May the peace of God reign in your hearts.

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What does peace mean to you personally? Where does true peace in our hearts come from? What about peace in the world? Every person longs for peace. It is a longing for tranquility, well-being, a sense of security, and harmonious relationships with others. But is this the peace that God's children should primarily strive for? This text aims to answer all these questions and reflections.

At the time of Jesus' incarnation, the Jews hoped that Jesus would restore the kingdom of David: "But we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel" (Luke 24:21) . After God had granted King David victory over all his enemies, the people of Israel lived in peace for a time. However, this peace was conditional. It lasted as long as King David feared God and walked in His ways.

But God's Word speaks of a peace greater than earthly peace among nations—namely, the peace of God himself. “And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace; and be thankful” (Colossians 3:15). This peace , “which surpasses all understanding” (Philippians 4:7), God has given us in his Son, Jesus Christ.

From a biblical perspective, there are four aspects of peace for us humans: peace with God, inner peace, peace with fellow human beings, and peace in the country.

If we keep the peace of Christ within us, the name of the Lord will be glorified through us.

Peace with God

When God created humankind, there was peace between God and humanity. Sin destroyed this original peace. As a result, humanity lost its relationship with God; sin separates humanity from God. To restore this relationship, sin must be atoned for.

In the Old Testament, God shows that atonement could be achieved through various sacrifices, such as the blood of sacrificial animals sprinkled on the altar. There was even a major Day of Atonement for the people of Israel, called Yom Kippur in Hebrew. This day was the most important day of the year for the Israelites, a day on which God reconciled them to Himself.

 

“Then he shall take the two goats and set them before the Lord at the entrance of the tabernacle. Aaron shall cast lots for the two goats, one lot ‘for the Lord’ and one lot ‘to be used as a scapegoat’” (Leviticus 16:7-8).

The one goat, which was "for the Lord," was slaughtered as a sacrifice on the altar. Atonement was made with its blood, by bringing the animal's blood into the Holy of Holies and sprinkling it on the mercy seat.

The second goat, the scapegoat (Hebrew: "Asael," meaning "the goat that goes away"), was used to bear the guilt of the people, and the animal was then taken to a place from which it could not return on its own. "When he has completed the atonement for the sanctuary, the tent of meeting, and the altar, he shall bring the live goat. Aaron shall put both his hands on the head of the live goat and confess over it all the guilt of the Israelites and all their transgressions in all their sins. He shall place them on the goat's head and send it away into the wilderness by a man who is ready. The goat shall bear all their guilt that is upon it to a remote place; and he shall send the goat into the wilderness" (Leviticus 16:20-22).

Thus, the people were finally reconciled with God. But the way to be able to enter into God's presence at any time was not yet open. The blood of bulls and goats could not accomplish this. These sacrifices were not capable of tearing down the veil. They merely had a profound symbolic meaning.

The two goats symbolize Christ's work on the cross. In the goat "for the Lord," we see the death of Jesus Christ. This sacrifice satisfied God. It was not just anyone who died, but His Son as a pure, spotless sacrifice. The "scapegoat," which takes upon itself all the guilt and transgression of the people, is the other side of the death of Jesus Christ, who takes upon himself the sins of the world and reconciles us to God.

“For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier that divides them” (Ephesians 2:14). “For it pleased [God] to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, things on earth and things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross” (Colossians 1:19-20). When we confess and forsake our sins, He is faithful and just. He forgives us our sins and remembers them no more. In Christ, we find peace with God.

Inner peace

Through Jesus' atoning death on the cross, humanity can receive forgiveness for its sins. It can attain inner peace, for Jesus reconciles us with God. However, not everyone claims this inner peace for themselves. In the Gospel of Matthew (chapter 18), we read the parable of the unforgiving servant who owed his king 10,000 talents. This was such a large sum that he could never have repaid it in his lifetime.

Therefore, the king had to sell him, his wife, his children, and everything he owned to pay the debt. “Then the servant fell on his knees […] and said, ‘Sir, be patient with me, and I will pay you back everything.’ Then the master had compassion on that servant, set him free, and forgave him the debt” (Mt 18:26-27). The servant was able to go home a free man. However, a short time later, his encounter with his fellow servant revealed that he had not found inner peace, for he could not forgive the much smaller debt. The person who has been forgiven much loves much (cf. Lk 7:47); he does not hold wrongs against him. Jesus says: “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” (Jn 14:27) .

Only when we maintain this inner peace within us, which we have received through Jesus Christ, can we endure evil and suffer unjustly, so that the name of the Lord may be glorified through us. Why does the Lord say, “Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” (John 14:27)? Because there is much injustice and unrest in this world. Among people, peace is considered to exist when everyone remains on their own side and everyone is accepted as they are. Our Lord Jesus Christ suffered much opposition, was beaten, spat upon, and crucified. But on the cross, He said, “Forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34). He maintained inner peace.

In Psalm 73, the psalmist Asaph describes his state when he almost stumbled, for he envied the arrogant and looked upon the prosperity of the wicked. His heart began to despair until he went into the presence of God and considered the end of the wicked. “Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will receive me with glory. Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but you, God, are the strength of my heart and my portion forever” (Psalm 73:23-26/Luther 1912).

The presence of God fills our hearts with inner peace and gives us security and tranquility. When Daniel, because of his faithful prayer to God, was slandered by the ministers and satraps before King Darius the Mede and thrown into the lions' den, his heart was not troubled. He found inner peace, had a clear conscience, and held no grudge against those who wished him harm. "Then Daniel said to the king, 'O king, may you live forever! My God has sent his angel and shut the mouths of the lions, so that they will not harm me, because my innocence was evident before him, and I have done nothing wrong to you, O king!'" (Daniel 6:22-23).

