Sunday, October 4, 2009

Give Your Peace

Matthew 10:13
Just before He went to the cross, Jesus made this powerful statement to His disciples, “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 15:27). What a moment this must have been! The disciples had never seen Jesus stressed out or overwhelmed. He was the model of perfect peace and harmony, and He is now giving that same peace to mere man. He has also attached the promise that His peace is given in a different manner than the world gives. Peace on this earth is found only with the absence of conflict. Peace from Jesus is constant; conflict or not.

Armed with this peace, the disciples were equipped to face a world that would not always accept them or their message. In fact, on another occasion, Jesus told them that they would be hated of all men for His name’s sake (Matthew 10:22). Knowing that the world would reject them, they are now armed with the one thing that will help them through that rejection.

Christ’s finished work at the cross bought peace for the believer. Since we are justified by our faith in Jesus, we have been given peace with God through the finished work of Christ (Romans 5:1). Calvary bought our peace because it took the brunt of God’s wrath and anger against the sin of the world and it poured it onto and into Jesus. Now that God’s wrath has been appeased, we are able to come boldly before the Father due to the precious blood of the Son.

This peace is so tangible and so real, that it is literally a commodity that the believer has at his or her disposal. When Jesus gave instructions to the disciples about how they were to minister, He instructed them to salute the house that they enter (Matthew 10:12). This salute was more than a gesture and a few words, but was frequently a prolonged event characterized by embracing and kissing. It was Jesus’ way of telling the disciples to pour love onto those who opened their homes to them.

Once the minister was settled into a home, he would begin to share the good news of Jesus, which would either be accepted by the residents or rejected in turn. If the message was accepted then that was great news for both the minister and his audience. That house was deemed “worthy” of such a disciple and he was to “let your peace come upon it” (Matthew 10:13). If they rejected the message, he was to “let your peace return to you”.

The disciple was not to rise up in anger against the house and pronounce some sort of curse of doom against it. This is unnecessary, since the curse of the law will fall squarely on those who reject Jesus as their Savior. You need not add to the worst curse of all just because your message has been cast aside. Besides, New Covenant preachers will bless and curse not (Romans 12:14).

You can give of your peace to someone else today. You are a helper of their joy (2 Corinthians 1:24), so follow after the things which make for peace in their life (Romans 14:19). Give your peace to those who will accept it, for freely has His peace been given to you!

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