Advent Devotional | Week 3
An angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. “Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit.” Matthew 1:20
We humans are a chronocentric bunch; we tend to perceive the time in which we live as the centre point of history. The intensity of our cultural moment makes that feel warranted at times, doesn’t it? Increasing polarity and anxiety, the struggle for justice and identity, and a long-tailed pandemic to boot. Is it even possible to experience peace through it all?
If we were swapping war stories with Joseph, he would no doubt relate with how we feel. For Joseph, the anxiety and fear were real at the time of Jesus’ birth. After all, an unplanned cross-country hike with a pregnant wife, sleepless nights tied up in a potentially life-altering scandal and drawing up last-minute divorce plans don’t exactly spell ‘peace on earth’.
The drama didn’t stop there. Fleeing the country to escape an infanticidal, power hungry King; raising a God-child who would one day be murdered on a cross – Joseph knew first-hand the experience of confusion, loss, injustice, and political scandal. And yet his choice to trust in the promise of ‘God with us’ – first revealed to him in a dream, and then in the flesh – seemed to bring about a peace that transcended anything the world could throw his way. But how is that possible?
Not too long before his arrest and crucifixion, Jesus made this promise to his disciples: “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.” (John 14:27, NLT)
Leave it to Jesus to expand our imaginations for what true peace really means. He declares that the peace he gives isn’t the same brand that the world has to offer. He teaches that his peace goes deep beneath the surface to neutralize and uproot the opposing force of fear, even in – perhaps especially in – the most challenging of circumstances.
This peace is good news! The Jesus Way offers a fresh alternative that transcends the polarizing binaries of our day, a blueprint for loving our enemies and those with whom we disagree, comfort in our personal and corporate anxiety, and a secure identity that can’t be shaken.
When we fix our eyes on Jesus, our thoughts, words, actions, and relationships become more peaceful as we conform to the character of Christ. And in the process, we become peace makers – not retreating from danger, but, like Joseph, staying present in the mess and courageously playing our part to advance God’s Kingdom of radical love.
Matt Miles
Executive Director,
Jesus Collective
Prayer
Lord, there are times when I feel anxiety take over. I have the knowledge that worry only begets more worry but it’s a cycle that often repeats in spite of my best efforts. Allow Your presence to go deep into my fears and anxieties and help me find Your peace even amid the darkness and the worries.
Application
Think of a fear or anxiety that you find difficult to tackle on your own. In a prayerful spirit, surrender your worst fears and anxieties to Him, to the One that promises peace. “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” John 14:27