2008. 4. 27 Rev. Kim, Young Bong

Sermon series from the book of John: Living Gospel (95)
That Peace He had in His heart
John 20:19-23

1.

What do you think is the most difficult thing to master or manage in this world? I believe that this is, above all, our own mind. Attaining peace and retaining it is probably the most difficult discipline for anybody to learn. A church member who has been through some tough times recently shared this with me. He tried very hard to shake off his worries, as he knew well that constantly dwelling on them could be an even more serious problem. But he realized that while he could manage to be free for a moment, he would find himself shackled to the problem time and again. He confessed that despite his efforts, prayer and meditation of the Word was difficult.

Anyone who has experienced insomnia may understand this state of mind very well. Millions of thoughts shake up one’s mind, taking turns one after another. This is what keeps one awake at night. In this state we know well that we cannot fall asleep. So one tries to lie down while not to thinking of anything, laying down one’s thoughts. One tries to count numbers, and if this doesn’t work, count backwards, but still the mind still wanders. The more one tries to control his mind, the more elusive it becomes.

If our minds are shaky and scattered, it is like standing in a rattling train, and we cannot live our lives well. Having peace of mind is crucial to achieving a stable life, but achieving and maintaining it is extremely difficult. Worse yet, we are surrounded by many elements of our environment that threaten our peace of mind. Various things, big and, small, take turns to come and threaten our peace.

Our minds are besieged by anxiety when a disease that we thought was cured lifts up its head once again. Our minds shake violently when we are let go from a job we once thought was secure until retirement. Our minds crumble when we sense something has gone wrong with our child. A sudden anxiety covers us when the body that was renewed after a good night’s sleep now feels that something is wrong. Our minds are shaken to the core when we feel betrayed by a person we loved and trusted. Our minds shake like a small boat in a violent storm, when due to the worsening economy we are faced with the reality of having to surrender our house, along with all the money we had been paying for it. It probably is like a mission impossible to maintain peace of mind in this world with so many unexpected complications, twists and turns.

2.

Today’s text offers an answer to this problem. It is a story about the disciples who were in fear and anxiety. The story goes like this: The disciples were gathered in a house in Jerusalem on the evening of Christ’s resurrection. They had the doors locked for fear of the Jews. They learned from Mary Magdalene that she had seen the risen Lord. They also learned from Peter and John that His body had disappeared. Hearing all these things, it was clear to them that something unusual had happened. However, they could not imagine what actually happened. They were full of fear that the Jews would hunt them down and take them away at any moment.

It was then that Jesus suddenly appeared before them. This was something incomprehensible, unexplainable. Jesus had come into their midst, although they had locked all the doors to prevent anyone from entering. This seems like a miracle to us but it was nothing extraordinary for Jesus, who was raised from death and was beyond the three dimensional world. Let’s use an analogy. When an ant encounters a rock on its route, it will say, “Oh! I can’t go any more, this is the end.” If I remove the rock at that moment, the ant will think that a miracle must have happened, the huge wall blocking its path has disappeared and it will believe something happened beyond its comprehension. It is natural for us who live bound to the three dimensional space to think in a similar manner, when we see the works of Jesus, who transcends the three dimensional world.

Jesus came and stood among the terrified disciples and said, “Peace be with you!” This was a very common greeting used among the Jews, rather habitual without a special meaning to it. But this seemingly meaningless greeting gave the disciples true comfort and peace. This was because they earnestly needed the peace. Perhaps when they heard Jesus greet them they wanted to ask Jesus: “Yes! Please give us this peace, what we need now is the peace you give.”

But who was the one who appeared among them? The disciples were bewildered. Who was the one who appeared before them, when all the doors were locked? Some probably wondered if they were dreaming. Some probably felt bewitched. They might have had goose bumps from fear. He said, “Peace be with you!” But they may have been more fearful than ever.

Jesus was clearly aware of His disciples’ state of mind. He showed them the nail marks in His palms. He also showed His wounded side punctured by the spear. Only then the disciples realized that this wasn’t a ghost or a fiend but that it was Jesus who had come to them, Jesus of Nazareth who died on the cross, who was raised from the dead. As His disciples identified Him and sighed a relief, Jesus said once again, “Peace be with you!” At last the anxiety and fear disappears from their minds and a solid peace settles in them.

3.

We understand the focus of this story clearly. The message is that the disciples who were in fear and anxiety gained peace of mind by meeting the risen Christ. The story tells us that the disciples, after meeting the resurrected Jesus in person, went out to the world, out from the locked doors, and spread the gospel overcoming fear of death. It also means to us that we can gain peace of mind and overcome trials and sufferings if we trust the risen Jesus, that He is amongst us, is with us and He lives within us.

