|
Where is My Peace?
(John 14: 23-29)
(A Sermon preached May 13, 2007 at University United Methodist
Church, East Lansing MI by Kennetha Bigham-Tsai)
There are many things that disturb our spirits and drive out any sense of
peace. The arrival of a new baby can disturb our peace and sometimes the peace
of the neighbors. The lack of sleep that comes with that happy event can
certainly disturb our sense of peace.
And other life situations can unsettle us, cause us confusion and distraction
and disturb our peace. Job loss and insecurity can challenge our sense of peace.
The economic woes of our State and of our region can disturb the peace of us
all. On the world stage—climate change-- the continued violence and loss of life
in Iraq and the uncertainty about what to do about that conflict—these are
situations that can disturb our sense of peace.
And the list goes on-- difficulties in relationships-- illness or the death
of a loved one—a move or a new job, or any kind of major change. Indeed, even
graduation, which is certainly a joyous event, is still a transition that can
disturb our peace. New college graduates may be disturbed by the prospect of a
tight job market. New high school grads may wonder what it will be like to leave
home and go away to college. Graduation is an event that can be a rocky
experience even for a parent who must begin the process of grieving that child
who is leaving the nest.
These are the many life situations that can disturb our peace. And, sometimes
we can have periods of our lives when a lack of peace is not situational, but
constant—when we are constantly disturbed, constantly at odds with ourselves,
constantly unhappy, constantly feeling as if something is missing—as if we
missed something—as if we are somehow empty and incomplete—constantly feeling
out of sorts, constantly asking ourselves—“Where is our peace?”
But friends, when we ask this question—or questions like this--Scripture can
often give us hope. For this passage in John gives us hope that we can have
peace despite our situations. It gives us hope that we can have peace even in
the midst of disturbance. And, it gives us hope that we can have a certain kind
of peace—a peace which comes through Christ and is not of this world.
Now there are a few things I must tell you about this passage first. You see,
in this passage Jesus is sitting at the table with his disciples. They are
sharing the Passover meal together. And that meal is about to come to an end.
Judas has already left the table and has gone to betray Jesus. The disciples
have claimed that they love Jesus and will stick by him for the rest of their
lives. But Jesus knows that they will fall short--that they will abandon him and
deny him.
Jesus also knows that he is going to die—that the crucifixion is imminent.
And he knows that when he is crucified, his disciples will lose their peace.
The disciples will lose their peace, because so far their peace has not been
based upon a solid foundation. Their peace has been based on the distant hope
that their savior has come, not as sacrificial lamb of God, but as a king who
will lead them in their resistance to the domination of Rome.
These are a persecuted people who are looking for a savior who is politically
savvy and who has the power to affect their standing in their society. This is
the Early Church primary, and Jesus seems like their best candidate. He seems
like the best man to bring them a peace based on power and influence and victory
over an oppressor. Their peace is based on this image of Jesus.
But Jesus hints that this is not the kind of peace he offers. The peace that
Jesus gives is not of this world. It has nothing to do with political power. It
has nothing to do with economic security. It has nothing to do with prowess and
victory in battle. It has nothing to do with status and influence. It has
nothing to do with peace as it is understood in the world. It instead has to do
with a peace which has its foundation in love.
Indeed, though peace is a central theme of this passage, Jesus begins by
talking about love, for love is the basis of the peace Jesus offers. If you
love me, you will keep my commandments. If you keep those commandments, then I
will dwell with you, and I will give you my peace.
Jesus first suggests that they should love him and that the keeping of his
commandments will be the evidence of that love. Now remember that Jesus’ central
commandments always had to do with love. He called his disciples to love God
with heart, mind and soul and to love neighbor as self. He called them to love
each other so that the world would know that they were his. He called them to
love the outcast and the downtrodden especially—to love the foreigner and the
poor especially. Then he called them to love even their enemies—to love those
who persecuted them. Much of what Jesus commanded had to do with love.
So here he challenges them—if you really love me then you will do as I have
commanded, and you will love. You will begin by loving God who is revealed in
me. Indeed, if you love me then you have fulfilled the first and greatest
commandment, because through me you have loved God. Indeed, I am the incarnation
of God. When you see me you see God. When you love me you love God.
