"Our Need For Peace" (Luke 2:8-20)

Introduction

In a disruptive and often challenging world, we need to know that God is with us. That is what we talked about last week. What is it about God being with us that means the most? Possibly, it is the broad concept of peace. Into the inner turmoil of our own lives, and into the external pressures of the world … comes the Prince of Peace – Jesus Christ. The little baby of the nativity scene ultimately becomes the person on who the whole destiny of our lives depend.

Will we be able to do life in a way that fulfils our God-given purpose? Will we be able to do life in a way that, when we look back on it, we would have made a difference for good? There is a saying … “What we do in life echoes in eternity”. For those echoes to be positive in the lives of others, then surely we will need a full measure of God’s peace through Jesus.

The Coming of Peace

We need God’s peace both internally and externally, and Jesus provides the way. Last week we saw how the prophet Isaiah spoke of the provision of God in the face of the rebellion of his people. When they forgot or ignored the reality and faithfulness of God, God said that he would remind them of his presence. Enter “Immanuel” – “God is with us”. Isaiah later went on to describe more about this “Immanuel” … in chapter 9, and in verse 6 we read:

For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders; and he is named Wonderful counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

The “Prince of Peace” is the epitome of peace, the source of peace, the example of peace; and this is Jesus. And we need this “Prince of Peace” in our lives, if we are going to ably deal with any darkness or sin within us, and then deal with all the attacks of negativity and evil around us.

What is “peace”?? The Hebrew notion of ‘shalom’ helps us understand what is to be gained here. ‘Shalom’ encompasses all of life … everything from someone’s personal, emotional and spiritual welfare … toward a sense of flourishing, through to a whole nation’s economic, ecological and social well-being. Ultimate ‘shalom’ (or biblical ‘peace’) is the – webbing together of God, humanity and creation … in justice, fulfilment and delight (Plantinga). Such ‘peace’ is about an uninterrupted connectedness to the One who lovingly created us … in the context of everything around us.

We read that the angels said (or sang) to the shepherds, Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth … peace among those whom he favours (Luke 2:14). Wow! No wonder then, when these shepherds were given a glimpse of the possibility of ‘shalom’, they said to each other, “Let us go now to Bethlehem, and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us” (Luke 2:15). For, shepherds of the time were not well regarded, and whether they deserved this bad reputation or not, this happening would be very good news for them – that the power of the stigma against them, might be overwhelmed by a fresh Divine gift of peace.

So from the words of Isaiah eight centuries earlier, to the song of the angels recorded here in Luke, to the presence of Jesus on earth and in our lives, we are to be expectant concerning a glorious gift of peace. This peace can come to dwell deeply within us, and then become a force for great good as it works its way first through us … and then out of us … into the world.

Who gets this peace?? Those who God favours (2:14)! Who does God favour? Well, as God gives grace to all, and gives an opportunity of relationship with Jesus to all, then those who are “favoured”, are all those who respond and receive this gift of grace! In so doing, these ones are also recipients of God’s peace!! So, as we believe in and follow Jesus, we are being given his peace. As sin is what divorces us from harmony with God, the fact that Jesus took this sin burden upon himself to the cross, liberates us to experience peace.

As we sincerely seek to walk in new ways, there is nothing standing in the way of experiencing peace. We are forgiven, accepted and valued – we belong to Jesus – the “Prince of Peace”. Our peace starts in the vertical plane, where God imparts peace into our lives; but soon, this peace (if it is real), moves into the horizontal plane – where it starts affecting how we live in the world. We start to enjoy peace with others.

When the angel first came to the shepherds, they were terrified! This was out of left field – pretty strange indeed. Yet these shepherds were open to an explanation … they didn’t have closed minds – and an explanation they got! This angelic appearance was actually good news – the long-awaited Messiah had come to his people … to save them from their destructive paths. When these shepherds were open to the possibilities of such truth, and they took those first steps toward Bethlehem – then they were on the road to peace.

Not only this – when the shepherds reached their destination and spoke of what they had seen and heard about the baby Jesus … we read that Mary was deeply encouraged (2:19) – “Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart” She was at peace! God had worked his peace through these shepherds … deep into the heart of Mary.