This message seems quite simple. It may sound easy to new believers but it is not to those of us who have been on a spiritual journey for years. It is by no means that simple. Therefore, we really have to ask this question. Is this just to make us feel good or to comfort us? Why do we become confused, tremble and shaken up when encountering problems in daily life, even though we try to rely on Christ and seek peace through Him? We thought we had faith, strong enough to overcome difficulties and trials. How pitiful is our faith, when it unravels in the face of small challenges. We wonder if the gospel is true. Is the gospel saying the truth when it says we can overcome fear and anxiety and gain peace of mind if we trust God and rely on Him?

As we reach this point of the story I remember a well-known anecdote about John Wesley who founded the Methodist Church. John Wesley was a theology professor at the Lincoln College at Oxford University, and also a priest of the Anglican Church. In 1735 he made the decision to become a missionary to spread the gospel to American Indians in George. There was something that he felt missing, something that could not be fulfilled through teaching in a comfortable environment at Oxford. He leaves for George in the winter of 1735. In those days, it was quite a dangerous journey to cross the Atlantic Ocean by boat in the winter, as one could encounter severe storms on the way. He decided to overcome all the potential difficulties in hopes to save the American Indians in the uncivilized world.

As expected, the winter journey over the Atlantic Ocean was quite treacherous. Storms kept coming one after another and John Wesley gradually lost his faith and his courage. As storms came, he had to face possible death. He found out that he really did not want to die and was fearful of death. He did not realize this fear of death before. He thought he had had strong faith. He realized then that his faith was nothing when faced with death in the storm. He, who taught about God, the eternal life and the heaven, was frightened out of his senses when faced with his own death.

One evening, John Wesley attended a service led by the Moravians on the ship. The Moravians were protestant, originally from Bohemia who fled to Germany due to persecutions from the Roman Catholic Church. The Moravians on the ship were on their way to immigrate to America. While he was worshipping with the Moravians, a powerful storm struck the boat. The ship shook as if it would capsize and the waves swept the deck. Out of fear of death, the passengers were scrambling this way and that, and John Wesley was no exception. But the Moravians kept singing hymns, maintaining their composure throughout the storm. John Wesley was deeply shocked by the Moravians’ composure. One biographer assessed that what had shook Wesley was not so much the storm as was the peaceful expression he saw in the Moravians. Wesley had never seen that kind of peace within himself, nor in anyone else up to that point.

John Wesley fell into despair about himself. He was the self declared missionary to save the uncivilized Indians in America. He, a theologian who taught theology at Oxford, an Anglican priest and a missionary, was seized in terror of death, while the Moravians, who were uneducated, was unshaken when faced with death. He could not help doubting his own faith. He wrote in his journal that day, “This was the most glorious day which I have hitherto seen.” He considered the very day, when he desperately realized he had so little faith, the most glorious day. Because of this experience, some two years later, Wesley was able to gain true faith and the same peace that the Moravians possessed.

4.

When we consider this story, we can identify what the real problem is. We, who trust and rely on the risen Christ, can overcome fear and anxiety. This is not merely a word of comfort, but is the truth and the power of the gospel. There is a secret in this faith, the kind of secret that helps us keep peace, even in the face of death, the enemy humans fear the most. Moravians had that kind of faith. The problem lies with our lack of faith. The promise in today’s scripture is truth; however, the faith we have is too little for the power of truth to wield its strength. John Wesley’s said he believed but he lacked faith, and because he lacked faith his peace was shaken so easily. Although two faiths could look the same, one could enable peace that cannot be shaken, while the other could extinguish in the face of a very small challenge.

My fellow congregation, what kind of faith do we have? Do we have peace within our hearts? If we truly believe in our risen Lord, how much of His peace do we share in our lives? Do you not feel that we should, like John Wesley did, examine ourselves? How good it would be, if our eyes do not falter, our voices do not tremble, the movement of our hands and feet remain firm, even when death threatens us? But how are we in reality? Are we not shaken helplessly by trivial things, not to mention by fear of death?

Before dying on the cross, Jesus said to His disciples, “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) Jesus was confirming His promise to His disciples when He said,” Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.” What we need to pay attention to is “My peace I give you.” It means He is giving His own peace to us, the very peace He had.

His peace was the kind that enabled Him to follow God’s will by overcoming sufferings, difficulties and adversities. The peace He had was the kind that enabled Him to keep His faith in God amid any doubt and confusion. The peace He had was a peace that would not be shaken even in the face of death’s threat. This peace sustained Him to go His path without being shaken, even in the presence of formidable authority such as Caiaphas, Annas and Pilate. The peace that was settled deep within Him shook up the false peace of Caiaphas, Annas and Pilate. Pilate the Governor, who had formidable power, trembled in the presence of Jesus, a powerless prisoner. The false peace Pilate achieved through power, money and force, was shattered when faced with the true peace of Jesus. It was this peace that Jesus was offering to His disciples and to us.

