John 14:27
Peace I leave you; My peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and DO NOT BE AFRAID.
NIV
These are the words spoken by Jesus not too long before He was arrested to be crucified. These are the words spoken to His friends before the most unimaginable thing was going to happen to Him right in front of their eyes. These are the words spoken to give His friends comfort after He died a death that would make no sense to them. These are the words spoken to those closest to Him so they would be remembered much later when they, too, would be persecuted as He had been.
A question to ponder~
What would YOUR last words be to those you love if you knew you were going to die?
Jesus offered comfort that only He could give in the form of peace that would transcend any and all understanding.
Jesus offered peace in the middle of intense sorrow and fear.
Jesus told them to NOT BE AFRAID.
“The end result of the Holy Spirit’s work in our lives is deep and lasting peace. Unlike worldly peace, which is usually defined as the absence of conflict, this peace is confident assurance in any circumstance; with Christ’s peace, we have no need to fear the present or the future.
Sin, fear, uncertainty, doubt, and numerous other forces are at war within us. The peace of God moves into our hearts and lives to restrain these hostile forces and offer comfort in place of conflict.
NIV Life Application Bible Study Note
Jesus says He will give us that peace if we are willing to accept it from Him. If you life is full of stress, allow the Holy Spirit to fill you with Christ’s peace.”
I must be honest; when I began this Lectio Divina on being unafraid it was based on the idea that during a time of political uncertainty that we were facing as a nation prior to a presidential election in the middle of a social crisis while dealing with a global pandemic it might be a good topic focus on.
Because, you know, that is a lot of stuff going on.
2020 has been nothing short of surprising twists and turns with a little bit of “just when you think it was bad, things got worse” going on.
Today, as write this, I am feeling the pressure of a viral surge as it comes closer and closer to those I know and love. It is coming closer to where I work in the hospital.
There are those who think fear is irrational; that we should not be ruled by it; that we should not succumb to the precautions recommended because that would mean we have bowed down to what is threatening us.
Perhaps they are right.
However, to not be afraid is easier said than done.
Telling me to NOT BE AFRAID does not necessarily help me to be unafraid…but, since this is Jesus talking, I figure I better try to grasp what it is that He is saying and how I can achieve what it is He is asking of me.
Within this passage, it is important to remember that we have the whole story of the Gospels; the disciples did not. In the Gospels, at least three different times Jesus told His disciples what was going to happen to Him; that He would be arrested, that He would suffer, and that He would die.
But they could not comprehend what He was talking about…it made no sense to them that their Messiah was going to die as Jesus told them He would.
As we read this passage over again we must remember that the disciples would not understand why Jesus was telling them to be unafraid.
He was telling them so they would remember it later when being unafraid was going to be important. He was telling them so we would read them too.
My peace I leave you is not any ordinary kind of peace…This is Jesus saying MY peace I give you.
It is HIS peace.
The peace of God is given to us.
I do not give as the world gives.
When the world gives us something, it usually has conditions attached to it. There is rarely never something offered for nothing. Usually, there is a price to pay on our end to get what is offered. Usually, it is limited as well.
The WORLD= conditions, limitations, and a price to pay.
God?
Unmerited.
Unlimited.
Unconditional.
Do not let your hearts be troubled and DO NOT BE AFRAID.
How can He say that?
It’s all because of His peace… unlimited, unmerited, unconditional peace.
The peace of God looks like Jesus sleeping on the boat while a storm was raging and the disciples feared their boat would sink.
Jesus slept through it because He was in complete peace.
What are you afraid of?
In these days of Covid there certainly is much to worry about…to be scared of.
How can I be unafraid and be at peace???
I think on good things.
I remember the faithfulness of God.
I tell myself that I am loved.
I read the Word to be encouraged.
I watch things that edify me.
I listen to things that lift my spirits.
I talk to the Lord and tell Him I am afraid.
I recieve His peace.
Still afraid?
I repeat the process.
What Kind of Peace Is This? 