Can There Be Peace on Earth 3
Be peacemakers
Luke 2: 8-14
8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
This is the third of a three part study on the peace proclaimed by the multitude of heavenly host.
Jesus instructs us to be persons who wage peace. Why is it we can wage war so much better than we can wage peace? Robert E. Lee once said, "It is well that war is so terrible, or we should grow too fond of it."
We must remember the horrors of war and wage peace. Just as a garden cannot really produce any kind of crop if we do not remove the weeds that are there, so in our own lives we need to weed out hatred, bigotry, animosity, fear, misunderstanding and learn to sow gentleness, love, compassion, hope, kindness, and understanding. We need to pray that we might work to wage peace with all of our strength and efforts. Jesus called us to be peacemakers, not just pray or teach about peace.
Why do you think the angelic song has been hushed? Has it been hushed because of the greed, arrogance, selfishness, and pride of men and women? Has it been silenced by the apathy, complacency, abundance, selfishness, self-satisfaction of so many? I don't know. But ... wait ... I still hear faint whispers of the angelic song. I hear it as a few coins and bills are dropped in the Salvation Army kettle. I hear it as someone goes to work to help the underprivileged and the homeless in our society. I hear a whisper of that song when the kind word is extended to a person who is hurting.
Here is a prayer you might consider as you reflect on this recent study.
O God, we want to hear the angels' song again. We want real peace within our own hearts, with our relationships toward others, and within our world. Help us, O God, to learn how to be peacemakers as we follow the Prince of Peace whos birth we celebrate in this Christmas season. Amen.
