Almost every Christmas in Alaska one of our St. John members tells
me, “Pastor Rockey, do you know what I want for Christmas? Peace on earth.” This
man is very sincere. He wanted peace in Iraq. He desired peace in Afghanistan. I’m
sure his soul now longs for peace in the Ukraine. This man also often asks me how
the Christmas angels could promise “peace on earth,” (Luke 2:14) and yet our
world seems to know only constant war.
Perhaps I haven’t taught him that Jesus also revealed that, as the end
comes, there will be “wars and rumors of wars.”
(Matthew 24:6) Perhaps he does not know that the peace which he longs
for, is not necessarily the peace the angels sang about. Nevertheless, he longs for a peace which he
feels is missing.
Scripture talks of various kinds of
peace. On the night he was betrayed, Jesus taught His disciples, “Peace I
leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to
you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” (John
14:27) Imagine that timing! It’s not just the angels who promise peace, Jesus
himself promises. For Jesus, peace is not the absence of trouble, but the presence and knowledge
of God’s love during our troubles.
Paul wrote to the Roman Christians,
“ . . . since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God
through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Romans
5:1) People have peace with God in spite
of their sin, because He has saved us through His Son, by faith. In addition Paul wrote that “the fruit
of the Spirit is love, joy, peace.” (Galatians 5:23) Peace is not our
doing, but is a gift of God. And, let’s not forget, Jesus also taught in
the Sermon on the Mount, "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall
be called sons of God.” (Matthew
5:9). God’s children are not just called
to receive peace and to live in peace. Christians are also to share peace with
others.
Perhaps you know folks who, though
they are Christian, though they believe in Jesus, they seem to be in constant
turmoil and distress. Or, perhaps that describes your heart. Do you, or does anyone you know, live in
regret over a failure in life to accomplish a personal goal? Do you, or does anyone
you know struggle with guilt over a past or ongoing sin or temptation? Perhaps
the loss of a loved one plagues you with grief, a grief which steals your
peace. You should see my prayer list for
those who believe, but are seriously troubled.
(I do not share the list, because it is confidential.) However, there are many people I know like
that man at Christmas, yearning for peace.
Perhaps my prayer list reflects how Jeremiah and Ezekiel described a
plight found in the Old Testament people of God in their time. The people and their leaders were folks, “saying,
‘Peace,’ when there is no peace,’” (Ezekiel 13:10,
Jeremiah 6:14, 8:11) So, why is it that people who follow the Prince
of Peace have such trouble finding peace?
Instead of feeling guilt over our own
troubled hearts, please consider with me last Sunday’s assigned Gospel Lesson
from John 20, and remember others who lacked peace - the disciples right after
Jesus had risen. These men had followed Jesus for 3 years. They had been told by the women that Jesus
had risen. But, on Easter evening we are
told “the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the
Jews.” (John 20:19) Fear is not peace. When Thomas, who was not with the disciples
on Easter evening, was told by the other ten that they had seen Jesus alive, this
man with the broken heart declared, "Unless I see the nail marks in his
hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I
will not believe it." Doubt and
pain are not peace.
But Jesus has just the right
message for these troubled hearts. Listen to what he says time and again. In
verse John 20:19, we are told of Jesus, “On the evening of that first day of
the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of
the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you!’" In verse 21 we are told again about
Jesus, “Again Jesus said, ‘Peace
be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.’" And, when
Thomas was finally present, we are told again, “A week later his disciples
were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked,
Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!" (John 20:26)
The risen Jesus has just what His
disciples need. For those who lock themselves in a room in fear, Jesus has
looked sin and death and Satan in the face, and He has taken their worst and
risen from the grave. The disciples
don’t have to be afraid: Jesus is victorious!
They can face the most dangerous situations in life and have peace, in
Jesus. For those sent by Jesus to do a job bigger than they are able to do on
their own, the risen and victorious Jesus is with them. They can have peace! For
the disciple so wracked with grief that he didn’t want to risk believing again
so that he would not hurt again, Jesus has risen. Jesus gives him peace. Again,
peace is not the absence of trouble, but the presence of our loving and risen Lord
during our troubles!
Jesus gives that peace to troubled
hearts today, to us, if we will see Him and receive it. In Jesus we have forgiveness, we have life,
we have victory. Yes, life is unjust, painful, and cruel. But Jesus has
risen. He appeared to the disciples, he
showed His hands and feet to Thomas. Jesus speaks to us. "Peace be with
you!" And, when we know our
risen Savior, when we have peace from Jesus, then we can share that peace with others
who are troubled. We are peace-makers
when we share Jesus’ Easter victory.
