Where is the Peace?
I hate it when I misunderstand things. I want to know the truth of any situation…what I am seeing, hearing or reading. But sometimes I reach the wrong conclusion. I find meaning that was never meant.
We all do every now and then, which is why it’s so important to understand the truth of when Jesus came into this world.
In my country, tis the season for sharing the Christmas story. There are special sermons, wonderful plays, and beautiful music. And we can’t forget the cards – millions of them – with all kinds of inspiring words. But it’s also the season for practicing care. In celebrating Jesus’ birth, it’s easy to miss what actually occurred and misunderstand what it meant to the world. So, what did happen way back then?
Where is the peace we were promised?
A teenage girl is pregnant and her fiancé considers leaving her. After a long journey, they find no place to stay. Her child is born where animals are kept and placed in a trough where they eat. Shepherds arrive saying an angel told them of the birth of this child, the Messiah.
A few years later, foreigners tell the ruler of the land that a new king has been born. They find the child but do not tell the ruler. Enraged, he has every boy two years old and under killed. But the young family escapes, becoming refugees in a foreign country.
Merry Christmas? Where’s the peace we hear so much about? We see images of a loving father and mother, a beautiful baby, smiling animals—marketing more interested in money than getting it right. Even churches confuse the message with stories of the child who came to bring peace to the earth.
But what would this same child tell us one day?…Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division. 1 I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. 2 I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. 3
Our peace is not a what but a Who!
When you see a Christmas play, does the narrator say, “The child came to divide us”? When you hear a carol, does the choir sing, “Blessed be the child who came with a sword”? When pastors tell of Jesus’ birth, do they mention, “He did not come to bring peace”? No? So what does it all mean?
Jesus came into this world as the Way to our Heavenly Father—a narrow path that divides those who follow Him from those who embrace the world. He came as the Truth of His love—a divine knowledge that cuts through and reveals the evil in man’s heart. He came as the Life for His friends—one filled with God’s mercy, forgiveness, and joy, given freely to all who believe in Him.
Jesus came so we might be reconciled with God and, despite the violence, hatred and suffering in this world, have everlasting peace in Him. Jesus did not come to bring peace. He himself is our peace! 4 A child was born and Peace was on the earth. I pray we will understand.
Ciloa Forever!
Chuck
Chuck Graham is Founder and Executive Director of Ciloa, an international ministry devoted to encouraging others and teaching them how to encourage one another. He is also an author and speaker. Chuck and his wife, Beverly, live in Lawrenceville, Georgia, USA. Learn more about Chuck and Ciloa at www.Ciloa.org.
Footnotes: The original version of this Note of Encouragement (May God bless you with Peace) was published December 26, 2011. (1) Read Luke 12:51. (2) Read Matthew 10:34. (3) Read John 16:33a. (4) Read Ephesians 2:12-14.
Pictures: Banner: . (1) . (2) . (3) For Unto Us a Child is Born, art by Simon Dewey, AltusFineArt.com.