We strive for peace and preserve it because our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is the Prince of Peace.

Peace with one's neighbor

The three aspects of peace—peace with God, inner peace, and peace with one's neighbor—gave our Lord the strength to suffer unjustly and to preserve His heart from evil. These three aspects of peace are inseparable; they are interdependent. The following verse makes clear how peace with God depends on my relationship with my neighbor:

“If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ yet hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from him, that he who loves God must also love his brother” (1 John 4:20-21) . Whoever lacks peace in even one of these three aspects cannot have peace in any area.

Peace in the country

A person who has found peace can also pray for peace in the land, and their prayers will be answered. This was also true of Daniel, who prayed for his people. His prayer was pleasing to God, so much so that He even sent an angel to him, who said: “Daniel, you beloved man. […] Do not be afraid, Daniel! For from the first day that you set your heart to understand and to humble yourself before your God, your words have been heard, and I have come because of your words” (Daniel 10:11-12).

This prayer of Daniel, which came from a peaceful heart, was answered from the very first day, and God immediately sent His reply. It is God's will that we pray for peace in the land. “Seek the peace of the city to which I have carried you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its peace you will find peace” (Jeremiah 29:7).

The right intention when praying for peace

Paul says: “I urge, therefore, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercessions and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness; for this is good and pleasing in the sight of God our Savior” (1 Timothy 2:1-3). Paul emphasizes certain intentions here.

They make clear why we pray: to be able to lead a peaceful and quiet life in all godliness and honor. If our plans do not align with God's purposes, negative changes can come upon the land so that God's people will begin to seek the Lord again. We see this repeatedly in the Old Testament with God's people. Whenever they turned away from God, the enemy came to the land, robbed it, or even took the Israelites captive.

When the New Testament speaks of peace, it always addresses us personally. We see this particularly in the following verses: “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God” (Matthew 5:9) or “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone” (Romans 12:18) or also in the key verse “Let the peace of God rule in your hearts” (Colossians 3:15).

Peace here always refers to us personally. We don't seek peace first in others, but first in our own hearts. We must personally preserve peace and even bring it to others. Jesus exemplified this peace for us and wants it to reign in our hearts. Then we are able not to hold evil against us, but to bear it and forgive for Jesus' sake. "A servant of the Lord must be patient in bearing evil" (2 Timothy 2:24).

A fulfilling prayer life in the Holy Spirit gives strength for peace.

When a child of God lacks fellowship with their Lord, they are more easily troubled and inclined to act in a human way. Human peace, however we understand it, usually only lasts until the first conflict; then we often lose our temper. The Word of God calls us to go beyond ourselves and do everything we can to maintain and create peace. Such peace is only possible if we have a fulfilling prayer life in the Holy Spirit.

The guiding principle is: “For God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us” (Romans 5:5). Because the peace of God, through the Holy Spirit, desires to reign in our hearts, the Word of God also tells us: “Do not give the devil a foothold” (Ephesians 4:27). If we constantly focus on the weaknesses of those we are in conflict with, we quickly overlook our own weaknesses and jeopardize peace.

These are the works of the flesh, such as anger, rage, malice, slander, and ugly language, which hide behind our character and rob us of peace. The Word of God calls us to conquer the works of the flesh with the Spirit; only in this way will our interactions with our neighbors change. “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Whoever serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and also appreciated by men. Therefore let us make every effort to do what leads to peace and mutual edification” (Romans 14:17-19).

Our peace reflects

Nabal's wife Abigail is a good example of how one can maintain peace in one's own home and avert misfortune through action (cf. 1 Samuel 25). After her husband Nabal had contemptuously rejected David's men, David decided to kill all the males in Nabal's house.

When Abigail learned of her husband's foolish actions, she understood that misfortune threatened her household. She loaded many belongings onto several donkeys and sent them with a servant to meet David. Riding behind, she herself bowed down before David when she saw him and begged his forgiveness for her household.

“Forgive your servant’s transgression, for the Lord will surely build a lasting house for my master, because my master fights the Lord’s wars, and no wrong will be found in you all the days of your life. […] Then David said to Abigail, ‘Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, who has sent you to meet me this day! Blessed be your understanding, and blessed be you, that you have kept me today from incurring bloodshed and from helping me with my own hand!’” (1 Samuel 25:28-33 )

Although she was not at fault, she did not extricate herself from the situation, but stood up for her house, made peace and saved her entire house from great misfortune.

A brother from our congregation once shared an experience from his workday. A colleague came to work one morning and told him about an argument with his wife. He said, "I've packed my suitcase and I'm never going home again! I'm a man and I keep my word!"

But God gave our brother wisdom to respond correctly to these words, and he reminded his coworker of the day he had said "I do" to his wife, and therefore replied: "If you are a man and keep your word, then go home today and keep that 'I do'." After work, the coworker went home, and the marital dispute was settled.

Jesus expects unconditional peace from us.

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus teaches us how to love our enemies. “But I tell you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who mistreat and persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:44-45). When we curse, hate, or insult our enemies, we destroy peace. But Jesus teaches us how it is possible to maintain peace from our own perspective.

Only then can we be sons and daughters of our Father in heaven. We must strive for peace and keep peace, because our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is the Prince of Peace.

Only when we have learned to respond to evil with good and to pray for our enemies does our spiritual perspective open up, and we no longer see these people as a problem. Only then do we cease seeking our own righteousness, cease expecting to be treated justly, and instead become willing to deny and renounce ourselves in order to preserve inner peace and avoid destroying interpersonal relationships.

Let us renew this peace within ourselves when it has been destroyed, and preserve it in our families, wherever God has placed us. This is pleasing to God and appreciated by people.

Heinrich Melling

Municipality of Bremen-Mahndorf