hearts do indeed become troubled. But at these times, Jesus calls us to believe in Him, and the Father who sent Him. St. Chrysostom says, "Jesus shows the power of the Godhead within him, discerning the disciples' inner feelings when he says, "Let not your hearts be troubled, believe in God, believe also in me. Faith, too, in me, and in the Father who begat me," Jesus says, "is more powerful than anything that shall come upon you." It is that faith, in the Father and the Son, which overcomes fear and doubt and uncertainty and weakness. It is that belief in God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, that transcends fear of the future and gives to us, through the death and resurrection of Jesus, confidence, courage and strength. Faith is the weapon God gives us to combat cowardice; belief in Him, is the power at work within us, to bring us to victory and new life-so that our hearts need not be troubled-so that hope can replace fear, and joy can take the place of worry and anxiety-so that finally, resurrection, will spring forth from death, and we will live in our Father's mansion, forever. So today-let us believe! Today, let us receive faith in God-today, let us find fear of the future, dispelled by faith in Jesus Christ, and Him crucified and risen!

     In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.