“Seek peace and pursue it,” wrote the Psalmist. I recently saw two men arguing over what Jesus would do in light of terrorist attacks in our world. The man representing Christianity cited the cleansing of the temple as evidence that Jesus “took out his opponents when he needed to.” The other man representing Islam said, “Jesus never used violence.” I only heard the very end of their conversation but as I listened, I wondered if we really understand peace.
When Jesus came back to the royal city of Jerusalem, he cried, not for sentimental but for spiritual reasons. Again and again Israel had rejected God as their King. Now their King looked seventy years into their future to see the destruction at hand. They missed their opportunity for salvation by missing that Jesus was the Messiah. Then Jesus cleared the Temple of those who were making profit on the sacrificial animals and by their presence blocking the gentiles from entering the court designated for them.
Do you ever remember Jesus hurting anybody? He came to seek and to save the lost. Peace is more than just avoiding conflict, though. Shalom is the overflowing goodness of God. It involves God setting things right. Thus, Jesus reset the Temple table that day, making it a place of prayer and not profit. What would Jesus do to sinners today? He would save them if they received him. But those who don’t will face ultimate judgment. So today, if you understand the peace which God wants to give you, by all means receive it. Our lives depend on it!
