Today we lit the Fourth Candle of Advent, the Candle of Peace. We lit this candle as a reminder that it is Jesus born of the Virgin Mary who is the Prince of Peace. If this is what we truly believe, then why is peace so difficult to obtain in our own lives as well as throughout the world?
Apparently even in the early church, peace was not always present among the believers. St. Paul admonishes the Church of Philippi with these words, “Do all things without murmuring and arguing, so that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish and innocent in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, in which you shine like stars in the world.” How many here today know that God sees you as a star in this world? St. Paul compares us to stars, because those of us who have received the Light of Christ into our lives are living vessels through which the Light of Christ shines into the world.
When we allow strife to come into our lives, the Light of Christ within us becomes covered up. This is why we do not always feel the Peace of Christ in our hearts. St. Paul points out to us that murmurings and arguing are against Christ’s nature within us, because these are of the flesh and not of the Spirit of God. This does not mean that we are to become doormats for the sake of Christ and let others run over us like freight trains. Instead, we are called to be doers of the word and not hearers only. As doers of the Word, winning arguments are not to be our goal unless it is for Christ’s sake as St. Peter instructs in his first epistle, “Always be ready to make your defense to anyone who demands from you an accounting for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and reverence.”
When we seek not to have our own way concerning earthly matters, then we can submit to Christ’s authority over us. Submitting to the authority of Christ means submitting to the authorities placed over us; for it is God who has put into place the levels of authority over us. If we cannot submit to earthly authority, than how can we submit to Christ’s authority over our lives?
Each one of us is accountable to someone from the lowest in society to the highest. Even a king is accountable to God. Yet, those who are under the king’s authority are called to submit to the rule of the king. Here in America, we have a democracy. When we don’t like a ruler, then we vote that person out of office. Not so with the kingdom of God.
God has placed levels of authority within His Church. Concerning the levels of authority within the Church, St. Paul writes these words in his first letter to the Thessalonians: “But we appeal to you, brothers and sisters, to respect those who labor among you, and have charge of you in the Lord and admonish you; esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace with one another.”
When we go against the levels of authority within the Church, except in matters of conscience in accordance with the Word of God, then we are rebelling against the ordained authority of God. Paul describes this submission as “the obedience of faith”. It is only through the acceptance of God’s levels of authority in the Church that we will know the peace of Christ in our lives. This is because Christ, who is the Head of the Church, is the Prince of Peace.
In our gospel reading for today from Matthew, we are given a lesson on what it means to be submissive to the obedience of faith. Joseph, Mary’s betrothed, had every right under the Law to allow Mary to be stoned to death. Mary’s child was not conceived by Joseph. According to the Law, Joseph did not have to claim the child as his own. Joseph’s hopes for a happy marriage with Mary were shattered when Joseph discovered that Mary was pregnant. Joseph’s heart was broken. Yet, Joseph, who was a man of peace, did not seek vengeance against the woman he loved. Instead, the scriptures tell us that Joseph “planned to dismiss her quietly”. This action would be seen by others as an act of generosity and benevolence on Joseph’s behalf.
The lives of both Mary and her child would have been spared, but they would have both lived in shame and dishonor. Mary would have been known as an adulteress and her child as a bastard, which would have placed them as outcasts in the Jewish society. Life for Mary and her child would have been very hard indeed.
God, in His mercy, had a better plan for Mary and her child. Just as God had chosen Mary to be the Mother of God’s Son; God had chosen Joseph to be the earthly father for Mary’s child. Joseph had been chosen, because as Jesus would teach years later, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” Because Joseph was a man of peace, God chose him to be Jesus’ father. As a man of peace, Joseph would raise the Son of God in a home grounded in righteousness that honored peace over strife. Joseph was God’s earthly example of a righteous man. From this godly home with Joseph as His earthly father, the Son of God would be formed into the Prince of Peace.As the Prince of Peace, Jesus is our example of how we are to live our lives. We are called to be peacemakers, not for our sakes, but for the sake of those who do not yet believe. When we quarrel among ourselves, then the world looks upon us and wonders why on earth they would want to be followers of Christ. It is for our sakes, God had spoken through the prophet Isaiah, “‘Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel,’ which means, ‘God with us’.”
Only when we allow Christ, who is in us, to shine through us does the world see and know that God is with us. As Christians, we bear the name of Christ to the world. The world’s view of who Christ is comes from our everyday witness of Christ in our lives. Jesus Christ is the Prince of Peace. The question for all of us today is, “Are we peacemakers for Christ’s sake?”
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