Peace on Earth

Ephesians 2:11-22

Israel at the time of Jesus had a racial divide as serious as that of any time in history. The Jews and the gentiles were enemies. The gentiles were banned from the worship of the Jews. This worship was the heart and soul of the Jew's existence. They had a high standard of what made one clean or unclean and those who were unclean were banned and shunned. The Jews would walk miles out of their way to avoid crossing gentile territory. This is why the Samaritan woman was so shocked to find Jesus at the well. That he spoke with her, a gentile woman, was astonishing. To even touch a gentile made one "unclean". The hostility created tensions for everyone. The good news announced to the shepherds on the hillside, “Peace on Earth,” was startling and welcomed news indeed, especially for those who had believed themselves to be unfit and excluded from the presence of God.

Jesus came to bring the good news of peace to all people. This peace was peace with God that extended to peace among all peoples. Jesus came to “be our peace, make the two one, he has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create one new man out of the two…to put to death their hostility.”

Our world is filled with hostility. War rages on many fronts, not only in foreign lands—among city street gangs, between races, between those of different sexual orientation, between (in) religious denominations, in church families, even between husband and wife, parent and child. Jesus came to bring love and peace that would end all hostility everywhere. Unfortunately like those of Jesus’ time we resist the one thing that would bring peace—the love of God in Jesus Christ. When Jesus rules in the hearts of humankind, peace is found. All people become one in love. It is not that all people become identical. Our God loves variety. He is served best when each individual, race, or nation serves him in the beauty of their uniqueness. Peace comes when the dignity and worth of all is recognized. When God has shown such diversity in the flora and fauna of the world, why would we expect all humans to be alike? When the peace of Christ rules in the heart, our hearts are expanded to encompass the world. Rather than restrict it to a few brought together by rules and regulations of acceptable looks and behavior as the Jews had done at the time of Jesus (and as we often do in our own church congregations), God’s love is universal. “For God so loved the world . .

As we think of “peace on earth” at this time of year, it is a good time to look at the seeds of hostility that exist in our own lives. Have we allowed the peace of Jesus to remove all our prejudices? Have we opened our hearts to our “enemies”? Are we willing to make peace with our neighbor? Can we forgive our father, mother, husband, or child? The love of Christ has given us all that we need to bring peace on earth. As the song has said “let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me.”