Peace

-


Scripture:

Col. 3:15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful.

Observation:

The word peace is encountered over and over again in relation to the nature of God or Christ.  It is the God of peace who sanctifies us (I Thess. 5:23) and so as we come to this place in Colossians we recognize that it is this peace nature of Christ that is to rule in our lives.  Christ’s peace is to be the arbiter of every circumstance and situation.  This peace of Christ unites us together with one another as the body of Christ, but also binds us with God, becoming “partakers of the divine nature.” (2 Peter 1:4) In this word “peace” we find the “stuff” of what it means to love God and love neighbor.  The guiding principle or rule is the peace of Christ. 

Application:

Peace was what Jesus was bringing to a world that seemed to always be in conflict.  The night he was born the heavenly host came and declared:

“Glory to God in the highest heaven,
    and on earth peace among those whom he favors!” (Luke 2:14 NRSV)

Even in this verse we see the vertical and the horizontal nature of the announcement.  God receives glory  — and the world receives peace.  Love God — love neighbor.  The pattern is played out over and over again.

We continue to journey through this season of Advent, anticipating the arrival of this little one — God incarnate — who would bring peace into the world.  We have ornaments and mantle decorations that declare the word “Peace.”  Advertisements on television (whether Christian or not) want to grab onto this idea of peace at Christmas. Check out the ad for Glade Scents — inspired by “peace on earth!” 


The problem with the worlds’ emphasis on peace is that we want to have this celebration without Christ.  To a world in turmoil it was Christ who would bring a deep and enduring peace to the very depths of humanity.  It is the peace of Christ that takes us through the difficult days.  It is the peace of Christ that allows us to stretch out our hands and welcome the stranger across the way.  It is the peace of Christ that makes us want to go into all the world and tell others about him.  It is the peace of Christ that ministers to us in the our deepest moments of despair and touches us with love.  It is the peace of Christ that binds together God’s children in unity so that the world can look at the church and say, “see how they love one another.” 

The Advent season anticipates “peace on earth.”  Christ, the Messiah is coming to usher in a world that operates on a different paradigm.  I’m afraid that too often Christians have been unwilling to allow the peace of Christ to rule to the very depths of who we are.  We like to nurse our hurts, our pains and our fears.  Jesus came to touch us in those very places. 

If we allow peace to rule our lives we will be transformed on a daily basis.  The season of peace is here.  Will peace break out among God’s people?

Prayer:

Lord, may your peace rule in my life today.  Amen.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Take Off Your Ornaments

-
Scripture: Ex. 33:4 ¶ When the people heard these harsh words, they mourned, and no one put on ornaments. Ex. 33:5 For the LORD had said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites, ‘You are a stiff-necked people; if for a single moment I should go up among you, I would consume you. So now take off your ornaments, and I will decide what to do to you.’” Ex. 33:6 Therefore the Israelites stripped themselves of their ornaments, from Mount Horeb onward. Observation: The people had sinned before God by making and worshiping the golden calf!  They had taken their golden jewelry — the earrings and other items they had gotten from the Egyptians and used them to create an idol.  Now, in an act of humility and repentance they were to take off all of their jewelry and ornaments.  It was a time of mourning over their sin and it included intentional action on the part of the Israelites.  Application: We don’t do all that well with humility and repentance!  It seems that we live in a ti...
Read more

Does God Value Boys More than Girls?

-
Scripture: Lev. 12:1 ¶ The LORD spoke to Moses, saying: Lev. 12:2 Speak to the people of Israel, saying: ¶ If a woman conceives and bears a male child, she shall be ceremonially unclean seven days; as at the time of her menstruation, she shall be unclean. Lev. 12:3 On the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised. Lev. 12:4 Her time of blood purification shall be thirty-three days; she shall not touch any holy thing, or come into the sanctuary, until the days of her purification are completed. Lev. 12:5 If she bears a female child, she shall be unclean two weeks, as in her menstruation; her time of blood purification shall be sixty-six days. Lev. 12:6 ¶ When the days of her purification are completed, whether for a son or for a daughter, she shall bring to the priest at the entrance of the tent of meeting a lamb in its first year for a burnt offering, and a pigeon or a turtledove for a sin offering. Lev. 12:7 He shall offer it before the LORD, and make atonement on her ...
Read more

On Grief and A Flute Player

-
Scripture: Matt. 9:23 When Jesus came to the leader’s house and saw the flute players and the crowd making a commotion, Matt. 9:24 he said, “Go away; for the girl is not dead but sleeping.” And they laughed at him. Matt. 9:25 But when the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took her by the hand, and the girl got up. Matt. 9:26 And the report of this spread throughout that district. Observation: This is a simple story which we have heard or read numerous times. Jesus heals the little girl and the people rejoice. But at the moment in which he arrives at the home he encounters the professional mourners. These are the flute players, the ones who have come to make a great noise about the child’s death. It is the flute player that testifies to the fact that she is truly dead. Also, flutes were generally employed when it came to the death of a child. The whole community would therefore understand that it is a child who has died in this home. The flute player is doing the job they have ...
Read more