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"Go your way; behold, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves. Carry no moneybag, no knapsack, no sandals, and greet no one on the road. Whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace be to this house!' And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest upon him. But if not, it will return to you."
(Luke 10:3-6)
Perhaps over the Christmas season you were reminded that Jesus is the Prince of Peace. This characteristic of Jesus is often talked about at Christmas time as we look at the prophecy of Christ's coming in Isaiah 9:6 that tells us, "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."
But this wonderful truth about Jesus is just as relevant on January 14th as it is on December 25th. If our great King is the Prince of Peace, then we as His followers are to be bringers and bearers of peace.
In Luke 10, Jesus instructs His followers to look for people who receive their message with peace. This doesn't mean that this is always a criteria to evangelize, that the people are firstly peaceful. Later in Scripture, we will see Paul and others minister and share the Gospel with far less than peaceful crowds. We are ultimately called to share with all, but in this case, Jesus tells them to focus on those who are peaceful to them and the message that they bring. But regardless of the response of others, they are to firstly be people of peace themselves.
It is fitting that Christians are people of peace as we bear the great message of how man can have peace with God through Jesus Christ. We ourselves have come to know peace with God through the sacrifice of Christ for our sins, and in so receiving, we have peace within ourselves. Having peace within ourselves through peace with God is something that our anxious world is so desperately searching for. Did you know that the American Psychiatric Association reported in 2024 that 41 percent of adults confess to feeling more anxious this year than last? Oh, how our world needs peace, peace with each other and peace in our hearts, and this only comes through peace with God.
What would it look like for you to be an ambassador of peace this year? Share how others can have peace with God. Be a glad sharer of this great news that you can have peace with God through Christ! Being at peace with God leads to having a heart of peace, because you can rest all your anxieties and fears at the feet of Jesus. While Christians can, and in many ways should, work towards peace through social systems, at the end of the day, these are broken systems, and lasting peace can only come through a changed heart.
The Prince of Peace has bought you peace with God and has sent you now as an ambassador of peace to an anxious and broken world. May we display this peace as faithful ambassadors. It reminds me of Colossians 3:15, "And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful."
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