From Shalom to Eirene

Last week I posted about the old testament term for peace, which was Shalom.  In the new testament the greek term used for peace is 'eirene' pronounced i-ray'-nay.  One definition I found stated it in the following way: the tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and content with its earthly lot, of whatsoever sort that is.  In juxtaposition to last week's discussion of peace, this new testament peace is no longer a striving for or seeking of, but a walking in something we already know.  In the old testament, the people relied on the priest (the Levites) to go to God for them on the appointed times and to ask for forgiveness, so until that happened they walked in a manner of 'seeking' the peace that would come when they were forgiven on the appropriate day.

The awesome thing about what Jesus did on the cross is that the appropriate day is right now!  Because of Jesus' death and subsequent resurrection on the cross we can now walk in peace daily.  Peace meaning the knowledge of what we have in our salvation.  Now, again, we know that not all is fine and dandy in the world and in our lives each day.  But in contrast to the people in the old testament who had to wait to walk in peace again, we have the opportunity to do it each day.  This is where his yoke is easy and his burden is light comes in.  Matthew 11:28-30 says, "Come to me all you  who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."  Rest, complete and relaxing, soft and comforting, isn't that God's peace?

Peace is an inward feeling of knowing you are not alone and do not have to carry the burden on your own.  A yoke is a two person thing.  Tangibly, it is a wooden crosspiece that is fastened over the necks of two animals and attached to the plow or cart that they are to pull.  So Jesus' yoke is what we share with him.  Throughout our days, as we walk in his peace, he is yoked to us and helping us to carry our burdens.  Isn't that a relief?  How can we help our kids to understand this?  We are to walk as if we are physically yoked to Jesus, that he is with us each step and can carry the burden through our hard times.  I began with the following illustration with Emma.

Emma has recently 'graduated' from 5th to 6th grade at our church which means that as far as church is concerned she is in junior high.  Lucky for me her elementary school goes through 6th grade so I get the slow entry to all things junior high beginning with the church group.  Isn't that awesome?  Anyway, she has been attending the youth meetings there and different events and thoroughly enjoying it.  We talked the other day about how when I was growing up I had school friends and church friends and I really enjoyed the church friends, often more than the school friends.  She then said she felt a little the same.  She said that when she goes to the junior high group everyone acts as if they know everyone else.  She clearly feels very free and accepted at the church group.  Emma does not have social issues at school, but it was clear to me that she can be totally herself and 'in her own skin' at the youth group.  I explained to her that the feeling of complete acceptance is what the peace of God feels like.  That the peace Jesus wants us to walk and live in is his complete acceptance of us.  He made that clear on the cross.  He accepts us, faults and all, and wants us to rest in him and be at peace in all situations.  We are completely and lovingly accepted.  Just as Emma is completely and lovingly accepted by the junior high group at church.

Back to Jeremiah.  While God wanted the Israelites to "..seek peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile.." (Jeremiah 29:7), he also knew that he had plans for them and that they would ultimately be restored to their land of promise.  But today we can also walk in the knowledge that God has plans for us and wants the best for us because we are yoked with Jesus and our burdens are light!  I want my kids to be yoked to Jesus and able to walk in the knowledge that he is with them all the time.  I want them on a Journey to Somewhere.  After telling the Israelites to seek peace and prosperity, God explains to them, "'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.  Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.  You will seek me and find me when you seek me with your whole heart.'"

We are in enviable position of being able to seek God daily and not wait for a priest to intercede for us.  We are yoked with Jesus.  Isn't that enough to walk in peace in all situations?  For our children the knowledge of peace could be the feeling of complete acceptance.  I am encouraging my children in that and hoping that when they lose the feeling of complete acceptance they would look inside and see who they are yoked to.

By His Grace