peace

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

- John 14:27

What do you think of when you think of the word “peace”?

For some, it is a secluded spot on a sandy beach, listening to the waves crash on the shore. 

For others it is deep in the forest where you can hear the birds singing and calling. 

I am at peace when I feel safe, warm, quiet. 

But the kind of peace that Jesus is talking about is a little different. 

In the time that Jesus walked the earth, when you said your goodbyes to people, it was essential that you also wished them peace. 

So here we have Jesus, He has just told His disciples that He would be leaving them, so really, He was saying goodbye, yet comforting them. 

You see, “peace” of the world kind of means lacking conflict – those quiet secluded places that we run to? We go there because there is no conflict. 

The peace that Jesus offers is forgiving and protects us while we are in a world full of conflict. 

Jesus tells us that He will give us peace, and with that we have nothing to fear.