Peace on Earth

Scripture Reading: Luke 2:8-14

Any enactment of the Christmas story would be incomplete without the angels. In fact, the angels are everywhere. Whichever scene it is, they are right there. They are there at the announcements of the birth of John the Baptist (Luke 1:5-20) and of Jesus Christ (Luke 1:26-38); they communicated to shepherds (Luke 2:8-20) and to the magi (Matt 2:12). They appeared to Zechariah to bring a good news (that Elizabeth is going to have a baby) and a bad news (he would not be able to speak until John is born; 1:20). They appeared to Mary as with a shocking and disturbing news that she is pregnant (Matt 1:26-38). They appeared to Joseph to persuade him to take a pregnant woman as his wife (Matt 1:20-25). They appeared to the shepherds (Luke 2:8-20) and to the magi (Matt 2:12). Later on they appeared again to Joseph to tell him to carry his new-born child to Egypt (Matt 2:13); and when they were in Egypt for a while, they told Joseph again to return to Israel (Matt 2:19). The angels are everywhere!

The angels also proclaimed many things. A study of the angelic testimonies actually reveal a very rich Christology.  In the first two chapters of Matthew and Luke alone, Jesus is referred to as (1) conceived by the Holy Spirit (Matt 1:20); (2) Jesus or Joshua, which means “the Lord saves” (Matt 1:21; Luke 1:31); (3) the saviour of people from  their sins (Matt 1:21); (4) Immanuel, which means “God is with us” (Matt 1:22); (5) “will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High” (Luke 1:32); (6) inheritor of the throne of David (Luke 1:32); (7) “the holy one” (Luke 1:35); (8) “the Son of God” (Luke 1:35); and (9) “Christ, the Lord” (Luke 2:11).

The testimonies of the angels about Jesus Christ are very important. Considering that to be an angelos is to be God’s messenger means that the message of the angels are the message of God himself. Their testimonies are the very words of God, uttered through the lips of his servants. And so when they said that Jesus is “Christ, the Lord,” Jesus is indeed the Lord; when they said that Jesus is the saviour of people from their sins, he is indeed the saviour.

Our primary interest, however, does not lie in these Christological affirmations. Our reflections will revolve around the proclamation of the angels to the shepherds in Luke 2:14.

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. ⁹ An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. ¹⁰ But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. ¹¹ Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ, the Lord. ¹² This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

¹³ Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

¹⁴ “Glory to God in the highest heaven,
    and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

Let us pray: Father, speak to us the good news you proclaimed through the angels 2000 years ago about your Son Jesus Christ, born to be with us and for us. Breathe on us your Holy Spirit and give us peace through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

THE PROCLAMATION OF PEACE

The angels announced that the coming of Jesus is the coming of peace. In a sense, this is a fulfilment of Isaiah 9:6-7, where Isaiah prophesied that the child to be born to the world shall be called “Prince of Peace.” God himself, in Christ, the Creator of the universe and the One who has brought everything into order, has come to vanquish the opposing chaotic forces. Peace has now come “to those on whom God’s favour rests” (Luke 2:14), and as Paul later on would affirm, “now is the time of God’s favour” (2 Cor 6:2; quoting Isa 49:8). But what happens in the time of God’s favour? Isaiah writes:

“In the time of my favor I will answer you,
    and in the day of salvation I will help you;
I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people,
to restore the land and to reassign its desolate inheritances,
⁹ to say to the captives, ‘Come out,’
    and to those in darkness, ‘Be free!’ (Isa 49:8-9)

When Jesus was born in Bethlehem, the angels proclaimed that the fulfilment of all these has come. This is why Jesus himself, at the beginning of his public ministry, proclaimed that his mission was

… to proclaim good news to the poor
… to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
    and [to give] recovery of sight for the blind,
to set the oppressed free,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor” (Luke 4:18-19; quoting Isa 61:1-2)

