In today’s Scripture Readings (Acts 14:19-28; John 14:27-31a), we see the importance of peace of Jesus bestowed on us to keep us from having our hearts plagued with troubles. And, this peace of Jesus left to us is, in essence, the Holy Spirit, whom Jesus called another Advocate (Parakletos). This way, we stay empowered, enabled to endure hardships, and therefore, accomplish our apostolic missions, as exemplified by Paul and Barnabas.
Remember, Jesus said to fear-stricken disciples, "Peace be with you"(John 20:19, 21), telling them to be sent out as the Father had sent him (John 20:21) and so telling them to receive the Holy Spirit in his breath (John 20:22) on the evening of his resurrection? This juxtaposition of peace to the Holy Spirit is, in essence, the juxtaposition of peace of Jesus (John 14:27) to the Holy Spirit as another Advocate (John 14:16, 26), Jesus coming to the disciples though he was departing (John 14:18, 28)
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On the night before his death, Jesus promised that
the Father will send us the Holy Spirit as another Advocate (John 14:16), who
will teach what the Advocate (Jesus)(1 John 2:1) has taught (John 14:26). And
it means that Jesus is leaving his peace with us (John 13:27).
So, Jesus said:
Peace
I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world give it to you. Do
not let your hearts be troubled or afraid (John 13:27).
Jesus assures that he is always with us through his
peace.
What is peace of Jesus, his peace?
It is, indeed, God in essence, as Gideon called
Yahweh, peace, - Yahweh-Shalom, when
he built alter to the Lord (Judges 6:24), when God assures of him safety
(Judges 6:23) in commissioning him to save the Israelites form Midian.
Gideon was called by God to Midian, who put the
Israelites in fear. And because of God’s assurance of peace, Gideon was able to
lead the Israelites to stand up against the Midianites (Acts 7:1-25),
overcoming a major source of fear.
In offering peace to Gideon, God was always with him
to help him lead the Israelites free themselves from fear of Median. Yahweh,
who is peace, was with Gideon in spirit, though He was not visible.
Jesus offered his peace to his disciples and not to let their hearts troubled before his departure (John 14:1, 27). And Jesus assured of his companionship with them even after his departure through the Holy Spirit, whom he called another Advocate (John 14:16, 26), as he is the Advocate (1 John 2:1). So, by sending the Holy Spirit, another Advocate, Jesus remain to be with his disciples, as his peace that he offered them (John 14:27). In fact, the Holy Spirit brings peace (Galatians 5:22).
Jesus promised that he would not leave the disciples
like orphans , because he would come to them (John 14:18) as another Advocate
(John 14:16), who is the Holy Spirit to continue teaching them (John 14:26).
And Jesus reiterated this in John 14:28a.
The disciples should not let their hearts be
troubled with grief (John 14:1, 27), rather they should rejoice over Jesus’
departure for him because of he would return to the Father, who is greater than
him, if they truly loved him (John 14:28).
This way, they could honor him and the Father. They would grieve if
their focus as on themselves.
By foretelling all this, Jesus hoped that his
disciples would believe everything he had said about him and his relationship
with the Father and the Holy Spirit (John 14:29).
Then, Jesus warned the disciples of Satan, the
prince of the darkness in the world and encouraged them to do exactly what the
Father commanded him to do – as he taught and commanded them to do (John
14:30-31).
Jesus was sent to us in the world by the Father as
the prince of peace (Isaiah 9:6). Though he was about to depart from the earth,
Jesus, who is the Advocate (1 John 2:1) would remain with his disciples as
another Advocate (John 14:16), who is the Holy Spirit to teach and remind them
of what the Advocate had taught (John 14:26). And his departure from the world does
not mean to leave his disciples like orphans because he comes to be with them
(John 14:18) as another Advocate (John 14:16), thus, leaving them with peace,
his peace, so that they will not let their hearts be troubled (John 14:1, 27).
Another Advocate (John 14:16), who is the Holy
Spirit (John 14:26) and in whom Jesus comes to the disciples to be with them
(John 14:18, 28), in essence, is the peace that Jesus leaves with them, his
peace (John 14:27). And, this is what Gideon called Shalom-Yahweh (Judges
6:24), enabling and strengthening him to fight
Jesus, the prince of peace, wanted the disciples to
fight against the prince of darkness , Satan, as Gideon fought and defeated the
Midianites. To fight and win, we need to remain in peace. Our hearts need not
to be in troubled to win. We cannot afford to let fear plague our hearts to go
on mission and fight against the prince of the world, Satan, and his disciples.
