The Pursuit Of Peace Series

What is peace?

Peace is something that we often long for in a variety of areas of our lives - interpersonal, political, financial, academic, even internal, and spiritual peace. Peace in all of these things is achieved through a variety means, but many of those means seem to contradict one another. In other words - peace in one part of life by one set of standards can lead to a lack of peace in another.

Some cultures have a standard greeting of peace. Salam or As salamu alaykum in Arabic and Aramaic, Shalom in Hebrew. Those greetings carry with them both cultural traditions and patterns, but also a genuine desire peace and completeness in all of ones life.

But again, what is peace?

Some refer to peace, not for what it is, but for what it isn’t. “To be without trouble” or “to have no worries.” Some suggest that peace is a vague sense of calm - “to sit down in one’s heart.” (Louw-Nida).

The Evangelical Dictionary of Theology notes that in English “the word “peace” conjures up a passive picture, one showing an absence of civil disturbance or hostilities, or a personality free from internal and external strife.” (p. 597) Those do mark the presence of peace.

The Biblical concept of peace is a bit more expansive. Again the Evangelical Dictionary of Theology suggests that there are four categories of the Hebrew concept of Shalom or peace:

Shalom as “wholeness of life or body” - in other words good health

Shalom “as right relationships or harmony between two people” - often established with a covenant. In the OT sacrificial system, this was marked in relation to God with “peace offerings.”

Shalom “as prosperity, success or fulfillment” - in many ways, this is marked by a sufficiency of resources - more money than month.

Shalom “as victory over enemies or the absence of war.”

So, when Jews or NT Jewish Christians were speaking peace into one another’s lives, they were essentially saying “May your life be filled with health, prosperity, and victory.” (ibid)

In the passage we’re considering today, peace seems to be approached from different perspectives and achieved through different means, and yet Jesus even laments amidst the friction “would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace.” (Luke 19:42)

Open your Bibles to Luke 19 (around 743 in the pew bibles). We will be considering a familiar passage and events mark what has come to be known as the Triumphal Entry or Palm Sunday. As we read this, take notice of who the participants are in this section. We’ll reflect on the ways that they are each promoting peace.

Luke 19:28–44 ESV

And when he had said these things, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. When he drew near to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount that is called Olivet, he sent two of the disciples, saying, “Go into the village in front of you, where on entering you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever yet sat. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ you shall say this: ‘The Lord has need of it.’ ” So those who were sent went away and found it just as he had told them. And as they were untying the colt, its owners said to them, “Why are you untying the colt?” And they said, “The Lord has need of it.” And they brought it to Jesus, and throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it. And as he rode along, they spread their cloaks on the road. As he was drawing near—already on the way down the Mount of Olives—the whole multitude of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen, saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.”

And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it, saying, “Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. For the days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up a barricade around you and surround you and hem you in on every side and tear you down to the ground, you and your children within you. And they will not leave one stone upon another in you, because you did not know the time of your visitation.”

So, generally there are mentioned three groups of people -