26 April 2016 - peace different

[ Today's Readings ]

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.
Not as the world gives do I give it to you.
Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.
You heard me tell you,
‘I am going away and I will come back to you.

We know that the way the world gives peace doesn't work. In the world there are times when we ride high and other times when we are troubled and afraid. No matter how well we work to stack the circumstances in our favor we still experience both.

You do things differently Jesus. You want us to have peace beyond all understanding which the world cannot take away. But if we want this peace we have a response we have to make. It is still possible, as Christians, to let our hearts be troubled and afraid. If we're honest we do it all the time. We fear even those things which we know in our minds don't matter that much. And if we think about it, nothing the world can do matters that much now that you have conquered death. You deliver us from the fear of death that makes us slaves (see Hebrews 2:15).

What is it that casts out fear and gives us peace? Love! Perfect love casts out fear (First John 4:18).

For some reason hearing that makes us more afraid. We're afraid to fail at love. But it isn't our love that casts out fear. It is your love. True enough, it has to fill us and take root in our hearts. But that is a work that you do not one which we do. We just have to allow it. Are we feeling afraid to fail? We don't have to let ourselves fear. We can trust you instead. Your love gives meaning to all of the trials and hardships we undergo for the kingdom. They no longer appear as things that can stop us from reaching our goal.

I am going away and I will come back to you.’
If you loved me,
you would rejoice that I am going to the Father;

Because when our goal is your goal nothing can stop us. And that goal is union with us. That goal is love.

I will no longer speak much with you,
for the ruler of the world is coming.
He has no power over me,
but the world must know that I love the Father
and that I do just as the Father has commanded me.

It is hard to stop people who truly understand this from spreading the good news. Paul is stoned but he gets back up and heads straight back into the city.

All your works give you thanks, LORD
and your faithful bless you.
They speak of the glory of your reign
and tell of your mighty works,
Making known to the sons of men your mighty acts,
the majestic glory of your rule.