An Unexpected Peace
By Rev. Heidi L. Barham | December 8, 2024
Read Philippians 4:4 – 7 (NIV)
Today is the second Sunday of the Advent season and the theme that calls for our attention this morning is the word: PEACE.
Now, if we’re being honest, I think we would all agree that this world could use a whole lot of peace right about now... with everything from martial law being declared in South Korea to the capitol building being shut down in California to an insurance company CEO being gunned down on the streets of New York... there is no shortage in the need for peace.
And I will be the first to say that in this season of Advent... all I want to do is turn off the news and instead think about the perfect peace that the Prophet Isaiah speaks about in Isaiah 26:3 – 4, where we read, “You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord himself, is the Rock eternal.”
But where can we find such peace?
Well, let me suggest that we are not the first to ponder that question. Several years ago, I came across a story from a book entitled, “A Wardrobe from the King” which is a Bible study book on the armor of God. This story has been used in multiple devotions that I have read over the years, and I think it is worthwhile to share it here this morning. The story goes like this:
Long ago a man sought the perfect picture of peace. Not finding one that satisfied, he announced a contest to produce this masterpiece. The challenge stirred the imagination of artists everywhere, and paintings arrived from far and wide. Finally, the great day of revelation arrived. The judges uncovered one peaceful scene after another, while the viewers clapped and cheered.And that is the peace that we read about in our New Testament lesson today from the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Philippian church.
The tensions grew. Only two pictures remained veiled. As a judge pulled the cover from one, a hush fell over the crowd. A mirror-smooth lake reflected lacy, green birches under the soft blush of the evening sky. Along the grassy shore, a flock of sheep grazed undisturbed. Surely this was the winner.
The man with the vision uncovered the second painting himself, and the crowd gasped in surprise. Could this be peace?
A tumultuous waterfall cascaded down a rocky precipice; the crowd could almost feel its cold, penetrating spray. Stormy-gray clouds threatened to explode with lightning, wind and rain. In the midst of the thundering noises and bitter chill, a spindly tree clung to the rocks at the edge of the falls. One of its branches reached out in front of the torrential waters as if foolishly seeking to experience its full power.
A little bird had built a nest in the elbow of that branch. Content and undisturbed in her stormy surroundings, she rested on her eggs. With her eyes closed and her wings ready to cover her little ones, she manifested peace that transcends all earthly turmoil.
It is a peace that transcends all understanding when it shows up in the midst of our trials and tribulations as the storms are raging all around us... when we cannot tell up from down... and it feels like the world has gone to hell in a handbasket as Granny used to say.
In situations like these, when that sense of calm seems to suddenly overtake us, and we are able to let go of our fear and anxiety... it could be described as AN UNEXPECTED PEACE.
But as we take a closer look at our text for this morning, there are three things that Paul suggests that will help put us in a position to receive that sense of peace whenever it comes.
In verse 4 of the text, Paul says, “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” Or as it reads in the Message Paraphrase, “Celebrate God all day, every day. I mean, revel in him!”
Now someone might be thinking, how can Paul think that anyone would be able to rejoice and celebrate in the midst of the stressful situations and chaotic circumstances we are dealing with.
Well, to put things into context, Paul knew firsthand what it was to find joy even in the midst of hardships. The fact of the matter is that Paul wrote this letter while he was imprisoned in Rome... not exactly a place one would associate with joy or rejoicing.
However, what Paul knew and what we should know as well is that while we may not necessarily be happy with our current situation, we can still have joy even in the midst of our struggles. As one Bible commentary explains, “Joy is the quiet, confident assurance of God’s love and work in our lives – that He will be there no matter what! Happiness depends on happenings, but joy depends on [Jesus]” (Life Application Study Bible, 2005, p. 1992).
That means when we put our hope and trust in Jesus, we can have joy despite the problems we may encounter. Just think about Paul for a moment... he was sitting in a Roman prison for preaching and teaching about Jesus... and yet even being imprisoned could not squelch his desire to spread the Good News about Jesus.
The joy that we have in Jesus is meant to be shared... so, if Paul could still share the Gospel from a prison cell... we should not let our circumstances stop us from doing the same... sharing the joy of Jesus is just one step we can take as we desire to find peace.
Now the next verse in our text says, “Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.”
In other words, no matter how dire our circumstances may seem at any given moment... that does not give us license to treat others unfairly or to seek revenge... even when we feel we have been wronged.
In his letter to the Romans, Paul explained it this way:
If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”I know it seems counterintuitive, but by not seeking revenge and trying to right the wrongs that have been done to us... we will gain that UNEXPECTED PEACE that comes when we do what Jesus would do.
After all, in His Sermon the Mount, Jesus encourages us to turn the other cheek and to love and pray for our enemies (see Matthew 5:38 – 44). It is a rather tall order, but Jesus would not have told us to do it if it wasn’t possible.
So, Paul says we are to rejoice, even in times of trouble... and let our gentleness be evident to all... and yes, that means even to our enemies... because the Lord is near, and the Lord is watching.
And that brings us to the next verse in the text which says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”
Hold on just a minute, Paul. Do not be anxious about anything?
How is that even possible? Do you not know what kind of world we are living in at this very moment? Have you not seen the reports on the news and the Internet? Hasn’t anyone told you about all the uncertainty that we are facing in the world right now?
Suffice it to say, Paul was no stranger to the challenges that life can bring our way... which is why his encouragement to us is to turn our worries into prayers... thanking God for not only hearing our prayers but answering our prayers as well.
One of the deacons at Bethany used to always say, “If you’re going to worry, why pray? And if you’re going to pray, why worry?” I think she and Paul shared an understanding of what it means to let go and let God.
The problems in this world are way too big for any of us to handle... but they are just right for God. So, we can keep losing sleep over things that we have absolutely no control over... or we can rest in the boat like Jesus in the midst of the storm... trusting that God will take care of it all.
And when we do that, verse 7 of the text assures us that, “the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Or as it reads in the Message, “Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.”
As most of you know, these last several months have been filled with multiple challenges for our family... and lots of opportunities to give ourselves over to worry and anxiety... but through it all, Jesus has replaced the worries with AN UNEXPECTED PEACE that defies explanation and understanding... and that peace is something that I wouldn’t trade for anything in this world.
So, I want to encourage us as we go throughout this season of Advent and beyond... whenever we find ourselves facing those storms that come our way in life... rest assured that we can call on the One who is the Prince of Peace... the One who can say to those storms, “Peace, be still” (Mark 4:39).
And we can take heart in the fact that the peace that Jesus gives us is unlike anything we could ever imagine. That is why in John 14:27, we find these words that Jesus spoke on that very subject when He said, “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.”
The peace that Jesus gives is far beyond anything that this world has to offer. It is that very peace which Paul describes as, “the peace of God, which transcends all understanding,” and as that peace which, “will guard [our] hearts and [our] minds in Christ Jesus.”
So, on this second Sunday in Advent, regardless of all the worrisome and anxiety producing situations that may be going on in the world around us... let us keep our hearts and minds open to receive AN UNEXPECTED PEACE that only Jesus can give.
And if your heart’s desire is for that type of peace to come into our lives and into our world, I want to invite you to join in singing our Hymn of Discipleship: O for a World #683 Back