During the January wind storm this
past year, the power and lights went out across the Mat-Su. Deep January with no electricity can be dark
in your home. Even if we know where
things are in our home, a person can stumble over furniture, or fall. So, my wife places flashlights around the
house. That light breaks the darkness
and gives clarity, safety even. We live
in a dark world, a world of death, of selfishness, and greed, and lust, and
pride. Jesus is the light of the world
who brings life for death, who brings love for selfishness, who brings sacrifice
for greed, and lust and pride. Jesus brings peace to guilty and troubled
hearts. Today our risen Savior comes
into the darkness of this world and speaks, “Peace be with you.”
When we know that peace is not the absence of trouble, but the
presence of our loving and risen Savior during our troubles, then instead
of troubled hearts we have the peace of Jesus’ Easter victory. And, as we receive the peace of Jesus, we can
share with others, “The Peace of Jesus be with you.” Then we are not just peace receivers, but peace-makers!
A Child of God, Thankful That Jesus Freely
Gives His Presence, His Love, and His Peace,
Pastor Jonathan
P.S. If you worshiped at First Lutheran Church in
Gainesville last Sunday you heard me preach similar words to this devotion.
P.P.S. In response to some questions I’ve received, “No,
I don’t just fish.”
·
Kathy and I do fun
stuff together and with Florida family and friends. Kathy and I went to the
beach on Friday, April 22. Here are a
few pictures. https://photos.app.goo.gl/UHq7A976A7mvidkY9
·
I also golf with a
group of friends. For example, in the
past week or so I golfed on Tuesday, April 19, Thursday, April 21, and Monday,
April 25.
·
In addition, I have
helped out in local Lutheran congregations.
In the past month I preached at Good Shepherd Lutheran in Chiefland on
April 10, and at First Lutheran in Gainesville on March 23 and 27. This past
Sunday, April 24, I preached and led Bible class at First Lutheran. First Lutheran is the congregation which
nutured me when I grew up in Gainesville.
·
But, surprise, I also did
go fishing this past week.
o On Wednesday, April 20, I went fishing in a favorite local
lake and caught a limit of 5 bass. https://photos.app.goo.gl/veFA1Lczwh2KkoVr8
o On Friday, April 22, when Kathy and I were at the beach, I
also caught 2 whiting. https://photos.app.goo.gl/1gfmCdtC5G5BcAZN7
o On
Saturday morning, before lunch with friends, I also fished on a favorite local
lake. https://photos.app.goo.gl/Z2sLKZUfRoACDYGw6
o On
Tuesday, April 26, I took Stephanie Karolus fishing. She is DCE from First Lutheran Church in Gainesville. When I took her fishing 2 years ago we did
not get a bite. This time we did better.
J Here are some pictures. https://photos.app.goo.gl/RZQd1iQVhVHFuTWP7
P.P.P.S. You may wonder what we do with all our
fish. While, Kathy and I have eaten fish
a number of times during this trip to Florida, I have also been storing the
fish in our freezer. We have a
fish fry this Saturday, April 30, for family and friends. Pictures next week. J
*****
ABOUT
THIS DEVOTION - I retired at the end of August 2019 from serving as senior
pastor of St. John Lutheran Church in Palmer, AK. I was writing a weekly
devotion previously entitled, "Thoughts from the Pastor."
When I retired many asked me to continue writing these devotions. So I
have continued writing. However, with life's changes I now call this
weekly devotion "Journeys Through Life as a Child of God." Since
I am no longer senior pastor at St. John, I felt it right to only send
this message to those who asked to receive it. (Though I am now serving
again part-time at St. John as assistant to the pastor.)
So, if you stopped receiving these devotions and wondered why, now you
understand. And, if you are now receiving these devotions and do not wish
to receive them, please let me know, and I’ll gladly remove your name from my
distribution list. My e-mail address is jonrock53@mtaonline.net.
My
prayer is that these devotions help each of you in your daily walk with our
Lord, Jesus.
*******
Jonathan Rockey
Child of God
Husband, Father, Son, Grandfather
Pastor Emeritus, St. John Lutheran Church
E-Mail: jonrock53@mtaonline.net
“1 John 3:1 How great is the love the
Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that
is what we are!” (1 John 3:1a)