But let us ask ourselves: why is peace so important that it is one of the many things that God himself in Christ has come to give us? Even the mission he gave his disciples included the giving of peace: “When you enter a house, first say, ‘Peace to this house’” (Luke 10:5). When Jesus was born, the Romans were the rulers of Palestine, and the Roman Empire was enjoying the well-known Pax Romana. There was relative peace. There was prosperity throughout the empire. Wrong-doers were justly punished. There was economic security. There were excellent transportation modes. The Jews were free to worship Yahweh. If peace refers to (1) a state of harmony; (2) the lack of violent conflict; (3) the absence of hostility; (4) economic prosperity; (5) the establishment of equality; (6) the absence of war; and (7) the presence of positive and respectful cultural and economic relationship, then we can say that there was peace when Christ was born. So what was missing in the peace that the people of the first century experienced?

The peace that Jesus Christ offers us is a peace that this world cannot offer. The peace that God wants us to have is not attainable through economic security, socio-political status, ecclesiastical position, or whatever. It is shalom, the wholeness of being. We all have heard of the saying, “we have a God-sized hole in our hearts that only God can fill.” And yes, only when God comes to us in Christ and dwells among us and with us that we can find wholeness and fullness. Even if, like the people during the birth of Christ, they thought that they had peace, true peace is only attainable in the Immanuel, when God is with us. It is only when God is in our midst, when God is truly with us, that we find peace.

Let us face it: the proclamation of peace is always timely and relevant. For instance, it is interesting to compare the experience of the shepherds in Luke 2 and the experience of the disciples in John 20.

	LUKE 2:8-14	JOHN 20:19-21
location	dark fields (2:8)	shut doors (20:19)
setting	shepherds tired and wanting rest (2:8)	disciples afraid and needing peace (20:19)
appearance	angels appeared out of nowhere (2:9)	Jesus appearing out of nowhere (2:19)
response	“terrified” (2:9)	shocked, but soon overjoyed (20:20)
the words	“on earth peace” (2:14)	“Peace be with you” (20:19, 21)

Like the shepherds and the disciples, right when we are down, exhausted, and afraid; right when we are in the darkest valleys of life tending to our own sheep, or family, or ministry, or our responsibilities; right when we have shut the doors and have isolated ourselves because of exhaustion, fear, and even resignation; right there God in Christ comes and gives us peace. Praise be to God! 

ATTAINING PEACE

Reading Luke’s Gospel further, it would appear that the people during Jesus’ time understood that the coming of Jesus is the coming of the King to both give peace and bring glory to God in the highest. This is why when Jesus was entering Jerusalem riding a donkey, people shouted and exclaimed:

“Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!”

“Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” (Luke 19:38)

What is fascinating is that this verse resonates very well with Luke 2:14. First, both mention the glory of God in the highest. Secondly, both mention peace, but in Luke 19:38, such peace is found in heaven, not on earth. But instead of treating the peace in heaven and peace on earth as two different and unrelated peace, we should look at these two with reference to the prayer of Jesus in Matthew 6:10: “your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” This means that we can pray, “your peace come, on earth as it is in heaven.”

But did the Jews really know that it was Jesus himself who is the giver of peace? If we read the story of the triumphal entry further, Luke records what happened next.

“As he [Jesus] approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it ⁴² and said, ‘If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes’” (Luke 19:41-42).

The truth, therefore, is that the people during Jesus’ time did not recognize Jesus as the true giver of peace. They did not know how to attain peace, even though Jesus was right there in their midst. It is such a shame and a terrible waste that God has come to offer peace, but the people to whom such peace is offered to, did not know how to receive it. And this is my fear today: that we who are recipients of God’s gift of peace are not really availing of the gift which is for us; that even though we are celebrating the coming of the Prince of Peace, we are not really at peace; that even though God is drawing himself near to us, we are too blind to see Him; that even though he offers us peace, we are too proud to acknowledge our need of Him; that even though he is right here with us, here at church, that we are oblivious to his touch and voice.

My friends, he has already come to give us peace, now it is time to come to him.

He comes all of us. We are the people to whom God’s favour rests. He challenges us to be filled. He calls us to himself and offers us peace and rest. He said

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” (Matt 11:28-29)