Peace - Week 2
We often hear that peace comes through strength. If our military is the most powerful fighting force, our enemies won’t challenge us and we’ll have peace. Taking the opposite approach, some try to “keep the peace” by avoiding conflict and ignoring problems, hoping they’ll solve themselves. Like Israel’s false prophets, they provide superficial harmony, saying, “Peace, peace!” But in reality, nobody is truly at peace.
The kind of peace envisioned during Advent comes not through military victory or avoidance of reality but through the way of Jesus. He brings true peace by honestly addressing and working to heal the deeper sources of division, such as fear and pride, that compel people to violence.
Jesus reconciles all things to himself, offering healing and restoration through love and forgiveness.
As Jesus continues his work of bringing real, lasting peace throughout the Earth, we can participate in that work by living as peacemakers. We join with Jesus by embracing his non-violent way of forgiveness, caring for our neighbors, and extending generous love toward all people.
But there will be no gloom for her who was in anguish. In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he has made glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations. The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone. You have multiplied the nation; you have increased its joy; they rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest, as they are glad when they divide the spoil. For the yoke of his burden, and the staff for his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, you have broken as on the day of Midian. For every boot of the tramping warrior in battle tumult and every garment rolled in blood will be burned as fuel for the fire. For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this. - Isaiah 9:1-7
Isaiah 9 speaks into a time of fear, instability, and political failure. When the Judean King Ahaz, a descendant of David, is threatened by enemy armies, he chooses to rely on Assyria, rather than trusting in God’s protection (see Isa. 7:1-17; 2 Kgs. 16:1-9). Ahaz seeks peace by relying on the power of an empire—a power that will ultimately be turned against him. Eventually, the Assyrian army marches not only against Judah’s enemies but also into Judah itself (see Isa. 8:6-8).
In the face of Ahaz’s failure, God promises to raise up a different kind of king, who will rule on David’s throne in righteousness and justice forever. As a “Prince of Peace” (Isa. 9:6), this king will secure peace not through military strength but through ending violence altogether. Isaiah’s image of breaking the “rod of their oppressor” represents destroying all instruments of war, brutality, and tyranny (Isa. 9:4). And the destruction of “every boot of the marching warrior in the roar of battle, and cloak rolled in blood” symbolizes removing all traces of war (Isa. 9:5).
When this coming ruler halts the cycle of violence, people will respond by reshaping their weapons into agricultural tools, transforming objects used for killing into objects used for cultivating and nourishing life (see Isa. 2:4). So competition over resources will give way to kindness and generous sharing of every necessity. Following this Prince of Peace means refusing to return violence for violence. It means becoming people who embody his reconciling presence in the world. Whenever we overturn injustice and bring healing in place of harm, we are pointing toward his Kingdom of peace.
How is Jesus inviting you to embody his peace in a world that often expects retaliation instead?
