Advent 2020: Peace

The Secret to Peace

Today we encounter this idea of peace. An idea that surely has a lot of nuance and angles one can approach, but ultimately one that also has a pretty relate-able meaning for us all. Peace on earth. The stillness of the night air. A manger perhaps. Even those stolen moments just after birth when all seems right with the world.

In our own lives maybe peace looks a little different. Still, the spirit seems to remain. Peace is a time when we experience a still contentedness that lightens our souls and allows us to not only accept our situation, but brings opens our hearts - no matter our situations - to allow ourselves to feel hope. To feel joy. To feel love.

I think that is peace to us, at least to some great extent.

But today, I want us to look at peace from a different angle, and in so doing, hopefully we can not only find some truth from God there, but in fact we might find the very secret to peace.

Mark 1:1–8 ESV

The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. As it is written in Isaiah the prophet, “Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way, the voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight,’ ” John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And all the country of Judea and all Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. Now John was clothed with camel’s hair and wore a leather belt around his waist and ate locusts and wild honey. And he preached, saying, “After me comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

-------

pray

thebeginningofthegoodnews

Mark doesn’t mix words. He doesn’t want to waste the reader’s time, and really to be honest, it seems like he wants to get right to the point of why he is writing this account in the first place.

The beginning of the Good News - the Gospel - of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

This is the beginning for Mark. And to us, of course, we would expect a starry night, or an inn, or even a manger. These peaceful, pastoral scenes that usher in the birth of Christ! The obvious beginning to the story of the bringer of hope, peace, joy, and love.

After all, that is the beginning! That is where this whole story starts! At least we think that sometimes. And with good reason, honestly. As Christians, many - if not most - of us first are exposed to Jesus through this holiday season. We learn about Jesus from our songs, and from the decorations all around us.

pictureofmanger

I first learned about Jesus from an old moss covered manger scene. One that my mother still puts up every year. It is no doubt older than me, but at this point, it seems like I have caught up to it, and I’m afraid I look older than it does anymore.

It was the first thing that made me ask “who is that child?” It was the first moment that I was exposed to an idea bigger than presents and lights and tinsel. It was, for me, the beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ.

And that idea should bring us all to what is for me the message for us today. The message behind the message if you will. The very secret to this idea that is offered to us on this moment and this day in Advent. The secret to peace.

I say secret, but when you look at this text, on this day, and you try to find a greater meaning behind the words of Mark here, it isn’t so much a secret as it is a change of perspective! I mean it is right there in front of us, if we can just change in our mind the object of peace.

peacepic

Here is what I mean. Peace is definitely obvious in those things that we associate with it. The still and silent night. The gently ringing bells. The falling snow. A world wrapped in lights and tinsel. Even a manger, or a pregnant mother on a donkey. There is peace there, no doubt.

But generally, when we think about peace, we think about how WE feel when we are allowed a moments peace. Maybe a moment alone in a hot bath, or a moment to read a book. Maybe just a moment to sit still by the fire and be grateful. ALL GREAT THINGS! All moments in which we feel peace. But all moments, I would submit, that we too often associate as being what peace is all about!

But that isn’t what peace really is. Peace is to be in the midst of all the troubles of this life, and still being calm in your heart.

In other words, peace isn’t having a situation in which WE feel like all is right with the world, peace is not having that situation, but instead, bringing that situation to life in our hearts and then into our world!

Mark 1:2–3 ESV

As it is written in Isaiah the prophet, “Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way, the voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight,’ ”

That is the secret. And that is the reason, here, for this short introduction in Mark.

There is no need for an infancy narrative. There is not time for inns and mangers for Mark! Sure those have a place, even for him I am sure, but they aren’t the core of what Mark is lead to offer to us. And we must understand that, as far as written rhetoric goes, this introduction isn’t separated from the rest of the text! It is, in fact, eternally linked to what follows, and is the setting upon which Mark intends us to understand every verse that follows!

So, to Mark, the secret of this whole thing isn’t the manger, or the inn. It isn’t even the story of how God prepared Mary and Joseph - as important as that obviously is! The beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ the Son of God is this:

“I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way!” “Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight!”

The beginning of the good news, church, is the story of a voice crying out in the wilderness. The beginning of the good news is the story of one who, through persecution, sought to bring peace into the lives of others! The beginning of the good news of Christ is the story of how God’s people prepare the hearts of those around them to accept the Savior of the world.