Sometimes we will be deeply troubled about issues close to us, or concerns further afield. There will likely be some hardships or conflicts around the next corner. Peace from Jesus may not solve the issue or concern in the short-term, but this peace will steady the storm in our spirit, and will allow us to keep perspective and find ways of participating in the various solutions required. We certainly need this sense of peace, through the hustle and speed that sometimes impacts our lives.

Other times this sense of the availability of peace … will lead us into a time of rest and prayer, so that we don’t get detached from the very source of this peace. When Jesus was comforting his disciples about the hostility that they would face in the future, as they tackled the anti-God ‘principalities and powers’ in the world, he said to them, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you” (John 14:27). This would be part of the Holy Spirit’s work in their lives, as they tackled their God-given mission.

The Sharing of Peace

Having experienced peace personally, how do we contribute to seeing peace in the world?? Paul wrote to the church in Rome, “If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all” (12:18), and also these words, “Let us then pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding” (14:19).

Jesus himself said, “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you – so that you may be children of your Father in heaven (Matt 5:44-5). This is the sort of activity that turns the way of the world on its head – this is counter-cultural … this is why Jesus came! His disciples are called to set a new standard, and this can be achieved through the peace that now reigns in us! Earlier (in the ‘sermon on the mount’), Jesus said, “Blessed are the peace-makers, for they will be called children of God” (Matt 5:9). There is no greater point of identification of the true Christian than this … acts of peace-making!

And this activity of peace-making is never wasted nor unnoticed, and becomes its own reward, for James writes, “… a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace for those who make peace” (3:18). Peace-makers will notice that they are increasingly helping to resolve disputes, quell arguments, reconcile aggrieved parties – where there may have been conflict in the past, this tends NOT to happen anymore. There is a new propensity to live in harmony within one’s environment – with family members, neighbours, people at work, service-providers.

Peace-making must be combined with the seeking of justice, if the peace that results is to be true peace. This brings a great challenge to we modern-day disciples of Jesus. Ross Langmead wrote, “The task is huge, and all we can do is bite off a small corner and begin chewing away at it”. Another saying goes like this: “I wondered why somebody didn’t do something for peace – then I realised that I am somebody” (Anon).

In the Gospel of Luke chapter 4 (vs 16-19), Jesus famously quoted, from that same prophet Isaiah, what his job description on earth would be: bringing good news to the poor, proclaiming release to the captives, recovery of sight to the blind, letting the oppressed go free, embracing the year of Jubilee pardon; deliberately stopping in his reading of Isaiah prior to any mention of vengeance! This reinforced a new human standard; one that has unfortunately been largely neglected.

Ancient prophets Isaiah (2:4) and Micah (4:3) cast a glorious vision of the Kingdom of God and Eternal Heaven, where various weapons of war (swords and spears) are converted into ploughshares and pruning hooks i.e. the productive tools of farming. This should be how we aim to live now! These prophecies were given, and embraced by Jesus, so that we might live and work according to God’s ways (even in the midst of chaos).

The prophets, Jesus, Paul and James, all point out the reasons why peace in the world escapes us. We could easily form a list. James, for one, talks about conflicts and disputes coming out of the cravings that are at war within us (4:1). Discord has its roots from the smallest incidence of personal selfishness through to international power-hungry greed. We should NOT accept things the way they are – personally … inside us, or globally … about us! Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you” (John 14:27).

Yet, so often we get twisted up about things, or others respond to our overtures of peace by slamming a door in our face, and then we are confronted in the world by one act of violence after another. We can easily get weary of the struggle. But we can’t give up on the possibility of peace while we serve the ‘Prince of Peace’. This is NOT an option! So what can we do – and not just as a last resort?? We can pray … and thus seek new insight, patience, or whatever it is we need to keep pursuing a ministry of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5).

