Finding Peace in Hard Times

The Gospel reading on Pentecost Sunday in Year A (John 20:19-23) calls us to reflect on how to find peace when faced with hard times. In this gospel narrative, the Lord’s disciples huddle behind closed doors for fear of the Jewish leaders. We recall that just three days before this, the disciples had abandoned the Lord and then witnessed the crucifixion. Some are anxious, stressed out, frightened, confused, or angry in this place where they have taken refuge. Others are uncertain, frustrated, deflated, sad, hopeless, disappointed, nervous, panicked, worried, or annoyed. I think of when I (or a friend) have ghosted another in their time of need.

Imagining what I would do if the ghosted person suddenly appeared before me, I empathise with the disciples when they learn that the Lord they knew was dead has risen. I suppose the energy levels shift further up when the Lord Jesus suddenly appears in their midst – all the guilt, shame, and maybe fear comes to the fore. But, before they can react to His Presence, He says to them, “Peace be with you!” This overwhelming expression of the Lord’s unconditional love for his fearful disciples teaches us where to find peace when our hearts are in turmoil.

God Is The Source Of Peace

Our life presents situations that require us to have the ability to show unmerited forgiveness to those who offend and to share God’s peace. But often, we expect (and even start) a fight when things go contrary to what we want. What we fail to understand is that unconditional love enables us to find God’s peace, and God’s peace supersedes our hard times. But to find this peace, we must know its source. And finding this peace means experiencing the Lord as Peace. The Book of Judges records the only time in the Bible when God is called Jehovah Shalom (Judges 6.24), which translates as the Lord is Peace. The setting was a difficult time in the history of Israel when they lived under oppression by the Midianites. The learning point is that the Lord is Peace qualifies peace as a person, not a circumstance.

In Hebrew, the word Shalom encompasses more than just peace. It means soundness, completeness, harmony, the absence of strife, wholesomeness, healthfulness, well-being, spiritual prosperity, and permanence. It means that we experience peace not because there is the absence of difficulty but because the Lord God is present with us in the difficulty we face. It is the Lord who lifts us from our places of self-condemnation. It is the Lord who cares the most about restoring us to peace. All this is because the Lord God is our Source of Peace. The Lord Jesus demonstrates how the offended initiates the reconciliation process with the offender. The gospel teaches that God reaches out to humanity through the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ so that peaceful relations between God and humanity can be brought into effect.

God Intends Peace For Us

The risen Lord’s first words to His disciples were, “Peace be with you”. Recalling the last words of the crucified Lord, “It is finished”, helps us to find meaning in the first words of the risen Lord. The last words reflect the completion of the earthly Ministry of Christ as the new words point to how this completed, finished work of Christ is received in our lives. By faith, we truly understand Jesus’ final words from the cross and in faith, we expect Jesus’ first words to be, “Peace be upon you.” It is therefore not a surprise that the introductory rite of the Holy Mass provides that the Bishop begins with the words, “Peace be with you.”

The point is that peace is God’s gift to us. Peace is a blessing that God lavishes on His children. In the Old Testament, the Lord God instructed the priests to continually speak this blessing over the children of Israel to remind them of his grace and peace:

The Lord bless you, and keep you; The Lord cause His face to shine on you, And be gracious to you; The Lord lift up His face to you, And give you peace.’ – Numbers 6:26

In Christian living, this blessing, in effect, lifts God’s countenance upon us. In it, we know that we are seen, known, loved, and cared for by God. In it, the Lord gives us a peace that surpasses all understanding and guards our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:6). This is the peace that the Lord God intends for us: that we might know the peace of God in a very turbulent world, in the middle of tumultuous busy schedules, within all kinds of chaos with things going in all sorts of directions. That we may know the peace of God in our today.