Psalm 85:8–13 NIV

I will listen to what God the Lord says; he promises peace to his people, his faithful servants— but let them not turn to folly. Surely his salvation is near those who fear him, that his glory may dwell in our land. Love and faithfulness meet together; righteousness and peace kiss each other. Faithfulness springs forth from the earth, and righteousness looks down from heaven. The Lord will indeed give what is good, and our land will yield its harvest. Righteousness goes before him and prepares the way for his steps.

[read]

The secret to peace is that God has filled the earth with those that are called to prepare the way for Him in the hearts of another.

I will listen to What God says. I will understand that He promises peace to His people - but let them not turn to folly! Well how will they not turn? How can they know the way? Only when love and faithfulness meet! Only then will righteousness and peace kiss! When faithfulness in God’s people springs forth from the earth, then righteousness looks down from heaven! And that righteousness will go before us all, and prepare the way for our steps! BUT FAR MORE IMPORTANT - IT WILL PREPARE THE WAY FOR CHRIST’S STEPS INTO THE LIVES OF ALL THOSE AROUND US!

Just as that manger did for me. Just as a song does for someone. Or a story. Or a smile. Or a simple moment offered in love. When we are faithful to our call, just as John the Baptist was, our faithfulness prepares the way for Christ in the lives of someone around us!

pichere

That is the secret! And that is the beginning of the good news for us all! The story of Christ begins when in faithfulness, we bring peace into the chaotic world around us!

How do we do that? How do we shine a light for Christ in a broken and weary world? Is it in helping another? Maybe. Is it in all of the stuff that we think needs to get done or that we need to do? Maybe.

But it is far more likely, in the world that we live in, that the best way to show the world the difference that Christ makes in us, is to unplug. To slow down. To return to a life in which we can enjoy the still, calm moments that no one else can see. Further, that we would refrain from insisting that the rest of the world knows about us, or what we do, or even what we think, and instead, begin to prepare the way for this world by showing them a better way!

Showing them there is no need to get caught up in the drama and the trends of this world. No need to insist on all the doings that we do just to be known as Christians! NO NEED TO INSIST ON ADDING ALL THIS OTHER STUFF TO OUR LIVES JUST TO OFFER OURSELVES THE ILLUSION OF PEACE! THERE IS, INSTEAD, ONLY A NEED FOR US TO BE FAITHFUL! TO BRING INTO THIS WORLD PEACE! TO STILL THE VOICE IN OUR HEARTS THAT CALLS OUT FOR MORE DOINGS AND MORE STUFF THAT COVERS OUR LIVES IN A FALSE PEACE! THE BEGINNING OF THE GOOD NEWS OF CHRIST IN OUR WORLD IS THAT YOU ARE CALLED TO PREPARE A WAY FOR HIM! YOU ARE CALLED TO BRING PEACE INTO THIS WORLD! YOU ARE CALLED TO A FAITHFULNESS IN YOUR OWN HEART AND LIFE THAT WILL PRODUCE PEACE IN ALL THAT YOU DO!

letherebepeace...

SO LET THERE BE PEACE!

A peace that begins in your own life. Notice that John doesn’t live a life of metropolitan ease here church. John doesn’t have all the latest trends, or even a home! John was clothed in camel’s hair, and ate locusts - which is a huge insect if you didn’t know - and honey.

John didn’t have peace. John made peace. More to the point, John made a way for the Prince of Peace in the lives of others.

The secret to peace is that it has to begin in us, no matter what we are facing. And having begun in us, it then is offered to the world around us.

Let there be peace on earth And let it begin with me Let There Be Peace on Earth The peace that was meant to be

With God as our Father Brothers all are we Let me walk with my brother In perfect harmony.

Let peace begin with me Let this be the moment now.

With ev'ry step I take Let this be my solemn vow To take each moment and live Each moment in peace eternally Let there be peace on earth And let it begin with me.

Church, the beginning of the Good News of Christ is you. You are the beginning for someone. Even if it is yourself. Let peace begin in you, and you will be the beginning of the Good News to this world.

communion

And that good news begins in us when we live in communion with Him. In our thinking as in our doing. When we join Him and all that He is, and let Him fill our hearts no matter what we are facing.

And that is what this moment is all about.

[elements]

Church, take this moment and live each moment in peace eternally. With Christ living in you. Let there be peace in us, and then on earth. But let it begin in you.