“And he will be called . . . Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6
“Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword.” Matthew 10:34
Have you ever noticed that the Advent season, this time leading up to the celebration of the birth of the baby Jesus, is a time of contradictions? In my opinion, the contradictions begin the day after Thanksgiving when so many in our culture frantically try to beat others to the best deals for more stuff, after having just given thanks for all our stuff. I’m not saying it’s wrong to shop on Black Friday. But some of the stories we read about people getting trampled as shoppers run through the stores to be the first to get the hottest new item of the season seem a little contrary to being thankful for what we have. Those very races may be done to the background of Christmas carols singing about peace on earth.
What about this idea of peace on earth? Have you ever seen it or experienced it? Of course, there have been times when our country wasn’t at war but if we think beyond just our country and seek peace on the whole earth, has it ever happened? The answer, of course, is no. Since the time of Cain and Abel, there has never been a time when the entire world has been at peace. Even if we see peace in a part of the world, it’s not a peace that endures. And that’s why the people of Isaiah’s day were looking for the Messiah. He was going to bring peace. He was going to rescue them from their oppressors. Then the Messiah came. Did He bring peace? It sure doesn’t seem like it, does it? In fact, He Himself died an excruciating death at the hands of an oppressive, cruel government. He appeared to be one of the many victims of the lack of peace on earth.
How do we reconcile these two verses out of Isaiah and Matthew? They seem to be at complete odds with one another. Peace, of course, can mean different things. So far we’ve been talking about peace between people or even between countries. That’s not what God was talking about in Isaiah. The peace Christ brings is an internal peace, a peace between an individual and God. It’s a peace that passes all understanding and is present regardless of the circumstances around us. Our enemy will do all he can to destroy that kind of peace. One of the things he does is sets people against us. If he can stir up others to try to oppress those of us who have peace with God, or even just disagree with us, that inner peace may be disturbed. At least, that’s his hope. It seems rather ironic, but when we discover the inner peace that can only be found in a relationship with Jesus Christ, that’s when peace in our human relationships may be disturbed. There are those who will accuse us of many things: being judgmental, even telling us we “hate” others. In reality, they just don’t understand this inner peace we have. Jesus knew we would face that kind of misunderstanding. In other parts of the world, it can even lead to persecution and death. That’s what He meant by “bringing a sword.” He’s not saying He wants us to use a physical weapon against others. He’s saying that division will occur when we are followers of Him. So this Advent season, when we hear about peace on earth, let’s remember that the peace our Prince of Peace brings is the peace within our hearts, the kind of peace the world knows nothing about. And let’s praise Him for this peace that endures even during the hardest of trials.