Easter 6
Devotional
Water From the Rock
Lectionary Devotional for Cycle C
Object:
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.
-- John 14:27
What is the peace of Christ and how does it differ from the peace that the world offers us? Clearly the peace of Christ does not mean the absence of suffering, conflict, or death. Christ suffered all of these. What the world offers as peace is often seen as the absence of conflict. It is secured by the use of force in a way that prevents a person from inflicting harm on another. The problem with such peace is that it is secured by fear and does nothing to address the envy and lust that exists within all of us. As the book of James suggests, "Those conflicts and disputes among you, where do they come from? Do they not come from your cravings that are at war with you?" (James 4:1).
Jesus, in preparing his disciples for his departure, was seeking to open them to a power that would transform their inner cravings and redirect them in a manner that would bring a true peace to the believer. Such peace was centered in a selfless love that Jesus had attempted to demonstrate to them. Yet it is more than an idea or virtue that we must achieve through an effort of the will. Rather, it is openness to the Spirit of God that seeks to work that transformation within us. "But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you."
Jesus sought to demonstrate that peace as he began to move toward the cross. He would not resist the events that sought to cause him harm but rather would look for the transforming possibilities that existed in each new circumstance. Each act was approached as a means of demonstrating his love for God. The ruler of this world "has no power over me; but I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father." The peace of Christ is discovered as we approach each circumstance as an opportunity to demonstrate the love of God. Many a conflict within the church could be transformed if each of the believers was seeking to demonstrate the love of God in his or her behavior.
-- John 14:27
What is the peace of Christ and how does it differ from the peace that the world offers us? Clearly the peace of Christ does not mean the absence of suffering, conflict, or death. Christ suffered all of these. What the world offers as peace is often seen as the absence of conflict. It is secured by the use of force in a way that prevents a person from inflicting harm on another. The problem with such peace is that it is secured by fear and does nothing to address the envy and lust that exists within all of us. As the book of James suggests, "Those conflicts and disputes among you, where do they come from? Do they not come from your cravings that are at war with you?" (James 4:1).
Jesus, in preparing his disciples for his departure, was seeking to open them to a power that would transform their inner cravings and redirect them in a manner that would bring a true peace to the believer. Such peace was centered in a selfless love that Jesus had attempted to demonstrate to them. Yet it is more than an idea or virtue that we must achieve through an effort of the will. Rather, it is openness to the Spirit of God that seeks to work that transformation within us. "But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you."
Jesus sought to demonstrate that peace as he began to move toward the cross. He would not resist the events that sought to cause him harm but rather would look for the transforming possibilities that existed in each new circumstance. Each act was approached as a means of demonstrating his love for God. The ruler of this world "has no power over me; but I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father." The peace of Christ is discovered as we approach each circumstance as an opportunity to demonstrate the love of God. Many a conflict within the church could be transformed if each of the believers was seeking to demonstrate the love of God in his or her behavior.
