Disruptions that lead to real peace.
Today, we celebrate the Sunday of Peace as part of the Advent season. Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love are the four Sundays that the world at large celebrates during the Advent and Christmas seasons. Last Sunday, we celebrated the Sunday of Hope. Today, we focus on Peace, which is definitely something we all need—in our personal lives, in our social lives, and in the world around us.
But when we look at the coming of Jesus Christ, the Savior, into this world, celebrating Christmas, we realize something remarkable. On that very first Christmas, the people involved—Mary, Joseph, the angels, the shepherds, the Jewish priests, and even King Herod—none of them had peace. It was not a peaceful time. Instead, it was a time of chaos and confusion.
Mary and Joseph were forced to travel under difficult circumstances, looking for a place to rest while awaiting the birth of their child. The shepherds, startled and afraid, witnessed angels appearing with a message that overwhelmed them. King Herod and the Jewish priests reacted with anxiety and fear at the news of a newborn King. All of this happened in the midst of turmoil.
So, on that first Christmas, Jesus—the Savior, the Prince of Peace—was born into a world of chaos and disruption. This truth is significant. It reminds us that peace is not the absence of problems but something we experience in the middle of trouble. It is during our most unsettled and uncertain times that we need peace the most.
In our lives, we often find ourselves struggling with confusion and waiting—waiting for clarity, waiting for direction, waiting for good things to happen. As I mentioned last week, every important thing in life requires waiting. We wait to have a baby. We wait for answers about our future. We wait for jobs, homes, or healing. Whatever it is, we wait in anticipation of something good.
Peace requires action
Peace is no different. Like hope, peace requires action; it needs appropriation. Peace is a choice we make. It is not something that simply falls upon us. Instead, it is something we embrace when we choose to trust God, even in the middle of chaos.
This is the message of the Sunday of Peace. When Jesus came into the world, He brought peace, not because life suddenly became easy or perfect but because His presence makes peace possible. The Prince of Peace came into the chaos to bring calm. He entered disruption to bring restoration.
In our own lives, God meets us in the same way. He shows up when we are most uncertain and most confused. He brings peace into situations where we feel lost and unsettled. This Advent season, as we reflect on peace, let us remember that God’s peace is always available to us. It is not the absence of trouble but the presence of Jesus in the middle of trouble. The Prince of Peace has come, and He continues to meet us where we are—offering us calm, comfort, and hope.
Peace is not something we passively wait for; it is something we choose to receive. Today, as we celebrate the Sunday of Peace, may we open our hearts to the Prince of Peace and allow Him to bring calm to our chaos and light to our darkness.
Peace is a choice we make
In life, chaos and disruption are inevitable. Yet, in those moments, we have the choice to be peaceful. Peace is a gift from God, but it must be received—just like hope. We have to choose to accept the peace that God offers. Too often, we refuse this peace. Instead, we focus on the problems around us, allowing fear to take hold. When fear dominates, peace eludes us. Unexpected events and uncertainties can leave us scared and unsettled. This reminds me of a humorous story about a Hollywood maternity shop. They once received a letter from a customer that read: “Dear Sir, you have not yet delivered the maternity dress I ordered. Please cancel my order. My delivery was faster than yours.”
This humor highlights a deeper truth that resonates with Mary’s story. Mary and Joseph journeyed to Bethlehem for the census, not expecting the baby to arrive so soon. Yet her delivery came faster than they anticipated. Imagine the stress, confusion, and chaos they experienced. They were in a strange town, far from home, surrounded by unfamiliar faces.
For Mary, a young girl likely in her teens, the situation was overwhelming. She couldn’t have imagined all the challenges she would face. And yet, she held onto the message delivered by the angel: that she would give birth to the Savior. In the chaos of her life, Mary trusted God’s promise.
Peace in the Midst of Disruptions
Disruptions come into our lives for a purpose. Though they unsettle us, God’s peace is always available. The birth of Jesus, the Prince of Peace, happened amidst disruptions and uncertainties. Take Joseph’s situation, for example. He was engaged to Mary and then discovered she was pregnant. Imagine the emotional turmoil he must have endured. Scripture tells us he planned to quietly divorce her, but an angel appeared to him, reassuring him that Mary’s child was conceived by the Holy Spirit. Joseph chose to trust God’s plan and took Mary as his wife.
Similarly, when we face turmoil, uncertainty, or unexpected challenges—whether they relate to health, family, work, or relationships—we must remember that God is present in those situations. Jesus was born not in serene circumstances but in the midst of chaos, showing us that God’s peace comes precisely where it is needed most.
