More on the Meaning of Peace

At the end of his time with the Disciples, Jesus said to them  

Peace I leave with 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. (John 14:27)

Christ Taking Leave of the Apostles, Duccio c. 1308
Courtesy Wikimedia Commons

What does Jesus mean by that?
This morning, I would like to point to the following thought:

“the peace we are offered is not a peace that is 

free from tragedy, illness, bankruptcy, divorce, 

depression, or heartache. 

It is peace rooted in the trust that 

the life Jesus gives us is deeper, wider, stronger, 

and more enduring 

than whatever our current circumstances are, 

because all we see is not all there is 

and the last word about us and our struggle 

has not yet been spoken.”

Just before he died, Jesus was telling his disciples that what they were seeing was not all there is.

The last word about them and about their struggle had not yet been spoken. 

As Aslan told Lucy in the book by C.S. Lewis, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe,

the kingdom of God is about a deeper magic than what we see 

here and now, in this world.  

Thus, Paul wrote, 

"So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, 

since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." (2 Cor 4:18)

Peace is not about Kumbayah.  Peace is about knowing there is more than what we see!

(Excerpt is a quote by Rob Bell from the book,  What We Talk About When We Talk About God ,
linked below)