John 14

"My peace I give you..."

A funny thing to tell a group of people that are about to go through the worst night of their lives. In the next forty-eight hours their leader would be taken and executed, their expectations of the future crushed, their lives put in jeopardy. One would betray and commit suicide, one would deny and weep bitterly, all save one would abandon their Lord on a day of darkness.

"My peace I give you..."

It didn't really get better after the resurrection and ascension. There where beatings and rejection and imprisonment. Next came the first martyrs, James then Stephen. Ten of the remaining eleven would follow. Those who survived longer than the others dedicated their lives to quelling heresy, facing strife within the church, and contradicting lies. All of them knew hunger, betrayal, loneliness, pain and loss.

"My peace I give you..."

Almost two thousand years have went by since those twelve people first heard these words. Those who call themselves His disciples today know nothing of what those first twelve felt, but the promise is still just as absurd. We still wonder at times why it can't be easier, we still don't understand the master's ways though we ask, we still fail no matter how hard we try, we still find ourselves facing what seems to be impossible tasks and question what we are even doing here in the first place.

"My peace I give you..."

A ridiculous statement. An absurd promise. Only acceptable by a fool. Unless, like His first disciples, you find the faith to believe what he says next:

"In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."