A Story of Forgiveness

In 1986, Linda White’s 26 year-old pregnant daughter was raped and shot dead by two 15 year-old boys … who she had stopped to help (because their car had broken down). Naturally Linda was overcome with grief and anger with what had happened to her daughter. She recalls, “I didn’t see [those] boys as humans at that time – I was pleased when they both were sentenced to long terms in prison”. At first Linda and her husband joined victim-support groups – but they felt scant comfort there; she said, “Nobody moved, everyone stayed the same – I didn’t want to be five years down the road, and [still] be the way they were … full of bitterness”.

Courageously, Linda asked to meet in person with her daughter’s murderers. She was able to meet with one of them – Gary Brown. Linda was astonished at how young and vulnerable he looked. He had been abused and neglected early in his life. In their meeting, Gary expressed total remorse and offered no excuses for his crime. Linda describes the encounter as “incredibly healing”. Her feelings changed. Linda’s grief was transformed into a kind of love that other worldviews are at a loss to explain – a love so profound … that it led to her forgiving her daughter’s killers. She said that Gary’s resolve to live a better life was the only atonement he could make, and all that can be asked of him.

Gary Brown was released from prison in 2010, having served 23 years, a remarkably different person. But Linda was released too – from old ideas that chained her to hate. She had become an advocate of ‘restorative justice’, which helps victims find peace, and gives offenders a chance to try to make things right. Linda White sacrificed her ‘right’ to see her daughter’s murder avenged – instead choosing love and grace over vengeance. She eventually came to see the murderer as human. Her selfless love gave Gary hope that he could change. This is a ministry of peace and reconciliation. This is the Gospel! This is what Jesus has done for all of us, and what Jesus calls us to do for others. [Source: Jeff Myers, Outreach Magazine, 22 Aug 2017.]

Conclusion

Jesus demonstrated what it was like to live in this peace. As the ‘Prince of Peace’, Jesus was able to deal effectively with untold challenges of evil – the temptation of Satan, the presence of demons (and all sorts of sickness and incapacity), the harsh criticism of religious officialdom, and the rejection of the people in his own hometown of Nazareth. Have you imagined the sort of emotional strain that Jesus lived under at times!! No wonder he wanted to get away to pray at certain occasions!

Yet, when such times of prayer were regularly interrupted by another ministry demand, Jesus was able to respond perfectly to the needs of the minute. This was peace! In that scene in Luke 4, where the people of Nazareth wanted to throw Jesus off the cliff because of their rejection of his peace-laden teaching, we read that “[Jesus] passed through the midst of them and went on his way” (4:30).

Every time the Pharisees (and the like) tried to trap Jesus into some sort of contradiction in his teaching, Jesus was able to creatively tell a story or point to something, that just rang true (and liberated people from the oppression they were being held under). Ultimately, the peace within Jesus ... meant that he was able to endure the cross, not stepping away from it, despite natural human inclinations to want to. The peace within him … urged Jesus to want to bring this peace to others. And under the torture of a severe flogging and the cross itself, rather than thinking revenge, Jesus said (incredibly), “Father forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34).

How do we get this peace? Simply surrender to Jesus and receive his forgiveness. Begin to follow Jesus as his disciple, under his care and discipline. Immerse yourself in the Gospels – Matthew, Mark, Luke and John – to see how Jesus exhibited peace in all his actions and interactions. And then, start to track the level at which you could describe yourself as a peacemaker.

Do you forgive others, or tend to hold resentment. There is NO peace for those who hold grudges! Do you tend to divide or reconcile? Do you celebrate division, or rather actively seek harmony in relationships? Are you active in building strong and harmonious community? Do you deal well with difference and diversity, such that you see the possibilities of people from all nations coming together in God’s kingdom?

Isaiah (in 11:6-9) provides a vision of creation put back right ... through peace:

The wolf shall live with the lamb,
   the leopard shall lie down with the kid,
the calf and the lion and the fatling together,
   and a little child shall lead them.
⁷ The cow and the bear shall graze,
   their young shall lie down together;
   and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
⁸ The nursing child shall play over the hole of the asp,
   and the weaned child shall put its hand on the adder’s den.
⁹ They will not hurt or destroy
   on all my holy mountain;
for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord
   as the waters cover the sea.

We need the peace that only Jesus brings. Amen!

Blessing

May the peace of Christ rule in your hearts.