Rethinking the Christmas Story
We often depict the Christmas story with serene imagery: a silent night, calm shepherds, and a peaceful infant lying quietly in a manger. But the reality was likely very different. Jesus, like any baby, probably cried upon birth. The stable, filled with animals, would have been noisy and chaotic. Mary and Joseph, far from home, may have felt out of place. Yet, in that chaotic scene, the Prince of Peace entered the world. His birth reminds us that peace does not depend on external circumstances but on God’s presence in our lives.
Shalom: Peace in the Chaos
The Hebrew word for peace, shalom, is rich in meaning. It signifies wholeness, harmony, and completeness. Shalom is not simply the absence of trouble but a sense of calm and inner peace even when chaos surrounds us. Jehovah Shalom, one of God’s names, means “The Lord is Peace.” This name emphasizes that peace is not something we create on our own; it comes from God’s presence. Through Jesus, Emmanuel—“God with us”—we are offered peace that surpasses all understanding.
Finding Peace Today
The turmoil faced by Mary and Joseph began with the angel’s messages and continued as they journeyed to Bethlehem. They faced uncertainty and fear, yet God’s plan unfolded perfectly. Similarly, our lives may be marked by uncertainty, chaos, and disruptions. But we can find peace when we trust in God’s promises. Jesus, the Prince of Peace, came to bring calm to our chaos and hope to our uncertainties. Let us embrace the peace of Christ this season. In the midst of life’s challenges, may we choose to accept the peace that God offers, trusting in His presence and purpose for our lives.
Peace in the Midst of Chaos
Mary and Joseph’s journey to Bethlehem was anything but smooth. They traveled roughly 90 miles over rugged, treacherous terrain, with no proper roads to ease their way. Mary, heavily pregnant, endured this arduous journey with Joseph to register for the census. When they arrived, they found nothing in order. The labor pains began, and they desperately sought a place to stay, knocking on door after door. Yet, all they encountered were signs of rejection: “No Room,” “No Vacancy.”
Doesn’t this echo our own lives? How often do we face closed doors? We look for help—a job, financial assistance, a loan—but the answer is often no. It’s a frustrating, heart-wrenching reality. This even happens in broader systems. For example, recent reports revealed the increasing use of artificial intelligence in processing medical claims, leading to higher denial rates—even when errors in the system are known. Such experiences add to the growing feeling of rejection and despair. Joseph and Mary faced similar rejection, finding “no room” anywhere. Yet, even in the midst of their despair, God provided a manger—a lowly, unexpected place for the Savior of the world to be born.
God Works in Unexpected Places
A manger is not a place meant for human beings. It is a feeding trough for animals. Yet, in this most unexpected setting, the Prince of Peace entered the world. This teaches us an important lesson: God’s plans often unfold in the most unlikely places. Like Mary, we must trust God’s purpose even when we cannot see the full picture. Like Joseph, we must trust God’s promises even when we don’t fully understand. The journey may be difficult, marked by exhaustion and rejection. We may encounter endless “No Vacancy” signs. But even in these moments, God provides shelter and peace—even if it is in a manger.
The True Meaning of Peace
The manger itself was not peaceful. It was a chaotic place filled with animals making noise, likely unsettled by the human presence. And yet, in the midst of that chaos, the Savior was born. This teaches us a profound truth: peace is not the absence of trouble but the presence of God’s promise. The peace the world offers is superficial, temporary. But the peace God offers is eternal, rooted in His presence and His promises. When faced with life’s challenges, we have a choice. Will we accept the peace that God offers, or will we rely on our own solutions? Mary and Joseph made the choice to trust God, stepping out in faith even when they didn’t fully understand His plan.
A Faithful Journey
Peace often requires stepping out in faith, just as Mary and Joseph did. It means taking the journey, however difficult, trusting that God is with us every step of the way. God is a faithful God who meets us even in our lowest moments, transforming our chaos with His peace. The humility of Christ’s birth in a manger reveals that God comes to us not in grandeur but in simplicity. He meets us in the unexpected, offering peace even in the midst of our storms.
A Promise of Shelter
There is a famous painting of a stormy sea with waves crashing against jagged rocks. In the midst of the chaos, nestled in a crevice of the rock, is a small bird calmly sitting in her nest with her young ones sheltered under her wings. The painting is a powerful illustration of the kind of peace God offers us. Psalm 91 reminds us of God’s promise: “He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge.” Just like the bird in the painting, God shelters us under His wings, protecting us from the storms of life.
The Peace of Christmas
Mary and Joseph’s story reminds us that peace is not the absence of hardship but the presence of God. The Prince of Peace came into a chaotic world to offer us a peace that no circumstance can take away. This Christmas, let us embrace God’s peace and carry it with us. May we go forth as agents of peace, sharing the good news of Jesus Christ with a world in desperate need of His presence.
Amen.
Comments
Post a Comment