“Peace: A Gift of the Spirit”

John 14:15-27 and Luke 8:22-25

Pastor Deb Troester, STHPC, March 9, 2025

Nearly every Sunday we pray for peace in the world – in Cameroon, the Holy Land, Ukraine, Haiti, Sudan, the Congo. We pray for peace in our own country; although thankfully we are not at war, it seems that sometimes we are at war with ourselves over a number of issues. And we pray for peace in our own lives. How many of us lie awake at night worried about personal problems that we can do little about? Peace, it seems, is elusive.

The Bible mentions “peace” over 300 times. In the Hebrew scriptures, the word for peace is shalom, meaning “wholeness; complete restoration at every level of one’s being.” Shalom is used as a greeting in Hebrew, and conveys the idea of, “May you be full of well-being. May health and prosperity be upon you. Shalom.” Whereas in English, the word “Peace” often signifies the absence of conflict, “Shalom” is always positive, and conveys the presence of serenity, wholeness, tranquility and well-being. Shalom  can refer to peace for a country, as in Lev. 26.6: “And I will grant peace in the land, and you shall lie down, and no one shall make you afraid…and no sword shall go through your land.” It can also refer to inner peace, as in Isaiah 26.3: “Those of steadfast mind you keep in peace, in peace because they trust in you.” Notice that trusting in God is a solid foundation for peace. We will come back to this idea.

In the New Testament, originally written in Greek, the word for peace is eirene. Eugenia Gamble, author of Tending the Wild Garden: Growing in the Fruit of the Spirit, explains that “eirene, like shalom, is the quality of living fully as God intended with nothing broken, nothing missing, nothing unfulfilled. These two words, eirene and shalom, remind us that God offers to give us well-being, assurance, and refuge.” Greek scholar Bill Mounce adds that eirene often emphasizes “reconciliation in a relationship, as when one has peace with God.” We find this in Romans 5.1: “Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Like shalom, eirene is also used as a greeting. The Apostle Paul opens his letters with phrases such as

“Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” Paul also uses the word eirene to express peace between people, as in Romans 12:18,  “If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.”

Jesus also spoke a lot about peace. “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God (Matt. 5:9); “Be at peace with one another” (Mark 9:50); He often said to those he had healed, “Your faith has made you well; go in peace” (Luke 7:50, Luke 8:48, Mark 5:34, etc.); In this morning’s scripture, on the night of his betrayal, he said to his disciples, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you” (John 14:27). Near the end of his final conversation with his disciples, he repeats to them, “I have said this to you so that in me you may have peace. In the world you face persecution, but take courage: I have conquered the world!”

Jesus doesn’t tell his disciples that their lives will be free from conflict – actually quite the contrary,

so what does he mean that he is giving them his peace? I think we can gain some insight into his meaning if we go back to the story of the storm on Lake Galilee. Let me read a few verses from Luke, Chapter 8:

22 One day he got into a boat with his disciples, and he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side of the lake.” So they put out, 23 and while they were sailing he fell asleep. A windstorm swept down on the lake, and the boat was filling with water, and they were in danger. 24 They went to him and woke him up, shouting, “Master, Master, we are perishing!” And waking up, he rebuked the wind and the raging waves; they ceased, and there was a calm. 25 Then he said to them, “Where is your faith?”

Often when the storms of life are raging, it seems to us that Jesus is asleep. But he is right there with us, and he still has the power to calm the wind and waves. The disciples went to him and woke him up. I don’t think God ever sleeps, but God may be waiting for us to come to him and ask for help. Recognizing that we need God’s help, that we can’t do it on our own may be the first step toward peace.

Relinquishing our fears and anxieties to God and leaving them there will bring peace. As we read last week: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” This is Philippians 4.6-7, a key verse to nurturing the fruits of the Spirit in the garden of our lives. Trusting God will help us find the calm amid the storm. Like the man who came to Jesus to heal his son we may need to pray, “I believe! Help my unbelief!” God loves us whether we have faith or not and will help us learn how to trust in him.

If we want peace, we must cooperate with God. Eugenia Gamble tells this story: “A former colleague of mine was vacationing with his family on the Mississippi Gulf coast. It was a beautiful day, and the whole family was excited about being at the shore… [but when they arrived, they saw] double red flags indicating dangerous rip currents…they noticed another family nearby with five or six children. Apparently they did not see, or did not know to heed, the red flags.

The whole family took off into the surf. It did not take long for the parents to realize the situation and begin to get all the children back to shore. They were able to round up all of them except for one little girl who was caught in the current. Mercifully, a strong and experienced lifeguard was on duty. In a flash, he and his bodyboard were on their way to the child. When he reached her, she seemed more angry than scared. She had balled up her little fists and was pounding the water. As he approached, she pounded those fists at him too. Finally, when exhaustion nearly overcame her and she began to sink, he swooped in, got her on the board, and swam with her parallel to the beach until they escaped the current…[when they finally arrived on shore] the father pumped the guard’s hand in gratitude, asking, ‘Why did it take you so long to save her?’ The guard responded, ‘Sir, I was with her the whole time, but I couldn’t help her until she stopped fighting me.’”

God can’t give us peace until we stop fighting him. When we work together with God, to help bring about God’s purposes in the world, even if only in a small way, the fruit of peace will grow in our hearts.

St. Francis of Assisi knew this when he wrote his beautiful prayer:

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace:
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, let me sow pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy…
For it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

May God’s peace be yours, now and forever. Amen.

Reference: Gamble, Eugenia Anne. Tending the Wild Garden: Growing in the Fruit of the Spirit. Presbyterian Publishing. Kindle Edition. 2024.

©Deborah Troester, 2025