Amanda's Musings

You’ve all heard the line (verse):

Luke 2:14
“Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”

and I’m sure most of us hear this and have one of two reactions. We either take no notice, after all its just a line that is printed on Christmas cards and sung in Christmas carols and is a bit of a cliche or we think ‘peace? Where? When? Yeah right!’.

Last Sunday Pastor Mike Fischer mentioned something interesting in his sermon. He noted that Jesus did not say he was here to bring peace to the earth, not physical peace anyway. In fact in Jesus own words:

“Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn” ‘a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law – a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’ (Matthew 10: 34-36 and also in Luke 12:51)

Why would the peace-loving, gentle, anti-violent Jesus say such a thing? He was making a reference to what would happen when a family member chooses to follow Him. He was acknowledging what would happen when one person disagreed with the choice of another person. By all accounts around the world this is exactly what happens. Whether in true violent fashion as seen in some places or whether in mild sarcasm or bullying as in many cases, it happens.

Why would Jesus want this and what ‘on earth’ were those angels going on about when they said that Jesus birth would bring peace on earth? Were they dreaming? Did they have their heads in the clouds?. Physically maybe but technically no. As Mike said last Sunday the peace that they were talking about was much more one on one than we think. It was all about our personal peace with God not peace between one man and another. I don’t believe there will be true peace between men until all is said and done.

Our personal peace with God will depend on many things. Our view of God and whether he exists, whether we are angry at him for something or not, whether we think God is someone worth thinking about etc… If there is no peace then there is war and if there is war between you and God then there cannot be rest.

For me, when asked what I consider to be the real meaning of Christmas this is my answer. Its about our peace with God, after all thats what all the ‘stuff’ about the baby, star, manger, animals etc.. is really based upon. Its about Jesus being born so we could have a way to God through him. I believe that all of this is true and real.

Next time you sing the words ‘Peace on earth’ remember, this may just be (I believe it IS) the most important thing to consider. What if God is actually real and you don’t have peace with him? Take a minute this Christmas to think deeply about this. I do hope you find peace (with God) at the end of 2009.