March 15, 2007

“While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, ‘Peace be with you.’” Luke 24:36.
The two travelers on the road to Emmaus were so excited about recognizing Jesus, as He gave thanks and broke the bread for their dinner and then disappeared, that they immediately went back to Jerusalem to report what had happened, to the remaining disciples. Upon finding them, the two excitedly shared their story, and there was a great stir in their assembly. It was at that moment that Jesus appeared and stood in their midst. He greeted them with a typical greeting within their culture: “Peace be with you.”
We are not certain as to which day these events happened. It still could have been the same day that the women had discovered the empty tomb or it could have been the next day. Either way, it all happened really quickly. Within a few days, Jesus had been arrested, “tried”, crucified, buried, and now He had risen from the dead, and there were witnesses. Even with Jesus, with whom you never knew what He was going to do next, these events happening so quickly, which created much stir and discussion. For Jesus to come and tell them to be at peace under those circumstances adds to the meaning of His greeting. He was, also, trying to settle them down, fully knowing that His presence there was going to stir them up all the more.
There are definitely things that stir my heart in positive ways, where God is tugging at my heart strings, stirring up my passions, and spurring me on to action. Then there are times when I am just stirred up. I upset about something. And it probably is not the “righteous” kind of upset. It may be something as simple as being cut off in traffic, or it may be something deeper, such as a property that needs to sell and will not. I get stirred up over a variety of different things; some are profound and passionate, yet most are more trivial. How about you?
In those moments, God says to me, “Peace be with you.” Sometimes, I even listen and do what He says! Amazing! And His peace does come to be with me. Take some time today to reflect on Jesus standing in the midst of our life, saying, “Peace be with you.” Is there anything within you that is stirred up today? Try to take Him at His word today, and see if there is a difference in how your day continues.