Lesson Four: The Fruit of Peace
12 | SU STA I N
Summary: To understand peace, we will need to look at what peace looks like on the world, national, and local level; but more importantly, we will be looking at scripture to see what peace looks like in our personal lives. How is peace seen in the life of the everyday Christian? Is it visible to the non-believing bystander? How can we maintain peace when the world around us is better described as chaos and confusion?
Lead-in Questions 1. Are peace and war compatible? How? 2. Can you have peace personally when the circumstances around you are anything but peaceful? How? 3. Jesus declared to his disciples “peace be with you” both before and after his resurrection. What do you think that he meant by that, considering what happened to them later? G RO UP N OT E
The Importance of Peace
Question: Will there ever be Peace is a word that is much in demand these days. universal peace Considering the things that have happened in our society in our world – is with regards to murders, riots and violent acts, more it even possible? and more people are calling out for peace among the Why or why not? races, the cities, and even the nations.
Of course, humans have been longing for peace throughout history. If you grew up in the ‘60s then you will remember the two-fingered Peace symbol that became popular. In democracies, we seek for peaceful ways to protest but sometimes fall short of that ideal. In government, we often hear about peace talks, and sometimes we will justify war in the name of seeking peace.
peace.” (Ecclesiastes 3:8) Although Solomon is more noted for peace treaties and building plans during his reign, he was certainly familiar with wars, since his father, David, spent most of his life fighting against enemy nations or threats to his throne. Jesus, on the other hand, teaches: “Blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called Sons of God.” (Matthew 5:9) With the injustice of Roman domination evident everywhere around him, this would have been astonishing to his original Jewish hearers. Christian leaders down through the centuries have struggled through the question of if and when there is still a “time for war.”
The “Just War” View Clearly, God does not sanction injustice in any form. All too often, the propaganda behind human wars simply hides motives of selfishness, greed and pride that God opposes. However, some suggest that there is such a thing as a “Just War,” a war that is on the side of justice. Gleaning from a number of writers on just war theory, here is a summary of the qualifications usually considered necessary for a war to be just:
1. First, it must be an action in response to a clear injustice perpetrated against an innocent and under-protected people. Nazi Germany’s aggressive and At the start of his teaching Jesus included the “peace- unprovoked attacks against various European countries makers” as part of his formula for the blessed life. Near like Poland, or Pol Pot’s annihilation of over a million the end of his earthly ministry, when Jesus appeared Cambodians, would be good examples of actions that to the frightened disciples after his resurrection, his warrant war as interventions on behalf of the innocent. words were “peace be with you.” Clearly, peace was 2. The decision to go to war must be the last resort after important to Jesus. In Paul’s letter to the Galatians, Paul all other means of defending, protecting, or resolving lists “peace” as one of the various fruits that we find in the treatment of the innocent have failed. the life of the believer filled with the Spirit. The peace that Jesus spoke of and imparted to his followers is 3. The degree of force applied must be no greater now available to us through the life of the Holy Spirit. than is necessary to stop the injustice. In the time of the Crusades, on some occasions the Crusaders catapulted the heads of defeated enemies back into A Time for Peace their city to dishearten their opponents. Even if the war To begin with, let’s look at peace on the larger scale—the itself were just, such actions would not be sanctioned since they were beyond the force necessary to achieve question of war and peace between nations. the task of peace. In Ecclesiastes, Solomon lists a set of opposites that make up the seasons of life: “A time to laugh and a time 4. The war should end if, at any time, the unjust perto cry; a time to be sad and a time to dance,” and so petrator decided to cease their hostilities and unjust on. Towards the end of the list, he includes “a time for actions. After war, just restitution should be required love and a time for hate, a time for war and a time for to the degree of the value of damages done by the
