By T.C. Lo
“Peace, I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” (John 14:27)
In this short verse, Jesus gave a definition, made a distinction, and inspired two questions.
- Definition: “Peace” is defined as the absence of “trouble” and “fear”, the elimination of “sorrow and timidity.”
- Distinction: between two kinds of peace: one is “the peace that Jesus gives us”; the other is “the peace that the world gives us.”
- Two questions inspired:
- What is “the peace Jesus gives us”?
- What is “the peace that the world gives us”?
A pastor said an interesting metaphor in his sermon: “Rats are afraid of cats; cats are afraid of dogs; dogs are afraid of men; men are afraid of women; women are afraid of rats.“
This parody is somewhat humorous, but unknowingly has a profound meaning: this is a circular chain. When you use worldly methods (such as psychology, education, or inspirational positive energy, etc.) to deal with “fear”, you are actually just pushing the problem from one link of the chain to the next. The result of this repeated cycle is that you haven’t solved the problem of “fear” at all. Your efforts are ultimately in vain. This is the characteristic of what Jesus called “the peace offered by the world.” It is no more than what the Proverbs describes, “chasing after the wind.”
And “the peace that Jesus gives us” is not circular, but linear. It is like an arrow that does not retreat, connoting its certainty. In what direction does this arrow point? It points to the love and faithfulness of God.
“The peace Jesus gives us” can be broadly classified into two categories:
- The peace derived from the forgiveness of our guilt.
- The Peace presence in the midst of calamity and suffering.
The first one is spiritual pointing to our alienation from God. The second one is existential, describing the reality of our fallen world.
A person experiences inner turmoil and discomfort as a result of feeling guilty or remorseful for their actions or choices. The only solution is “forgiveness.” Who can forgive sins? Only God can. So, forgiveness of sins comes from God.
Peace even amid the unfavorable circumstances comes from “the presence of God”, as David said in Psalm 23, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.” Therefore, the state of grace of “being in trouble but having peace of mind” is given by God, and by Him alone.
Jesus also said, “So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.” (John 16:22). Here, Jesus connects “the absence of grief” and “rejoicing” as two sides of the same coin.
What Jesus means is: Although you do not have “peace” now, when I take the initiative to come among you and be with you, you will surely bear the fruit of peace, which is “joy”. Since peace comes from Christ, its fruit must also come from above. As peace and joy are in God’s hands, so no one can take them away from you.
There is a famous passage from the <Confessions> in which Saint Augustine states that “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless (absence of Peace and Joy) until it rests in you (in Christ).”
From now on, when we say to our relatives and friends, “May God’s peace and joy always be with you,” we will know that this well-wish words is no longer just an auspicious mantra but an affirmation of God’s love and faithfulness.
