“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” [Luke 2:14]
When Jesus was born…
~ The Roman empire didn’t suddenly fall.
~ Wars didn’t stop.
~ Hunger didn’t vanish.
~ Poverty didn’t disappear.
~ Diseases weren’t instantly cured.
~ World peace was not achieved.
None of these things happened, but peace did appear. And it appeared in the midst of this stuff. People often wonder and question:
If God is so loving then why is there war? Disease? Death of the young? Etc…
If these things exist then God can not. That is silly rationale and something that does not see or understand the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The fact of the matter is that Jesus came in the midst of a fallen world (among it) to redeem creation from sin. Jesus came to save you. When Jesus was born, the very thing the angels sang about happened:
Peace came among us
And with that peace among us ~ Jesus ~ we can have the strength to face conflict, disease, hunger, death and anything this world throws at us; knowing that God, through the death and resurrection of Jesus, has overcome this world by defeating the last enemy: Death. And our peace is that through faith in Jesus we too have overcome this world.
So live at peace is this chaotic, messed up world and hold onto the hope of the resurrection. Be at peace and sing with the angels:
“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”
Praise be to God!
The Pastor – |—