A spa weekend promises calm. So does the latest meditation app. Most of these offers work for a while, and then Monday morning arrives.John 14:27 describes a peace of another kind:“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”Jesus sets what he gives against what the world gives.
Words Spoken on a Hard Night
Jesus said this at the last meal with his disciples, only hours before his arrest. He had just told Peter that he would deny him.The room was full of confusion. That is exactly where this promise was spoken.
The Peace the World Offers
Worldly peace usually depends on conditions. The bills are paid. Everyone at the table gets along.In Jesus’ day, the Roman Empire boasted of its own peace, kept in place by soldiers and harsh punishment. It lasted only as long as that power held.Peace of this sort disappears the moment circumstances change.
“My Peace”
Jesus calls it his own. The same man who would soon face a trial and a cross could still offer calm to others.That points to a peace rooted in trust in the Father, something outside events struggle to shake.
A Gift Freely Given
“I give unto you” is the language of a present. Nobody earns it by first fixing every worry.The disciples were about to scatter. Jesus gave the gift anyway.
The Heart Has a Part to Play
The verse ends with an instruction. “Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”So there is a choice involved. Fear will knock at the door, but it need not be invited to stay.Before checking the news tonight, read John 14 slowly instead. The whole chapter takes only a few minutes.
The Deeper Meaning of John 14:27
“Peace” was the ordinary Jewish greeting and farewell, shalom. Jesus took a familiar word and filled it with fresh meaning as he prepared to leave.A verse earlier, he promised the Holy Spirit, called the Comforter, who would bring his words back to their memory.The world’s calm depends on how things are going. Christ’s peace depends on him.
