Shalom

PASSAGE FOR THE DAY:

1        “Here is my servant, whom I uphold,

    my chosen one in whom I delight;

I will put my Spirit on him,

    and he will bring justice to the nations.

2        He will not shout or cry out,

    or raise his voice in the streets.

3        A bruised reed he will not break,

    and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out.

In faithfulness he will bring forth justice;

4           he will not falter or be discouraged

till he establishes justice on earth.

    In his teaching the islands will put their hope.”

5        This is what God the LORD says—

the Creator of the heavens, who stretches them out,

    who spreads out the earth with all that springs from it,

    who gives breath to its people,

    and life to those who walk on it:

6        “I, the LORD , have called you in righteousness;

    I will take hold of your hand.

I will keep you and will make you

    to be a covenant for the people

    and a light for the Gentiles,

7        to open eyes that are blind,

    to free captives from prison

    and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.

8        “I am the LORD; that is my name!

    I will not yield my glory to another

    or my praise to idols.

9        See, the former things have taken place,

    and new things I declare;

before they spring into being

    I announce them to you.” (Isaiah 42:1-9, NIV)

…………

Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision” (which is done in the body by human hands)—12 remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

14 For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, 15 by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, 16 and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. 17 He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. 18 For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.

19 Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. 21 In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. 22 And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit. (Ephesians 2:11-22, NIV)

…………

For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. 15 And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.

16 So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20 We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. 21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Corinthians 5:14-21, NIV)

REFLECTIONS:

In his book, Not the Way It’s Supposed to Be, Cornelius Plantinga writes, “In the Bible, shalom means universal flourishing, wholeness, and delight—a rich state of affairs in which natural needs are satisfied and natural gifts fruitfully employed, a state of affairs that inspires joyful wonder as its Creator and Savior opens doors and welcomes the creatures in whom he delights. Shalom, in other words, is the way things ought to be.” This pic­ture stands in shining contrast to the reductionist cliché of “world peace” often associated with bumper stickers and beauty pageant stereotypes.

Peace is from God. Just as no possession nor approval nor achieve­ment can usher peace into our lives, neither can any political structure or humanitarian effort set the world right. In this world we see internal discord ranging from mild anxiety to severe mental health disorders. We see interpersonal conflict in struggling marriages, broken families, divided communities and war-torn countries.

It is against this backdrop that the depth and richness of biblical peace is ushered in by the perfect life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. “For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross” (Colossians 1:19-20).

Jesus enters into our world as the Prince of Peace, restoring us to the Father by his own blood, welcoming us in as sons and daughters of God. We are no longer children of wrath, at war with God. Our deepest, most urgent need has been met—peace with God—and we are free from enslaving anxiety.

But the peace that Jesus came to bring doesn’t stop there. In Christ we have peace with God, and we become agents of peace in a world of discord. The peace Jesus brings is universal in scope, and thus has far-reaching implications for our relationships, communities and world. This is the work that God has prepared for us.

As Christmas approaches and we anticipate the coming of the Prince of Peace, we consider an important and often neglected aspect of our role as believers in Christ. If God sent Jesus to reconcile us to himself, then as his image-bearers we represent his character to this world when we actively seek to reconcile conflict with the people in our lives and in the world at large. As believers, we are the sons and daughters of God, agents in this world of our Heavenly Father’s peace, bringing his eternal kingdom to earth now. In his second letter to the Corinthians, Paul says, “All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation” (2 Corinthians 5:18).

If we are bored in our Christian life, perhaps it is because we haven’t taken to heart that the kingdom of heaven is at hand, employing us as citizens who expand God’s rule and call upon his will to be done on earth as it is in heaven. We haven’t read the apocalyptic accounts as the birth pangs of a new heaven and a new earth recreated with justice and peace.

He has given us the ministry of reconciliation. How are we doing as his ambassadors? In our personal lives, are we quick (or even willing?) to admit when we are wrong and earnest in asking forgiveness? When offended, do we offer forgiveness with no strings attached, not harboring resentment or keeping a record of wrongs, allowing relationships to heal and rebuild? In the local and global community, are we looking to the ways of social justice, being a voice and an advocate for the marginalized, offering encouragement and physical resources to those who are strug­gling? In the areas we find ourselves most lacking, perhaps it is because we are building our own kingdoms, or have forgotten the magnitude of our own offense against God, which has been forgiven and paid in full.

As we enter into the Advent season and look to the kingdom of God introduced in the person and ministry of Jesus Christ, we reflect on the birth announcement of Christ, and the eternal kingdom of peace he would bring, foretold by the prophet Isaiah:

“For to us a child is born,

    to us a son is given,

    and the government will be on his shoulders.

And he will be called

    Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Of the greatness of his government and peace

    there will be no end.

He will reign on David’s throne

    and over his kingdom,

establishing and upholding it

    with justice and righteousness

    from that time on and forever.

The zeal of the Lord Almighty

    will accomplish this.” (Isaiah 9:6-7a)

PRAYER:
Father, we repent of trying to build our own kingdoms instead of experiencing yours. We repent of the relationships where we are keeping a record of wrongs or harboring unforgiveness. We ask you to show us practical ways to be ambassadors of Christ’s ministry of reconciliation to the marginal­ized in our community and globally. Father, we thank you for the gift of your reconciliation through Christ’s death on our behalf. Give us the faith to know that you have provided all of the resources necessary to see your will be done, resting us from our striving effort apart from Christ. Lord, may your kingdom come in my heart, in my life and in my community.