Troubled (ταράσσω) means to shake together, stir up, or throw into confusion.
A few years after the birth of Christ, three magi from the east came to Judea looking for the King of the Jews. This troubled Herod, a Roman King, Matthew 2:3. After gathering all the High Priests and scribes of Israel to determine where the Christ would be born, Herod sent the Magi to Bethlehem to seek out the child with the pretense that he wanted to also prostate before Him.
While Zacharias was performing his priestly service in the Temple of the Lord, an angel from the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the altar of incense. Zacharias was troubled when he saw the messenger and fear fell upon him, Luke 1:12.
After the resurrection of Christ, in one of the instances that He showed the disciples that He is, in fact, raised from the dead, when He appeared to them, at first there was great fear and trembling in them. During the journey of two of the disciples to Emmaus, a man joins them asking what they are speaking about. Surprised that he did not know about what had happened over the last few days, they informed him how the rulers of Israel put Jesus to death. A man who was great in words and works from God that they had hope was the Messiah. In response, the man opens their minds concerning how the Scripture stated it was necessity for the death and resurrection of the Messiah. While they were speaking with this stranger, their hearts burned within them. When they came to the village they constrained the stranger to come and stay with them for the night. While breaking bread, it was revealed to them that the one walking and talking with them was the resurrected Christ. They immediately went back to Jerusalem and found the eleven to inform them of what happened. While speaking to them, Jesus appears in their midst, causing them to fear, thinking he was a spirit. To reassure them, Jesus tells them to not be troubled (stirred up) or let doubt arise in their hearts for He is actually raised from the dead, proving He is resurrected and not a spirit by partaking of food with them, Luke 24:38-39.
In the upper room, before the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ, Jesus shared a lot of details about what was coming and the new relationship with God that would result from these events. However, in order for this to come about, He had to go away. Their hearts are not to be troubled by this, for in His Father’s house are many dwelling places and He is preparing a place for them, John 14:1. To stabilize the Christian, Jesus left His peace with us so that our hearts are not troubled, John 14:27.
Paul marveled at how quickly the saints in Galatia turned away from the One who called them by the grace of Christ to a different gospel. Jews from Jerusalem, claiming they were from the Apostles, came teaching that unless they are circumcised they cannot be saved, preaching another gospel and perverting the gospel of the Christ while stirring up the saints to follow them rather than the truth, Galatians 1:7. This persuasion does not come from Him who called them, for in Christ there is neither circumcision nor uncircumcision. Those troubling them will bear their judgment, Galatians 5:6.
In response to suffering because we are acting righteously, we are not to be troubled by their threats. Instead, we are to stand firm in our faith, setting apart Christ as our Lord (master) and being ready to give a verbal defense to anyone who asks about the reason for our hope, 1 Peter 3:14-15. It is a thing of grace to suffer for righteousness and the name of Christ; therefore, let none of us suffer as one who does wrong. Instead, in all things, let us seek to fulfill the desires of the Spirit and manifest the life of Christ in us while not being troubled by those who reject the truth, speak false things about us, and treat us unfairly because we refuse to partake in their debauchery. It is better to suffer for doing the desirous will of God than for doing wrong, 1 Peter 3:17.
