A Prayer About Jesus, the Preacher of Peace
He (Jesus) came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit. Ephesians 2:17-18
Dear Lord Jesus, I don’t really think of you as a “preacher” very often. I love those who preach, with clarity and power, who you are and what you’ve done for us, and I cringe (and worse) when I’m exposed to preaching that’s about everything else but you. But this Scripture presents YOU as the preacher of peace. Having just celebrated Christmas, I have a brand new appreciation for the wonder and the challenge of what this means.
What is Christmas? It’s you, Jesus, coming as near to us as possible in your incarnation, to establish the peace for which we are desperate-a peace which required your perfect obedience and your atoning death, for us, on the cross. Indeed, Lord Jesus, you are our peace.
Now, in your resurrection glory, YOU are the one who is constantly preaching the gospel of peace to us, through the widest array of preachers imaginable. On one hand, this takes a lot of pressure off of me, one who is actually a “preacher” by calling. For only you, Jesus, can apply the gospel of peace to hearts that are dead in sin and trespasses (Eph. 2:1-7), and hearts, like mine, that are prone to wander away from the gospel.
Yet, on the other hand, Jesus, receiving you and submitting to you as the preacher of peace presents a great challenge to me. For you’re not just preaching the gospel to me as an individual, but as a participant in a lot of different relationships. The purpose of your incarnation was not just to reconcile me to God and God to me, but you’re also destroying hostilities and reconciling me to a whole bunch of other people… in the Body of Christ, in my own family, in my community, even with my enemies. This is where it gets dicey, messy and glorious all at the same time.
My prayer? Oh, glorious Prince of peace… you who one Day will reconcile wolves and lambs, leopards and goats, calves and lions… give me the desire, the humility and the grace to live at peace, your peace, with everyone. As far as it’s in my own power (Rom. 12:18-21), and as far as the power of the gospel will take me, enable me to live as an agent and recipient of your reconciling love and peace. So very Amen, I pray, in your peerless and peace-full name.
