When you least expect it

Once upon a time, there was a boy named Lucas. Now, Lucas wasn’t what you’d call the bravest kid in the world, and if you asked him, he’d be the first to admit it. If you snuck up behind him and said, “Boo!” he’d probably jump so high he’d hit the ceiling. He liked things to be predictable. Safe. No surprises, thank you very much.

Lucas was the kind of kid who kept his backpack organized down to the last pencil. He always checked the weather before picking out his clothes. And when his mom or dad tucked him in at night, he always asked, “What are we doing tomorrow?” because he needed to know. He needed things to be steady. Predictable. Controlled.

Every day, he woke up, got ready for school, and sat in the same seat at the breakfast table, where his dad would read the newspaper. That was part of the routine. His dad always read the newspaper, sipping his coffee, while Lucas and his sister Lily ate cereal. It was ordinary, steady, safe. But then, one morning, his dad wasn’t reading the newspaper.

He was staring at it.

The front page, untouched. His coffee, cold. His jaw tight, his eyebrows furrowed. Lucas wasn’t the best at reading grown-up emotions, but he could tell something wasn’t right.

That night, Lucas found out the truth—his dad had lost his job.

One day, just like that, everything changed.

It wasn’t just about money. It was about what money meant. The feeling of security. The ability to plan ahead. The knowing that no matter what, their family was going to be okay. Suddenly, Lucas didn’t feel okay.

At first, he thought maybe things would go back to normal. Maybe his dad would find another job right away. But the days turned into weeks. He overheard his parents whispering in the kitchen late at night. He saw the stress on their faces. He noticed how his dad wasn’t making as many jokes anymore.

Lucas felt something he couldn’t explain at first. It wasn’t just worry—it was something deeper.

He felt like God had let them down.

He had heard people say, “God will provide,” but nothing was being provided.

He had heard people say, “God is in control,” but everything felt out of control.

So, because of that, Lucas started shutting down. He didn’t want to talk about it. He didn’t want to pray about it. He didn’t even want to go to church. What was the point? If God was supposed to be good, why did bad things happen? Why did things have to be so scary?

Doesn’t that sound familiar?

Have you ever felt like that? Have you ever gone through something so hard that you started wondering if God was even listening? Have you ever found yourself saying, “If God really cared about me, then why is this happening?”

Lucas wasn’t the first person to feel like that.

The Disciples Felt the Same Way

In John 20, the disciples were feeling the same way. Jesus—who they had followed, trusted, believed in—had just been crucified. And now, they didn’t know what to do. They thought it was all over.

So what did they do?

They locked themselves in a room.

I want you to imagine what that must have been like. They had watched Jesus die. They had heard the crowds shouting, “Crucify him!” and they had seen the Roman soldiers take him away. They had watched everything they believed in crumble.

And now?

They were afraid that any minute, soldiers might come for them, too. So they did what we all do when we’re scared—they shut down. They locked the doors. They huddled together, whispering, hoping no one would find them.

And then—out of nowhere, Jesus shows up.

Jesus Steps In

*Because of that, everything changes.

The doors were locked, and yet there he was. He didn’t knock. He didn’t scold them for hiding. He just stood there and said, “Peace be with you.”

Now, let’s stop for a second.

Why did Jesus say that?

Think about it. He could have said anything. He could have said, “What are you doing hiding?” He could have said, “Didn’t I tell you I’d rise again?” But no—his first words to them were, “Peace be with you.”

Why do you think Jesus said that?

What does peace even mean?

See, peace doesn’t mean everything suddenly gets easy. Peace doesn’t mean your problems disappear. Peace means knowing that no matter what happens, you are not alone.

Peace is when the storm is raging, but somehow, deep down, you know you’re going to be okay.

Peace is when you don’t know what’s coming next, but you know who’s with you.

Jesus didn’t just give them peace with his words—he gave them peace with his presence.

And sometimes, that’s exactly what we need.

Peace is Contagious

*Here’s the thing about peace—it spreads.

The disciples were scared. But after Jesus showed up, everything changed.

And do you remember what happened next?

Jesus breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit” (John 20:22).

He didn’t just show up and say, “Good luck out there.” He gave them something to carry with them.

And then? They went out and told Thomas.

Thomas, who wasn’t there the first time, didn’t believe them, he didn’t buy what his friends were selling. And isn’t that relatable? When someone else says, “I feel God’s presence,” but you don’t feel it yet, isn’t it hard to believe? Do you think, “Ah, you’re just emotional”.

But a week later, Jesus showed up again. And this time, Thomas saw for himself.

And what did Jesus say to him?

“Peace be with you.”

That peace started spreading. It moved from one disciple to another. From fear to trust. From doubt to faith.

That’s what peace does. It’s contagious. It moves from one person to the next.

And sometimes, it starts in the smallest ways.

Lucas Finds Peace

*Lucas didn’t realize it at the time, but that’s what he needed too.

One night, he was sitting alone in his room, staring at the wall, when his little sister, Lily, walked in. She was holding their dad’s old guitar, the one he used to play when times were better.

“Can you help me play a song?” she asked.

Lucas almost said no. He almost told her to leave him alone. But instead, something nudged him—a little whisper inside.

So, he picked up the guitar. He strummed a few chords. His fingers felt stiff, and the music felt strange at first, but Lily grinned. “That one! That’s the song Dad used to play!”

She started singing softly. Their mom, hearing the sound, poked her head in and smiled. Their dad, tired and worn-out, sat down and listened. And for the first time in a long time, peace filled their home—oh, not because everything was fixed, but because love was still there.

Because Jesus was still there.

Reflection

*That’s how peace spreads.

Who in your life needs that kind of peace today? Do you need that peace today? Maybe tomorrow at school, at work, or the loneliness of an empty home?

Where might Jesus show up because you need him at that moment?

Maybe he’s calling you to be the one who spreads that peace to someone else.

Because peace isn’t just something we receive. It is something we pass on.

And when Jesus shows up and you participate, everything has the potentiality to change. Be that change. Be the one who, unexpectedly says, “Peace be with you”. Maybe, just maybe, you can be the peace of Jesus Christ for those that need it. Amen.