The Nod
We have a lot of greetings.
Hey!
Hello!
How are you?
How’s it going?
Hi?
Hey there!
How ya doing?
or….the nod of acknowledgement…..you guys know what I am talking about.
And those are just the ones off the top of my head. One you don’t hear often is the historic greeting of the church: “Peace be with you”
Jesus says it a lot. Perhaps the most relevant one is from John 20:19-21 (ESV)
On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 20 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. 21 Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.”
Jesus came and stood among his disciples. The men had deserted him, hid, denied him, and yet His words to them were still “Peace be with you.” It was not a message of anger, or a “see I told you so” It was not a bill, or a “to do list”. It was not “Do you believe yet?” It was greetings of peace. After the statement that things were made right between God and man, then Jesus has instructions. As He was sent, so are we sent as well. We are sent into the world with the same message that Jesus was. Your sins have been paid for. Your redeemer has come, died and lives. There is peace between you and God.
That is a big message. And, if we can reclaim it, I believe it is a message that can change the modern world. Who doesn’t need peace right now? It seems all we do is squabble and fight. But Peace, real peace, wouldn’t that be game changing? So, how do we live in peace? Consider the following verses:
Do not rebuke an older man but encourage him as you would a father, younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, younger women as sisters, in all purity. 1 Timothy 5: 1-2 (ESV)
I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself. My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me. Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of the heart. At that time each will receive their praise from God. – 1 Corinthians 4:3-5 (ESV)
For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? – 1 Corinthians 5:12 (ESV)
We are called to bear witness to Christ’s actions and to speak to the truth in a loving way:
Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ – Ephesians 4:12 (ESV)
And what is Christ’s message? “Peace be with you”.
It’s a message of repentance and acceptance, of salvation and justification and sanctification. God is not dead…. nor is He angry. He desires all to repent and be saved. He desires all to change their ways. He desires all to see His Son…that is why He was lifted up. Sin will always have a penalty…a wage…. But Christ is the way out.
In an angry world may we truly be ambassadors of peace.
And May the Peace of the Lord be with you ALWAYS.
-Pastor Dan