In today’s Gospel reading during the Last Supper Discourse we hear that the disciples were troubled and afraid about Jesus leaving them. In today’s world, we would describe the way the disciples felt as anxious. These disciples had anxiety after Jesus told them he would be leaving them. These are the words, Jesus spoke to these anxious disciples: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.” He says both to His disciples about 2,000 years ago who were anxious about Jesus leaving them as well as to His disciples today as many of us have anxiety as real issues they struggle with right now. There are 29% of Americans who battle anxiety disorder during their lifetime.
Jesus contrasts the peace he gives to the peace the world gives. The secular world doesn’t have a real, long-lasting answer to the anxiety problem many of us face. The secular world only has two solutions for anxiety, both of which fall sadly short of the providing the true long-lasting peace Jesus provides. The main ways the secular world tries to solve anxiety are medication and eliminating conflict. Now, don’t mistake me, medication should probably be part of the anxiety self-management strategy for those people whose doctors recommend it. But the peace these medications provide are short-lived as they only can keep anxiety at bay for a little while, before their effects wear off and more needs to be taken. The peace Jesus provides is true long-lasting peace. The secular world’s second solution is providing peace by eliminating conflict. Given mankind’s fallen nature, eliminating all conflict in this world will never happen during our lifetime. Wars and battles will unfortunately continue to rage on in this world. Jesus provides peace in the middle of tests, trials and conflict.
Jesus was at peace on Palm Sunday when the disciples were under the illusion they had everything under control and all was fine as they entered triumphantly into Jerusalem and Jesus is at peace with the disciples Easter evening a week later when they are anxiously trembling behind locked doors. Jesus is at peace because he realizes that God has them in His hands when they are under the illusion that everything is under their control and is fine and God has them in His hands when they are aware of how desperately they need God.
We too often live under the illusion that everything is fine and that we have everything under control, we have money saved up, we are healthy, we’ve studied well for exams this week, life’s good. Then, we have an unexpected expense that wipes our savings out, we get a diagnosis from the doctor that we didn’t want to hear, or our professor puts some unexpected questions on the exam and all of a sudden we let anxiety and fear consume us, even though nothing has changed. We were in God’s hands when we were under the illusion that we had everything under control and everything was going well and we didn’t really think we needed Him much and it is the same God who is holding us in His hands over here when we feel like we are in trouble and are in desperate need of God’s help. No matter what we are anxious about whether it be our exams this week or whether you are anxious like me about messing something up when leading my first Communion Service, God is waking us up from the illusion that we have everything under control, because the reality is it is God who is in control holding us in his hands. Sometimes God allows these challenging times to come into our lives so our faith can be tested and become stronger. True peace can come in the middle of these challenges we face by just realizing that the Jesus is with us. No matter what is taking place in our life, Jesus is saying he wants His peace to be with us. He can handle every situation.
The question is are we just like many in today’s world who let fear or anxiety consume them or are we set apart as a Christian people who exude God’s peace and therefore attract others looking for peace to Jesus? Those people who know the challenging tests we are facing in our lives and see that we are at peace, they will say to us, “I want what you have.” May we have Jesus’ peace. Instead of letting fear and anxiety consume us, may we consume Jesus’ body and let the prince of peace consume us so that when we encounter our brothers and sisters they may see Jesus’ peace in us and be attracted to Jesus.