Know the Peace

Know the Peace of Depending on God Pappachan Pallath

In the Gospel of Luke, 19:42 Jesus Christ says, "If you, even you, had only recognized on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes"(Lk 19:42).

This is my problem and yours; it is the problem of this whole world. We do not know the means that make for peace. We are revelling in places where there is no peace, places which cannot give us peace. How many are the lives that have no peace, the people who are restless! Pointing the way to the means to attain peace, Jesus says, "Come to me, all ye that labour and are burdened and I will refresh you"(Mt 1:28). There are numerous people who want to go to Jesus, want to get favours from him. Several may be ready to go to churches and crowded shrines with their votive offerings. Yet they do not attain peace. The reason is given in Mt 15:29. After Jesus had left that place, he passed along the Sea of Galilee, and he went up the mountain, where he sat down. "Learn of me!" This is the most painful thing to do. Who will not be ready to run to him if only receiving benefits were as easy as that!. We must be ready to sit at the Lord's feet daily, meditate on him and learn from his word.

One thing is certain. In the present age there is a growing desire to look at God's face and learn from him. Is that not why people throng to week-long retreats and conventions forgetting to eat or sleep! I do not think all this fellowship is only for worldly favours. Last year at the Marine Drive convention, five lakhs of people crowded to listen to the word of God unmindful of hunger or thirst! Not all of them were afflicted with sickness. Not all were poverty-stricken or had problems. It was yearning for God's word that brought them together on those shores - to hear about Jesus for hours together.

The teaching of men is limited. It is the Holy Spirit who teaches. "But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you" (Jn 14:26). God's word teaches us how to regulate our lives and points out the ways of peace. "Of course, there is great gain in godliness combined with contentment; for we brought nothing into the world, so that we can take nothing out of it; but if we have food and clothing, we will be content with these"(1 Tim 6:6-8).

When desires increase disappointments also abound. We go to Jesus and gaze at his face in order to learn from him. God's power must make up for our shortcomings and limitations. When we learn to praise him for those shortcomings we follow the path of peace.

I remember an incident. A young girl came for a retreat. She was extremely short in stature. Her college mates used to call her 'Zacchaeus'. Her heart was filled with despair, pain and resentment towards all around. She had attended not one but several retreats. But there was no joy in her heart. At long last she came for this inner healing retreat. She listened to the songs, praises and discourses. Classes on God's love, Jesus the Saviour, sin, repentance, forgiveness, inner healing and the Holy Spirit went on as usual.

But nothing touched her. She who did not look at God's face could not accept what the preachers were trying to convey. She was constantly focusing her attention on her own short stature. It was at that time that Bro Baby Thomas Moozhiyil walked up to the stage clutching the Bible close to his heart. A man shorter than she with bent legs and arms, fingers malformed. The girl could not take her eyes off this man's smiling face and sprightly movements. He, who had two post- graduate degrees was proclaiming the word of God with thirst, enthusiasm and conviction. There was no trace of complaint on his face. No regrets, not even a thought about his dwarfish height, undeveloped limbs, or undersized figure.The girl did not listen to what he said. His presence and his personality radiating happiness poured healing into her inner wounds and made her a new creation. It is at such moments that the Holy Spirit takes over to teach the soul. If only we live with minds and eyes open to what is within and outside our house, we shall become aware of the great graces God has given us. Unfortunately there are great numbers of people who, dissatisfied with what they have, live out their lives complaining of the greener pastures in another's domain.

God created this universe and gave Adam complete dominion over it . Adam had only one command to obey-not to eat of the fruit of one particular tree. He was not content with what he had. He looked far beyond, stretched out his hand and sowed destruction for all mankind and incurred punishment.

David was a shepherd. God gave him every possible blessing. He had wives and concubines. What more did he want? He set eyes on the woman bathing in the river. In his heart rose a desire for her. "The lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh," (cf 1 Jn 2:16) blazed up in him and conquered him. He was not content with what he had. That night he had Bathsheba, the wife of Uria, brought to the palace and slept with her. And with that peace fled from his heart.

If we want to capture and possess what we do not have, we shall not have peace. We should not desire the forbidden. Did not Judas betray Jesus for thirty silver coins because he was dissatisfied with what he had? The presence of the Master did not make him happy!

For the one who is content with what he has, the fear of the Lord is great wealth. "... if we have food and clothing, we will be content with these"(1 Tim 6:8). If we have food and clothes we can praise God. "The young lions suffer want and hunger, but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing"(Ps 34:10).

Let us take refuge beneath the powerful arms of God. He will exalt us at the right time. Did the boy who rushed to the pigsty instead of living safely in the house of his father, enjoy peace? Rejoice in the Lord. "Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act"(Ps 37:4-5).
Perhaps it is through the critical events of our life that we recognize the salvific intervention of God. When we are ready to abandon ourselves fully to the will of God, when the experience of crises weighs us down and troubles us, our life grows in the peace Jesus gives and we become enriched by his graces.