Monday, September 12, 2011

Live In Harmony

Jesus’ disciples help us by giving practical illustrations and guidance on how to live out the “gospel of peace.” They witnessed how Jesus lived and heard what he taught on this subject and after Pentecost they became bold witnesses for Jesus and implemented a life of peacemaking as they understood it.

As a leader in the first century church, the Apostle Peter’s actions and teachings give us helpful insights. As we saw in my last “Reflections,” Peter’s vision and his subsequent journey to the house of Cornelius provide evidence of how Peter understood the message of Jesus about peacemaking in a very practical way. He now realized that the good news of the Kingdom of God was for all people and that God was not limiting his message to the Jews. This meant that Peter had to violate practices of his day that forbade association with non-Jews -- which he did and for which he was repeatedly persecuted.

Peter’s first letter, written to Jewish and Gentile Christians scattered throughout Asia Minor, was intended to encourage these young believers to live holy lives. After explaining that the God who called them was “holy,” he argued that Christians should therefore “be holy in all you do.” Peter then described what this meant in terms of practical living.

Here are Peter’s insights in his own words (I Peter 3):
  • “Live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic and humble.”
  • “Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing . . . .”
  • “Turn from evil and do good; . . . seek peace and pursue it.”
  • “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.”
Peter’s instructions are not idealistic, utopian statements, but practical counsel that he learned from Jesus. Later Peter warned that people would speak maliciously against Christians and that they will suffer for their faith, but he encouraged his readers with these words: “It is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil” (I Peter 3:17).

In a similar way, the Apostle James, the brother of Jesus, also shared with his friends what it meant to follow Jesus and to live as a peacemaker. In his letter to a Jewish audience, one of the earliest of all New Testament writings, James demonstrated his great familiarity with Jesus’ teaching and his central concern that faith be linked to action. James persuasively argues that “faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead” (James 2:17).

One of James’ great insights is his discussion of how wisdom is related to shalom and then how shalom is linked to the “harvest of righteousness (justice),” a link that reminds us of Isaiah’s prophecies. James puts it this way: “The wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow peace raise a harvest of righteousness” (James 3:18).

To Jesus’ brother, taking actions that nurture peace would result in creating conditions of justice. But James also warned believers to be patient and trust that God will bring the “harvest of righteousness” he promised.

So What?
  • The Bible is a helpful guide for living a productive, healthy life. It has so many powerful insights about how to live in peace, how to confront injustice, how to deal with conflict, and how to build a more just world. This is why regular Bible reading is such an important discipline for followers of Jesus. Have you made it a part of your daily routine?
  • I am not a “bumper-sticker guy,” but once in awhile I see one that really grabs my attention. Here’s a favorite: “Peace & Justice: Weapons of Mass Instruction.” Have you seen any lately that focus attention on peacemaking?
  • Have you had any experiences within your family, social life or work you can share that helped you see some of the powerful links between peace, justice and wisdom?

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Breaking Down Racial Barriers

So we have had a chance to see how Jesus lived and what he taught about peace. Now the question is: Did it matter? Did his closest friends, his disciples, take these actions of Jesus and his teachings and put them into practice in their own lives? This next series of reflections will look at this.

When the disciples were “filled with the Holy Spirit” at Pentecost, everything changed for them. They were no longer afraid for their lives nor did they hesitate to talk about their faith in the risen Jesus. They were now fearless witnesses of the gospel of peace.

The Gospel of Luke gives us numerous examples of how Jesus offered reconciliation between people despite their racial and cultural differences. In the same way that Jesus freely offered salvation to the Samaritan woman and to her neighbors, the Book of Acts makes it clear that the disciples now understood that the gospel was not just for Jews, but for all people. Societal prejudices that forbade communication or friendship with Gentiles were to be ignored. The gospel of peace was a message of harmony and love not to be constrained by racial or national distinctions.
"Philip Baptizes Eunuch"
Abel de Pujol

The Apostle Philip went to Samaria and preached the gospel to people whom the Jews traditionally hated. He was soon joined by Peter and John and they all traveled throughout Samaria preaching the message of peace (Acts 8:25). Philip also witnessed to the Ethiopian eunuch and “told him the good news about Jesus” (8:35).

After Pentecost, the Apostle Peter began to live out his faith with a freedom and exuberance that was contagious, but that also generated considerable opposition from Jewish religious leaders. One of the most powerful illustrations of what the gospel of peace meant to Peter in practical terms is recorded in Acts 10. Here we read about Peter’s vision and how God vividly illustrated how the gospel involved overcoming differences that divided people and kept them from hearing the truth about Jesus. When the three men sent to Peter by Cornelius, the Roman centurion, came to his house, Peter invited them in – an act in itself that was a violation of Jewish practice at that time.

Peter’s practical actions were a clear sign that he was a different man now, that his attitude and behavior toward non-Jews had changed. He was becoming a peacemaker, a reconciler between people.

"Peter Baptizing Cornelius"
Francesco Trevisani
When Peter went to the house of Cornelius, accompanied by Cornelius’ two servants and one of his soldiers, he explained to these non-Jewish listeners who Jesus was. What did Peter say to them? God does not show favoritism to certain people, but accepts anyone who believes in him and lives accordingly. He then summarized the message of Jesus by describing it as “the good news of peace” (Acts 10:36).

Of all the words Peter could have used to briefly describe Jesus’ teachings, he chose the word “peace.” The Old Testament promise of shalom was now fulfilled in Jesus Christ. Reconciliation was now possible between people of different languages and races. For Peter and his friends who went with him to Cornelius’s home, the gospel of peace had real practical application – it meant breaking down racial barriers.

So What?

  • I remember my first trip to China in 1984. We met with Chinese Christians through some secret connections and I have vivid memories of standing in a circle with them, holding hands and quietly mouthing the words of several hymns. It struck me that these men and women were my brothers and sisters in Christ and that they were “family members” of mine. In fact, my relationship with them was closer than to my non-Christian neighbors back in the States. Have you ever had an experience like this where differences of language and ethnicity seemed to dissolve?
  • Can you think of examples from your own experience where you saw racial barriers overcome and people of faith engaging with others with whom they normally would not relate?
  • Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Had a Dream” speech is one of the most powerful statements I have ever heard on the “gospel of peace” and its reconciling power to bring different races together. Do you know of others?
  • How can you apply this practical application of peacemaking in your own context?