Thoughts for the Day

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. You heard me say to you, “I am going away, and I am coming to you.” If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father, because the Father is greater than I. And now I have told you this before it occurs, so that when it does occur, you may believe. I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming. He 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.

(Lectionary, New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

Jesus is speaking to the disciples before his death in this passage from John's Gospel. He is thinking only of them and we can feel his affection for them. He knows His future, that he is likely to be arrested, beaten, tried, and finally crucified, yet despite his own troubles his first concern is his disciples. He wants them to be strong for he knows that they will need to support one another. Jesus offers the disciples and us, peace - a peace that the world cannot give.

On one level the word 'peace' means friendship and harmony in society or between different countries, and a lack of hostility or conflict such as war. However, there is another kind of peace, emotional or inner peace. The English word 'peace' comes from a Hebrew word shalom which we often translate just as 'peace'. But the Hebrew meaning is much wider, it means 'to be complete' or 'whole, and has many other meanings including: good health, safety, well-being, friendliness, or simply "hello" or "goodbye".

Jesus offers His peace to us as God's children, through the power of the Holy Spirit. But we must turn to Him and hand over our worries and troubles. This is difficult to do, but constantly passing on all our anxieties does help. Some people like to actually visualise these stresses as items to be placed in a bag or box, which are then put away from themself. The constant refusal to allow worry to exist in your mind brings inner qualities like tranquility and patience, and also encourages us to have respect and compassion for others. This is what inner peace is all about, and what Jesus means when He says "Do not let your hearts be troubled".

Lord Jesus Christ,
You promised Your peace
to Your disciples and to us.
May we instantly turn to You
when trouble occurs
and our hearts are troubled.
Then may we calm our hearts
knowing that You are there for us,
and so continue our day
in tranquillity and with patience,
secure in Your peace.
Amen.