I love the word peace; there is something about saying the word itself that almost brings on a sense
of peace. Peace. It is a simple
word that carries so much weight. A word that if spoken in the wrong company
could bring on anger or differing opinions. If spoken within other company it
may just seem like a given. It is a truly weighted word.
There are 17 definitions
of the word peace when looking it up online. Everything from warring nations
no longer fighting, to treaties; silences; marking a death; a greeting; mediation, coming to grips with a situation, closure
to clarity of thought. There are so many uses of the word; it seems to get lost
in the shuffle. This seems to happen with so many words, love for example. We use the word Love to express good feelings towards movies or music, the weather
or a dessert; it is also a word we use to express feelings towards those most important to us.
Do we truly care the same for hotdogs as we do for our spouses or parents? Of
course not, and yet we use the same word. In the Greek New Testament there are
3 words used to express love, and those are seen within just one passage which follows our scripture today, philio, Eros and
agape.
“When they had gone ashore, they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish on it, and bread. Jesus
said to them, “Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.” So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net
ashore, full of large fish, a hundred fifty-three of them; and though there were so many, the net was not torn. Jesus said
to them, “Come and have breakfast.” Now none of the disciples dared to ask him, “Who are you?” because
they knew it was the Lord. Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. This was now
the third time that Jesus appeared to the disciples after he was raised from the dead. When they had finished breakfast, Jesus
said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you
know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my lambs.”
A second time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes,
Lord; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Tend my sheep.” He said to him the third time, “Simon
son of John, do you love me?” Peter felt hurt because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” And
he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.
Very truly, I tell you, when you were younger, you used to fasten your own belt and to go wherever you wished. But when you
grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will fasten a belt around you and take you where you do not wish
to go.” (He said this to indicate the kind of death by which he would glorify God.) After this he said to him, “Follow
me.”
This encounter between
Jesus and Peter has so many layers. But one of the things that is accomplished
through it was a deeper relationship. For Jesus and Peter went through the three
forms of love, the first being like or philio, the second being relational or eros and the third being intimate, agape. The three things Jesus asks Peter to do are to Feed my lambs, tend my sheep, and feed
my sheep. They almost seem like the same thing, which explains why Peter got
so frustrated.
But looking closer the idea of feeding a lamb, a baby seems so simple, and then tending for the sheep
involves a little bit more and then feed my sheep, promise to care for them for their lifetimes. Do you truly love me, then take up the role of a following leader, follow my example and lead my sheep. Through this course of events, Peter confesses his denial, for each of the three times
he denied Christ; he has now said that he loves him. It took Peter a couple of
moments to get this, especially since Jesus went through the three different loves, starting with the informal, moving to
the relational and finally to the intimate unconditional agape.
Going through those 3 builds the relationship each time, Peter is making a greater and greater commitment
each time he answers Jesus’ request to the point where he finally says, Lord you know that I love you, perhaps there
is more guilt in those words than frustration. If we were looking closely, at
the Greek we would see the use of the love words, how through this encounter Jesus takes Peter in to closer relationship taking
away the guilt and the pain of the denial and welcoming him back in to the fold. While
at the same time saying that, the rest of your days will be spent sharing the good news, which has taken place.
Now what does all of this
have to do with our scripture today about peace be with you? Especially if you
find the John text in your bibles, you will see that it follows our passage about Jesus greeting those he loved with peace. But I include them together in this order showing Peter’s need for forgiveness,
his need to know he was forgiven and that his relationship with Christ is still intact as a sign that we also must ask for
forgiveness for the things that we have done that seek to keep us away from God. Prior
to greeting one another with the peace of Christ.
The order of our service each week is intentional, the progression from preparing to hear the word
of God, which includes confession, and then hearing the word of God, and then responding to the word of God. To hear the word of God read and proclaimed we first come to God in prayer asking for our sins to be forgiven
so that we may truly hear the words the Spirit will guide us to understand. We
usually follow the time of confession with the passing of the peace for once we are forgiven we can truly greet one another
with the peace of Christ. Those of you truly paying attention today will notice
that we did not pass the peace following our time of confession; instead, we will greet each other with the peace of Christ
following the sermon.
Instead of being, a way
to greet one another this week the passing of the peace will be an example of how to leave this place going out in to the
world to share God’s love with others. Hearing the words of our scripture again, “When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples
had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” After
he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them
again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” When he had said this, he breathed on them
and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the
sins of any, they are retained.”
After
equipping the disciples with the holy spirit Christ seeks to send them out greeting one another with peace and sharing with
them forgiveness. So that they truly may receive the blessing of peace. First Jesus showed them the marks on his hands and feet and the hole in his side,
take this news with you as you go, that you have seen the risen Lord.
As
we began today seeking to grab hold of the word peace, let us now understand, that when Christ says, peace be with you, he
is saying, may all the pain and strife of my death, the hurt and betrayal, the denial be a distant memory, may all the sins
you have committed be forgotten and may you truly greet one another with peace. May
your hearts be untroubled, may there be nothing coming between you, may you feel peace, experience the rewards of hearing
the good news of the gospel that your sins have been forgiven. May you experience
the silence and tranquility of a closer relationship with God, may your souls be free to hear in the silence, may you share
your experiences with others. And truly let the peace that God offers enter your
hearts. And may this be the way you greet one another. Peace be with you. May everything you have survived help you
to thrive, may the pain of yesterday drift away never to be seen again, may you truly come to God with open arms ready and
willing to experience true love, the truest there is, agape, and be at peace.
That
is what Christ is offering when he speaks those words, peace be with you. And
may you greet one another with that same peace may your hopes for one another be that same deep quiet peace. May there be nothing in between you, nothing stopping you from hoping this same peace to be with all you
meet. This is why we pass the peace, as a symbol that we are forgiven people
and that our greatest hope is to share that with others.
Perhaps there are things keeping you from truly living in community with other people
in this room, perhaps you have had a disagreement with the person sitting next to you, maybe you are angry or hurt, now is
the time to ask for forgiveness. Now is the time to stand with Peter and say
Lord I love you, for every time you have denied your Messiah, for every time you have hurt someone else, for every time you
couldn’t forgive someone or even approach them with hurt feelings. May
you confess your love for God for all of your sins, so that nothing can or will hold you back from greeting one another with
the peace of Christ.
And
although we have already said our silent prayers of confession, let us bow our heads once more, truly seeking peace, so that
in a few moments we may be able to freely stand and greet one another with the full strength and power of the peace of Christ. So let us take a moment in silence…
Having
asked once again for forgiveness, saying Lord, I love you, let us stand and with hearts turned towards God greet one another,
with no strings attached or agendas sought, but truly wishing the peace of Christ upon one and all. May the peace of Christ which passes all understanding be with you all.
Benediction:
Hear the words from Paul’s letter to the Colossians: And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts,
to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; teach and admonish
one another in all wisdom; and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God. And whatever
you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Rev. Janice M. Tiedeck
