I would have to think that in this season, brimming with a message of peace and good will, I was thinking about one topic; Is the peace that we can have now, in our hearts/minds/souls, better now (in "New Testament, AD times), than when people were around in the past ("Old Testament, BC times)?
One thing that I am sure of and thankful for is that it is much better now, in the peace category, then it was back in later times. Whether a person is fighting in a war now, fighting cancer, having monetary troubles, or any of the countless and numerous problems that all people face throughout the world, they still can find that "inner peace" at any time.
However, back in the "Post Christ Era," there was a constant bewilderment, wondering and speculating on whether, or not "inner peace" was a deserved, a committed, and/or a multitude of other options that God may, or may not grant regular people. In a time when most people were dependent on the Pharisees and scribes for any kind of knowledge, due to a general lack of knowledge, learning, and mostly people not having time to get the things needed for intellect, due to having to live.
Bottom line: If there was not a direct revelation from God, or another depiction of what was right from a scribe/Pharisees/another of the literate of the cast system spelling out whatever a person wished to know (allowing for corruption, manipulation, and human error), then man was left to wonder and wander thru life, without any peace, or direction. There was not any "knowing" that they were living a clean and fulfilled life, for sure. However, after Jesus came onto the scene things became massively different. After his teachings, discipleship, miracles and later crucifixion for his fulfillment of not only prophecy (prophecies that stemmed hundreds of years before his birth, then later fulfilled them all, in a perfect fashion), but also to die for our sins on the cross.
What I am thankful for and why the present times, after Christ are constantly and consistently filled with peace, stems from a simple portion after Christ's crucifixion. After Christ was dead and put into the tomb, the disciples were beyond scared. They were all in one room, doors locked and probably every stick of furniture against the door, for the fear that the Roman soldiers would find them, torture, and finally crucify them. (In a side note that I find funny, after walking with the Lord for years, seeing all of the miracles, and even the fact of Christ raising a man from the dead [Lazarus], these same apostles were toiling and in a frantic state of mind. Showing that as great as any one man is, he/she is still only a man, flawed and filled with doubt at any time.) Anyway, while the apostles were ringing their hands and in fighting amongst themselves, what happens? Christ appears in the middle of the room. Out of every word in the language that He could say, Jesus says "Peace" (or "Peace be with you brothers," depending on the text you may read).
This is why today and every day after is so much better for all of us, because rather than having to wonder and/or have a direct revelation from God himself, or wonder about another Pharisees interpretation on what to do and what is right. Today, we have a direct line to God, Christ, and the Holy Spirit. At any time, any place, there is always a time that a person can speak directly to the Lord, and know that Jesus came for our sins, for our salvation, and for us to live in a constant kinship to the Lord of Lords. At no other time, before Jesus was this ever possible. Therefore, in this time of Christmas, with troops overseas at war, people without homes, death all around the globe, and a lot more things that seem negative in the world, rather than having a positive tint. The lens the we all should choose is to say, believe, and utilize the "Peace be with you," that Christ gave all of his children from the day that he sacrificed himself, for us all.
So, this Christmas, "Peace be with you and with myself, no matter what is going on in our lives," as only Christ could say it best.
God Bless,
MIKE D.
No comments:
Post a Comment