We must remember something important here. Jesus, who enjoyed unshakable peace, also showed emotional distress about coming threats. In John chapter 12:27, Jesus looks into the future and his upcoming death and says: “Now my heart is troubled, and what shall I say?” If we translate this in another way, it is “My heart is greatly shaken, what shall I say?” What does this mean? It means that His peace of mind was shaken for a moment when faced with suffering, pain and possible death because He, too, was 100% human.

We must not think it is impossible for us, saying that it’s only possible for God when thinking about the peace Jesus had. It should not be impossible. Jesus was the son of God, but He was also a human like you and me. He had feelings like us. He was shaken for a moment fearing suffering, pain and death. He trembled with fear when faced with troubles and death, just like us. However, He was able to regain His peace by calming His fear and was able to regain peace like the depths of the ocean. Through the power of this peace He was able to finish the path of the cross. This same peace was with the Moravians. Then why should we think that it is impossible for us to gain this kind of peace?

5.

Oh, we wish to gain this kind of peace. We can receive this peace only through the risen Christ. Although we can not see Him, He is speaking to us even now, saying “Peace be with you!” “My peace I give you.” The peace of Jesus will take root in us if we open our hearts, listen to His voice and confess, “Oh Lord, come to us, and be my Lord and lead my life!” and live our life in Him.

We are often deceived by our own emotions. Emotions are a precious gift from God but it should not guide or lead our life. The reason for this is because emotions are not trustworthy. Our emotions overreact when we encounter a negative incidence. It deceives us as if a calamity befalls on us when it was really a small incident. If Jesus even had these emotions, why wouldn’t we have them?

For this reason, I ask that we refrain from using a habitual phrase we use. We are quite used to saying, “We have a Big…. Problem!” when we encounter some inconveniences or glitches. It became our habit to say “has a big problem.” This is a much more pronounced habit in women, although men say so, too. When a husband hears it on a phone from his wife, his heart sinks immediately, but it usually turns out to be a small problem once the whole story is revealed. It usually is something like a tire leak, slow drain or your child has less than perfect report card. When you hear from your child, “Dad! I have a big problem.” Again your heart is seized with fear but the problem often turns out to be really minor.

We should refrain from saying, “it is a big problem.”, unless it truly is a real big problem. We are deceiving ourselves when we say this and also deceive others as well. When we are deceived, a trivial thing appears to be grave, then, we will lose our peace of mind to take care of the problem. On the contrary, we should maintain composure to deal with the problem as if it is insignificant even though the problem could be a serious one. We should keep our composure even when we are faced with a serious problem, and then we should say, “No, this probably is not too serious.”

Even if a person has accepted the risen Lord and walks with Him everyday, and has profound faith, it may be inevitable that his emotions will be affected by a negative incident. We may not be able to completely avoid being shaken emotionally, although this may become less and less as we grow in our faith. To be completely free from emotions means that we eliminate human elements from ourselves, which is not possible. Therefore, when we feel fear and anxiety, we can think in this way: “whatever will come, comes.”

6.

My fellow congregation, how difficult is it to make a living nowadays? Are you not in great anxiety due to the tightening of the immigration law? How hard is it financially due to the recent recession? How many of you cannot sleep due to worries about your children? How anxious are you due to financial distress or anxiety over worrying about your job situation? Are you in despair because you are getting weak as you grow old? Are you in fear and depression due to some disabilities and worrying about what other bodily problems you might have in the future? Who in the world could master this fear and anxiety completely? What people say is true that the most common and contagious illness nowadays is anxiety itself.

Are we not in a similar situation like those disciples in a locked house in Jerusalem who are fearful of the unknown future? Are we not trembling in fear after locking all the doors to our heart? We urgently need the word of the risen Christ, “Peace be with you.” How wonderful it would be if His words came to us today? How wonderful it would be if we had the same peace Jesus had?

In order to gain the same peace, let us not be deceived or troubled by the emotions screaming in our ears “It’s a big problem.” Let’s keep our composure, blocking the noises and look up to the Lord who is with us. The Lord comes to us, even if we are in a locked room, in a locked state of mind. Let’s open our eyes and behold the truth by blocking our emotions which deludes us by saying “there’s no hope.” Think if anything will threaten us? Think carefully if we fear anything when we are with the risen lord and with the lord who raised the Christ from the dead. What do we have to fear if we have the kind of faith that even death could not control us? Anxiety comes from fear of the unknown. What do we have to fear when our lord is the master of everything and He is with us?

Hear the voice of God again, “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.” My beloved congregation, do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. Instead, let’s seek the peace our God gives us. May the amazing peace be with you and me forever after and let’s conquer the world with the peace Jesus gives us as He conquered the world. The risen Lord promised us that He surely is with us always, to the very end of the age.

God of Peace,
There is no peace in us,
The peace we have is so weak and fragile
Because we have no faith in you,
Lord,
Let our faith grow,
Give us faith that can overcome the fear of death,
Help us live on faith, not shaken by any trials,
Help us, Oh, Lord,
Give us your peace,
Help us to conquer the world with the peace you give us,
Amen.