Sons and Daughters of Peace
The harvest continues to ripen and cry out in need of workers who are willing to gather it in. The field itself cries out for those who are willing to sow and water. The need has never diminished, nor will it. As always, the number of those willing to get their hands dirty simply cannot keep up. Jesus sent out seventy-two followers to prepare the world for the message of Jesus, of whom Luke was one. The instructions he gave to these men bring me comfort in times of rejection or betrayal.
Verses 5 and 6 say, “Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace be to this house!’ And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest upon him. But if not, it will return to you.” Have you ever wondered why Jesus often referred to himself as the Son of Man? We hear this sentiment echoed in his words to discover if a “son of peace” resided in the home the disciples arrived at. According to Adam Clarke (1832), this was a very popular and normal Jewish style of speaking. To be “the son of…” meant that you embodied all the qualities of this attribute or person. Therefore, anyone who was a “son of peace” would have been a peace-loving person who lived a life which promoted peace. (This shows us that Jesus used the phrase “Son of Man” to show that his life embodied all that being human suggested.)
Jesus’ command to send out peace and receive it back again if needs be offers us a challenge. Taking back our rejected peace can be very difficult. If you are anything like me, you might want to yell and cry that they are rejecting something wonderful. You might want to continue to argue to prove your point. You might want to do any number of things to which God calmly tells us to let go of. I find myself in a situation now where my peace has been rejected. It is a place I never expected to be. My life has been devoted to God from a very young age. I have devoted myself to the serious study of scripture for over thirty years now. I try to walk in love and sow in peace. Sometimes that is not within our abilities to do.
I did leave my husband last November. It was not an easy or rash decision. I initially wanted counseling, and though my pastor at the time offered it repeatedly (and I accepted) he failed time and time again to set a date or time for counseling to take place. I confided in his wife the conditions I had endured for over twenty years and how I had been praying about leaving for many of them. This was a painfully private event, and one I feel confident God has blessed abundantly. God loves us more than a piece of paper. He searches the heart of all things. He saw each attack. He heard every violent outburst. He cradled me as I cried, alone in the dark, hoping my children would never hear. He heard their prayers too. He saw their scars. He felt their pain, and He led me to scripture after scripture which set me free. Still, people claiming to be well-meaning friends have been pouring “Hell threats” into my life for the last month – ironically only after my divorce has become final. I have been accused of everything from walking away from my faith to seeking to destroy a “mighty man of God” (who incidentally is not even a believer and has never been throughout our entire marriage). My ‘peace’ was rejected. The very people whom I supported through their struggles abandoned me in mine. They did not call or reach out when I was kicked out of the church for daring to defy my abusive husband. They left me alone to carry the weight of his anger and rage. Now, when it should be all said and done, they appear from the shadows to offer condemnation and a declaration of my horrible and unforgivable guilt.
Trust me, taking my peace and going home was not my first reaction. I wanted to cry. I wanted to explain and justify. I even wanted to list all the scriptural references which applied to the situation. Sometimes, I did. I will not do so anymore. I will not allow Satan to steal my peace from me. I will take it back. God gives us peace. Satan brings discord and strife. I do not want what Satan has to offer. I do not want the lies of the enemy to invade my thoughts and twist God’s word as it did for Eve so long ago. I am a daughter of God which means my life needs to look like His. Jesus did not suffer fools, as they say, when those fools pretended to be the religious leaders and examples. He did not attend every fight he was invited to, but he did not alter his message or hide in the shadows so as to not offend those who didn’t want his message in the light. He tells us to offer our peace. If it lands on an accepting recipient, let it rest. Remain with those who walk in peace. If that peace finds itself rejected and spurned, we must shake it off. Don’t allow the dirt of their turmoil and strife to embed itself into your life. Don’t let it to stain even the sole of your foot. The final judge will come and put to right all that has been twisted and corrupted. That is not for us to do. Let us walk in peace and refuse to let others destroy it by their rejection of the truth.
(Written by Keegan Harkins.)
Clarke, Adam "Clarke's Commentary: The Holy Bible Containing the Old and New Testaments with a Commentary and Critical Notes" Volume 5 (Matthew-Acts) (New York: Eaton and Mains, 1832)
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