Peace be with you. Trouble has found them, fear has captured them and they are huddled behind a locked door. Peace be with you. They see Jesus and the first words they hear from him are, “Peace be with you.” There is no finger pointing, no words of judgment, no anger, no retaliation, just the same words they heard before they ran away, before the betrayal and the denial, before the sky fell and their dreams were shattered. Peace be with you.
Suddenly, they remember the words planted before tragedy. “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you…Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.” Jesus promised not to leave them orphaned, but to come to them again, and just when they are sure hope is gone and all is lost, he is with them. Peace be with you. Violence does not get the last word, hatred does not prevail. God becomes human, not to judge or condemn, but to love and save, not to command armies, but to ordain peace.
John’s gospel weaves the story of Jesus gardening the hearts of his followers with seeds that will sprout and sustain them in the time of trial. Jesus does not urge them to build a wall, or gather an army, or carry a concealed weapon. Jesus does not tell them to retaliate or seek vengeance. He stays focused on what matters, on what cannot be destroyed. Peace be with you. He tells them he loves them and urges them to abide in that love. In the midst of trouble, in the avalanche of fear, he comes to them, breathing peace, igniting joy. In the days and months before his death, he carefully lays a foundation of intimacy and understanding, of relationship grounded in justice, peace, and love. He creates pathways in their hearts that cannot be erased or eliminated, not even by violence and death.
John tells us that the third time Jesus comes to them after his death and resurrection happens when they are out fishing. They fish all night. Just after daybreak they hear a voice, “Children, you have no fish have you?” No they have not. All night and not a single fish. “Cast your nets to the right side of the boat.” Having fished far more than Jesus, you might think they would argue, ask why, but they simply listen and obey. Suddenly they have the catch of a lifetime, and they are overwhelmed with abundance. They head straight for Jesus, who is waiting on the shore with the fire already started, the fish and bread already cooked. Peace be with you.
Jesus says nothing about the violence, gives no time to the cruelty. He reminds them of friendship and the peace that passes all human understanding. As he has done so many times before, he feeds them and nourishes them for the journey. Earlier he told them, “I have said these things to you so that my joy might be in you, and your joy might be complete.” We give so much time and attention to violence and hatred. Jesus gives time and attention to peace, to calling forth rivers of joy in parched and dry places. Peace be with you.
Each month a member of the Cook County Ministerium will offer Spiritual Reflections. This week our contributor is Reverend Beth Benson of the First Congregational Church – UCC in Grand Marais.
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