God Brings This Peace

When we remember and celebrate the peace we have received, in due course, we worship the one who brought this peace. We acknowledge the Lord Jesus Christ as the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6) and Himself our peace (Ephesians 2:14-16). The peace He brings is a priceless gift by which we experience His love and acceptance in our lives, and all else becomes less important. This peace ensures that first, we have peace with God (Romans 5:1) since there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1). Then we have peace with one another because through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father (Ephesians 2:17-18). And we live lives marked by the peace of God and the God of peace, knowing that the Lord is near. We shall not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, we let our requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:5-7). When we practice these things that we learn, receive, hear, and see in our fellow Christians, whatever is true, honourable, right, pure, and commendable, the God of peace will be with us (Philippians 4:8-9).

God’s Peace Supersedes Hard Times

There was another time when the Lord Jesus commanded the waves, and the wind and water were immediately calm. A terrifying Sea of Galilee storm had caused the disciples to fear for their lives, but Jesus calmly and confidently stilled the raging lake with these three words, “Peace, be still!”. Today, the Lord assures us that whatever storm we face, the Lord Jesus is the powerful, supreme, omnipotent, and sovereign God over everything. We meet every kind of storm in life – emotional, mental, medical, political, and physical. At such times many are out of control, restless, and confused. We struggle to stay calm in the face of trials and problems. And so, St. Mark reminds us how the Lord responds when we call on Him…. the storms die down, and our lives become perfectly calm (Mark 4:39). God’s peace is a gift that supersedes pain and difficulty. It ensures that either the storm calms or we calm down until the storm passes. When circumstances feed us fear, anxiety, and uncertainty, we do not stir up the peace within us; we instead enter into true peace in God.

God Gives Us Peace That Rules In Our Lives

The Gospel of St. John gives us a message of the promise of eternal peace amidst our many troubles. The Lord Jesus was greatly concerned with the future of His followers. He wanted them to keep the faith until the end. And so, He gave them a great legacy in the promise of the Holy Spirit and His peace….

Peace I leave you, My peace I give you; not as the world gives, do I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled nor fearful (John 14:27).

Jesus, the Prince of Peace and the Lord of Peace emphasizes this spiritual peace by referring to it as My Peace. St Paul reiterates that the Lord will strengthen you in troubles and will bless you with His peace (2 Thessalonians 3:16). We are to live free from fear or worry by embracing what He has done for each one of us individually. We are to let the peace of Christ, to which we are indeed called in one body, rule in our hearts (Colossians 3:15).

Only the Lord Jesus will give us true peace when troubles come, for He gives peace, not as the world does. The peace the world offers is peace occurring when there is no war or conflict; the peace we experience when everything looks and feels good. The peace of God does not depend on our situations. It is an inner peace that gives believers confidence that God is at work and reminds us of divine presence. Whether we see it or not, whether we feel it or not, we know (cf. Psalm 23:4). The troubles are there but have been overshadowed by the peace of God, so you can’t see them.

We are aware that fear will always come, but we are assured in the promise of the Holy Spirit and inner peace by having the Father and the Son abiding in us. This is more than enough to cast out every fear or trouble that may set in. Therefore, when fear comes, we replace it with peace by trusting in the Lord Jesus (John 14:1). As the Psalmist puts it, we must trust God in all situations, and embrace His word, for He is too faithful to fail.

When I am afraid, I will put my trust in You. In God, whose word I praise, In God I have put my trust; I shall not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me? (Psalm 56:3-4).

This peace gives us the ability to deal with the troubles we experience. The Lord Jesus spoke of having overcome the world (John 16:33). He is victorious over sin and the troubles that sin causes. When we take courage and place our hand in His, through His strength, we overcome the problem and experience the peace He offers. In trusting God, we share the richness of peace in our lives (Isaiah 26:3). It is in loving God’s law that we have great peace, and nothing causes us to stumble (Psalm 119:165).

Take-Home Message

We must learn to keep our eyes on the Lord, obey His commandments, and hold onto His promises to find peace in His presence. Isaiah has prophesied that the Lord will keep the steadfast of mind in perfect peace because he trusts in Him (Isaiah 26:3). As we look for peace in trying times, we will know when we have the peace of God because we will experience peace with God, peace within ourselves, and peace with others.

Now the peace of God be with you all, Amen. – Romans 15:33

*NB: All Bible quotations are from NASB Version