It’s always one more thing that has to happen before we can have peace. What is it for you? What season do you need to get through? I can remember thinking when my girls get through college, we’ll be able to do some traveling. But when they got through college it was something else…always something else. Retirement, gave me more time, but less income. When we cross one hurdle there’s always another one.
But will we know what peace truly is when we see it? The Israelites thought they had found their Messiah and they were celebrating.
When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen:
“Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!”
“Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”
Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!”
“I tell you,” he relied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.” As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it 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: 37-42
The Jewish people were living under Roman oppression. They were taxed heavily, with heavy restrictions and even death for some. The kind of peace they were looking for was in the form of a king who would destroy their enemies and set them free.
They saw Jesus heal the sick, give sight to the blind, feed thousands, and teach with authority. They thought they had their guy and they celebrated as he entered the city. He was their savior, their king! And then he stopped and cried. He knew what lie ahead and even though they thought he was the peace they were looking for, they wouldn’t understand why that was true. The peace they expected is not the peace that he brought.
You see, we judge by our expectations. When we don’t get what we want, we are disappointed. Our commitment wanes when we lose hope. The same crowd that cheered Jesus as he entered the city will turn on him when he turns silent as he is handed over to the authorities. Many of them cried out that he be crucified!
They didn’t understand what Jesus came to do. The warrior they expected didn’t materialize. They couldn’t see with their eyes because of their circumstances.
Aren’t we the same way? We focus on what is wrong around us and we pray for God to change our circumstances instead of changing us in the middle of our them. We lose sight of the purpose of Jesus. We forget about worshiping him and just go through the motions. We praise him because of what we want Him to do, not because of who He is.
Jesus told them he had brought peace, but now it’s hidden from their eyes. They didn’t recognize it because they didn’t like his terms.
- Jerusalem desired peace but wanted it through conflict.
- Jesus offers peace in conflict.
- The name Jerusalem means founded peaceful…how ironic.
- They refused Jesus’ terms because they wanted to set the terms of peace.
We do the same thing, don’t we? We want the peace he offers, but we don’t want to play by his rules. We want to do things our own way. We just want God to bless us in what we want to do. God wants us to be holy so we can be blessed.
- There has to be a point where we are no longer content to just be part of the crowd.
- There has to be a point where we own our brokenness.
- We must mourn our sinfulness and humble ourselves before a Holy God.
- Let mercy lead us so that our eyes are open to see God because He has make our heart pure.
- We’ve got to stop feeding the frenzy of this world and join Jesus in bringing hope to a hurting world.
- We must choose to be His peacemakers.
- Not to keep things peaceful, but to turn over some tables. Pick a fight. Proclaim and live out the Gospel.
- Be a peacemaker…
In Faith,
Pam
Where God Leads 