And when you love God in me, then that love is returned to you. For I promise
that I will be with you in love—that God will be with you in love—that the Holy
Spirit, your advocate will be with you in love until the end of time. Then, you
will have peace.
What Jesus is saying to the disciples is that peace for Christian disciples
rests in their love of God in Christ. When they love God in Christ, they enter
into a relationship with God in which they can receive divine love. It is like
they enter God’s house and sit down at the table and share in a relationship of
familial love. They love God and so enter into a love relationship with God.
And, their love for God makes real in their lives God’s incarnational love
for them. For the disciples realize that in Christ God has loved them so much
that God has chosen to be present with them. The disciples realize that the
meaning of God’s love is presence—they realize that God has shown God’s love for
them, by coming to dwell with them in the person of Jesus Christ. The disciples
will find peace when they enter into that presence by loving God—when they enter
into a relationship of divine love.
And so Jesus tells the disciples that even though he is leaving—even though
he will be crucified, through his departure, he is coming to be present with
them through the Holy Spirit for eternity. Christ will die, and the Holy Spirit
will become the reality of God’s presence with them and of God’s love for them.
It is this presence of the Holy Spirit --the reality of God’s love for them
which is the basis for their peace.
Now, Jesus knows that when he leaves the disciples will be thrown into
spiritual confusion. Their hearts will be troubled and they will be afraid. They
will hide in the upper room arguing about what to do next. They will be without
any real sense of peace. And so he promises them his peace—a peace not based
upon the criteria of the world, but a peace based upon love—their love for God
in Christ—peace based upon God’s love for them—a love made real through the
incarnation and the crucifixion and the promise of God’s forever presence
through the Holy Spirit.
But friends, this peace is based on more than their love for God and God’s
love for them. This peace is also based upon their fulfillment of all that
Christ has commanded them to do. And remember, that Christ has also called them
to love others. Christ has called them to be the extension of God’s love for the
world. Christ has called them to lift others up; to welcome others; to love
others so that God in Christ can be revealed to the world. And in this love they
will find peace. For in loving others, they will have the peace of Christ which
can only exist as love.
And so what does that mean for us today? In those times of life when we are
without peace—when we are empty inside, lost, lonely, when it seems that nothing
fits and that we do not fit—when we are spiritually bereft and confused, Jesus
Christ promises us peace—peace through our love for him which makes real God’s
love for us, realized through the coming of God to be present with us and to
dwell with us.
This is where our real peace rests—in the presence of God in Christ and in
love. We must find ways first to love God with all of our heart, mind and soul
and then to love our neighbor as ourselves. And then, no matter what happens in
life and in this world, we will have a peace that surpasses all situations. We
will have a peace that rests in love.
And so how do we fulfill Christ’s commandment to love God and others? We love
God by coming here. We love God by worshipping together. We love when we sing
songs of joy to God. We love when we pray. We love by committing some part of
each day to being with God. We love by studying God’s word. We love through our
very thoughts of God.
Then we love by slowing down. We love by taking a moment to notice something
beautiful in the world, knowing that God is in all creation and in all beauty.
We love by thanking God. In all of these ways we love God, and in that love we
find peace.
And then we seek our peace even more as we love others. And so we love by
nurturing our friendships and our relationships with our life partners and with
our children. We love by giving someone the gift of a smile. We love by giving
someone the gift of unconditional acceptance. We love by rejecting judgment.
We love by welcoming others into our lives and into our church. We love by
offering someone a helping hand. We love by praying for others. We love by
praying with others.
We love by meeting discord in others with calm. We love by meeting conflict
and strife with a soothing word. We love by forgiving. We love by rejecting
revenge and violence. We love by building up and not tearing down. We love and
in this love we find peace. For in loving, we keep the central commandments of
Christ—in loving, we become Christ here on earth.
And, when we do this, we have the peace of Christ—we have the presence of God
in Christ with us, which gives us peace. Where is my peace? My peace and your
peace—our peace is in our love—in our love for God in Christ—in our love for
others through Christ—in our keeping of God’s commandment to love. “Peace I
leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives.
Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid. Those who
love me will keep my commandments to love God and others, and my God will love
them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. And they will have
peace. Amen.
|
