God's Peace

This morning I want to focus on just two verses of our gospel reading for today. Jesus was about to leave this world and that meant lots of trouble lay ahead for his disciples. He spoke these words to his disciples to comfort them and assure them that they would not have to fight the battle on their own and even when they face extreme adversity, his peace would always be with them. This assurance is also for you my friends so listen carefully. In vs 25 and 26 Jesus says:

25 “These things I have spoken to you while being present 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 things that I 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 heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

The quest for peace is as old as recorded history. Wealthy men like Andrew Carnegie, Alfred Nobel, and others donated fortunes to support peace movements. The gruesome and mass loss of life in both World War I & II led nations of the world to think more in terms of peace and preservation of life. Thus was formed the United Nations.

Every year a Nobel peace prize is given. Although the UN was formed primarily as a peace keeping organization, it was the UN that sanctioned the use of force during the US lead allied forces in Iraq. Today, we know they have no solution as far as Ukraine and Russia. I am sure you will agree that we just do not have the ability to bring about lasting peace among nations.

The dictionary describes peace as the absence of war or other hostilities. It is a sort of harmony from disagreements and potential loss of lives. In other words as the world looks at it, peace is the absence of conflict but that is not the kind of peace Jesus was talking about. He is talking about our shalom; our inner personal peace. As the Apostle Paul phrases it, “it is a peace that passes human understanding” that came through the death and resurrection of our Lord.

The same one who calmed the storm on the Sea of Galilee can bring calm to our lives as well. Jesus who is also known as the Prince of Peace gives to us his peace. In other words, he is giving us a part of himself. It is a gift from God to us that can be fully felt and understood only when we accept it in faith. This kind of peace does not mean that we will not have tribulations but it does mean that even in the midst of the worst of life’s storms, we will still be able to lift our heads up and clap our hands for joy because in Him and trough Him we more than conquerors through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Christians will always find themselves in a continuous conflict with demonic powers and their enablers. Some choose to fight in their own strength but they are no match for the evil one. In vs. 25 Jesus says:

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 things that I said to you.

Our fight is against principalities and powers in dark places but that should never discourage us because God has given us his comforter, the Holy Spirit to fight for us. It is not by might or by power but by my Spirit says the Lord!

For a frustrated or Godless person, the world offers options too. Prozac and Paxil is one of the most prescribed drugs in America. These are anxiety or antidepressant drugs that numb our thoughts for a while but it is not a permanent fix.

Others hit the bottle, use opioids or other street drugs but in reality it is downward spiral from there. Once again, the world has no solutions for inner peace. My friends, listen to Jesus. He loves you immensely and is both your Savior and friend. He says. “My Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Therefore, let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” Rather than quoting a lot of scripture let me share with you a real life story that illustrates this kind of peace so very well.

I am sure most of you may not be familiar with the name of Horatio Spafford. You can read about his story on the internet. He was both a successful attorney and real estate investor who lost a fortune in the great Chicago fire of 1871. And it was not just about the monetary stuff. Around the same time he lost his four year old son from scarlet fever.