That is why Jesus wanted to leave his disciples, his soldiers, with his peace,
so that they can carry out his work (John 14:12), which is work of the Father
(John 5:17).
As St. Augustine wrote in his “Confession” (1.1.5),
“For Thou hast formed us for Thyself, and our
hearts are restless till they find rest in Thee, we cannot have peace
unless we are with him and in him. This
is why Jesus said that we would realize that we are in him, he in us, as he is
in the Father (John 14:20). And Paul wrote that we have peace with God, having
an access to grace, through Jesus as we are justified with faith (Romans
5:1-2). Being in peace with God, we can
endure afflictions, building character, and attaining hope that does not
disappoint, because God’s love has been poured out on us through the Holy
Spirit (Romans 5:3-5).
It is, indeed, the Holy Spirit that Jesus leaves us
with upon his departure. Otherwise, we would have no peace, no endurance in
affliction, no character to develop, and no hope, in our fight against the
prince of the world.
In our battle against the prince of the world, we
need to let the world know about Jesus and what he does as commanded by the
Father for his love of the Father (John 14:31). That is why we receive the Holy
Spirit to keep our hearts in peace as we are empowered by this Advocate, whom
Jesus calls another Advocate.
In continuously reading from the Acts of the
Apostles through Paschaltide, we know how the apostles faithfully fought
against the prince of the world and his associates – the anti-Christ – by
winning more souls as they went on their respective missions.
We have been reading on Paul’s first mission journey
(Acts 13:4-14:28) since last Tuesday (Tuesday of the Fourth Week of
Paschaltide). Today’s First Reading (Acts 14:19-28) describes the final segment
of Paul’s First mission journey.
Paul, accompanied by Barnabas, had visited places in
Asia Minor and Galatia. They were able to make disciples everywhere they
preached, both from Jews and Gentiles. However, some Jews, who refused to
believe, were hostile to Paul and Barnabas. They were attacked by these
anti-Christ people for bringing the Good News of Jesus. In Lystra, Paul’s work
of healing on a paralytic man was misinterpreted by people, and they regarded
Paul and Barnabas as Greek pagan gods. Though they explained that they were
humans like them and urged them to stop idolatry, they were hardly able to
convert their hearts from pagan idolatry to believing in Jesus (Acts 14:8-18).
Then, anti-Christ people chased Paul and Barnabas
all the way from Antioch of Pisidea and Iconium, where Paul and Barnabas
ministered, to persuade people of Lystra not to believe and incited them to
kill Paul by stoning (Acts 14:19a). Upon stoning, these anti-Christ people
dragged him and perused that Paul was dead (Acts 14:19b). In fact, Paul made a
surprising recovery as the disciples (Barnabas and those who began to believe) gathered
around him (Acts 19:20a). Paul recollected
this experience as bearing the marks of Jesus (Galatians 6:17). Upon this, Paul
and Barnabas moved to Derbe and preached
the Good News of Jesus, making more disciples (Acts 14:20b-21a).
What is important to note on Paul and Barnabas is
that they did a “follow-up” on those whom they had ministered to. They did not
just preach the Good News of Jesus and leave. They returned to where they had
preached, Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch of Pisidia to strengthen the new
disciples’ souls and faith, reminding them of the importance of enduring the
tribulations to enter the Kingdom (Acts 14:21b-22). This echoes what Paul wrote
in Romans 5:1-5. Furthermore, they appointed presbyteries among the new
disciples and commended them to formulate churches in these places (Acts
14:23). Then, on their way back to Antioch of Syria, Paul and Barnabas preached
in Perga (Acts 14:25).
Though they had to fight the hostility of those who
were anti-Christ, refusing to believe and even pouring their evil on the
nascent believers to sway them off their naïve faith, the first mission of
Paul, together with Barnabas, was successful for opening the door of faith to
and winning many disciples among the Gentiles (Acts 14:26-28).
And, this proves that Paul and Barnabas were in
peace all the time as Jesus remained with them on their mission. Jesus had left
his peace with Paul and Barnabas through the Holy Spirit. That is why they were
strengthened to endure the persecution and still accomplished greatly in
winning many souls for Jesus the Christ in spite of facing adversaries.
Dona Nobis Pacem, Domine!
Da
pacem, Domine, in diebus nostris
Quia
non est alius
Qui
pugnet pro nobis
Nisi
tu Deus noster.
Amen
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