My Peace I Give You - Tuesday 20 June 2006
I wonder if I offered to give you my old football shirt – would you be interested?
Probably not.
But what if Stephen Gerrard or Michael Owen made the same offer? I suspect you’d be a little more interested. (If you hate football then think of Wimbledon or something that would capture your imagination!)
The value or significance would be increased because of who was giving it.
This I think is a helpful way of thinking about the words of Jesus in John 14:27, “My peace I give you.” They are of significance because of who the giver is.
So if we are try to grasp what true peace is then we need to grasp what it is Jesus is offering - the very same peace that he himself enjoyed.
This morning why not grab a pen and jot down a few ideas about the peace that that Jesus had. What was so distinct about it? Where did it come from? How did it affect the way he dealt with others, with conflict or with the needy?
And when you think you have a glimpse of Jesus’ peace, reflect on whether you share that – and if not – ask yourself what gets in the way?
Resolve to bring to him any barriers that you uncover –perhaps share them in your Small Group, or with a prayer partner and then ask Jesus, who says to you, “My peace I give you” to help you step beyond those barriers to experience more of his wonderful freedom. | 