After Jesus was crucified and resurrected from the
grave He came to his disciples who were hiding:
Then,
the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors
were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came
and stood in the midst, and said to them, “Peace be with you.”
وَلَمَّا
حَلَّ مَسَاءُ ذَلِكَ الْيَوْمِ، وَهُوَ الْيَوْمُ الأَوَّلُ مِنَ الأُسْبُوعِ،
كَانَ التَّلاَمِيذُ مُجْتَمِعِينَ فِي بَيْتٍ أَغْلَقُوا أَبْوَابَهُ خَوْفاً
مِنَ الْيَهُودِ، وَإِذَا يَسُوعُ يَحْضُرُ وَسْطَهُمْ قَائِلاً: «سَلاَمٌ
لَكُمْ!»
John
20:19
Today’s excellent sermon by Father Joseph Louca was
about peace. In an effort to have an interactive session, he asked the
congregation to define peace. There was a partial silence. A question I had not
really researched. There are so many words we take for granted and think we
understand, yet we don’t and each one of us understands it in a different way
and we communicate with each other thinking the other person understands, and
so does he/she, yet we really do not understand each other fully.
I looked up the world definition and the Biblical
definition of peace. What did Jesus mean when he told His disciples “Peace be with you”?
In
English, the word "peace" depicts a passive picture, one showing an
absence of disturbance or hostilities, or a personality free from internal and
external strife.
The
Biblical concept of peace is larger than that and rests heavily on the Hebrew
root slm, which means "to be complete" or "to be
sound." The verb conveys both a dynamic and a static meaning" to be
complete or whole" or "to live well." Salom was used in
both greetings and farewells. It was meant to act as a blessing on the one to
whom it was spoken: "May your life be filled with health, prosperity, and
victory." As an adjective, it expressed completeness and safety.
God
alone is the source of peace, for he is "Yahweh Shalom" (see Judges
6:24 ). The Lord came to sinful humankind, historically first to the Jews and
then to the Gentiles, desiring to enter into a relationship with them. He
established with them a covenant of peace, which was sealed with his presence
(see Num 6:24-26 ). Participants were given perfect peace (salom salom)
so long as they maintained a right relationship with the Lord (see Isa 26:3; 2
Thess 3:16).Adapted from: Dictionaries
- Baker's Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology
Did you ever find yourself not at peace with God?
Although many may frown at this question, I admit there are times when I was not at peace with God. There are some
questions to which I do not know the answers to at the present time and is
keeping me from being at peace with God. He may or may not reveal His answers
to me, and even if He does, I may not understand because
"My
thoughts are nothing like your thoughts," says the LORD. "And my ways
are far beyond anything you could imagine”. Isaiah 55:8
Lasting peace cannot be attained through our own
efforts, but rather through Christ in us. The peace that comes from Him is
eternal. Our bond with Him is the foundation
upon which real peace is built.
In order to experience the peace of God we need
first to be at peace with God.
I invite you to repeat the following prayer for yourself:
Abba Father,
thank You for Your abundant blessings and inseparable and everlasting deep
love. Lord, I want to experience Your true peace. I ask You God to expose
anything that may be preventing me from being at peace with You and heal it so
that I can receive the true and everlasting peace that only You can give. Thank
You Lord that through the atoning blood of Jesus I can become without spot and
blameless in Your eyes. Father I rejoice in Your faithfulness. I pray in Jesus’
mighty name, to Him be the glory both
now and forever.
Amen.
Jesus loves you,
In Him,
Wagdi Henein
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