Same Old Peace?
The angels’ message to the shepherds included the proclamation of “peace on earth” yet the next day
Rome was still in charge.
The Jewish people were still oppressed.
The sheep were still in their care.
Their lives were strangely the same.
What kind of peace, then, did the birth of Jesus bring? And how? By what means does this peace come to us, we who have not seen the angelic host standing before us?
After a night so different from all the others, how was it that in the morning, so much remained unchanged in the shepherds’ lives?
Have you ever had an amazing encounter with the Lord, and woke up the following day to the same old routines and annoyances, the same familiar sorrows and struggles?
We want different rulers, fewer taxes, better living conditions, safety, and hassle-free lives. God wants to set us free from so much more than these concerns.
The peace Jesus’ arrival brings is not an absence of conflict, war, pain, sorrow, or struggle. It’s a different kind of peace. It’s a peace that’s foundational, firmly rooted in God’s ways, God’s Kingdom, and the bigger picture of eternity. It’s Shalom—wholeness, flourishing, right relationships, and well-being. It is Emmanuel—God with us.
A friend who lives in the middle east put it this way, “Jesus living and moving in Palestine under Roman occupation highlights the sublime nature of true peace in the midst of vulnerability, instability, and tensions.”
Thus, God’s revelations to us, and His promises for us often
take longer to unfold than we like,
take a different form than we expect, and
work themselves out in the lifelong mundane rather than the immediate miraculous.
The announcement of the angels marked the arrival of the Messiah.
The arrival of the Messiah changed everything, and nothing.
Much like the Messiah arriving in our hearts and worlds. When Jesus comes to us, we are miraculously and instantly forgiven, changed, and freed. Everything is new! And at the same time, our lives are also much the same as they were before. Same job, same home, same relationships, and same problems, big and small.
Like the shepherds, our peace comes from God entering our world in both exceptional and ordinary ways. From announcements by angels to a manger-turned-bassinet. We return to our lives rejoicing and praising God and continue tending the flock in the same fields as before.
God sends us salvation, and we work it out.
God promises peace, and we take hold of it.
God is with us, and we abide in Him
Consider:
God interrupts us, informs us, and invites us to join Him in celebrating, receiving, and sharing the salvation Jesus brings. This often looks different than we first imagine.
Remember:
When you see the shepherds and sheep in nativity scenes, remember God delights in saving us and showing us how He’s working.
Share:
What external changes have you been hoping for?
What internal changes has God been offering you?
How, in your life, have God’s promises been different than what you expected or imagined?
Take a moment to post your comments below.