THE PEACEFUL REVOLUTIONARY

Dr. Richard J. Henderson April 8, 2007 (Easter Sunday)

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Isaiah 65:17-19, 24-25
John 20:1-18, Matthew 5:9

Introduction

When this child was born, an ordinary young couple huddled in a stable converted into a makeshift delivery room. While they struggled in amazement and joy, some shepherds spent that night out on the hillside with their sheep. It was another boring night with nothing to do but watch the stars and listen to each others' voices. Then, all of a sudden, an angel appeared. The angel told them about the baby born in Bethlehem. Then other angels joined in and said, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace and goodwill among people."

The baby Jesus was born with announcements of peace and goodwill.

I

The one born the Prince of Peace lived a life of peace. Jesus not only taught peace all through his life, he lived a life of peace. When people came to him with their disputes, he helped them see the bigger picture. He taught his disciples how to live peacefully.

He showed them the importance of resolving conflicts. Remember how he said to them that if you are headed off to worship with your offering in hand, and on the way you remember that someone has something against you, you should stop, turn around, and go work out your differences with that person, and then come to worship with an even better offering. Making peace is so important that we should even turn from going to worship to get things resolved.

In Jesus' own life he was an example of approaching others in peace. He gave his disciples that benediction: "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you..."

There is no indication that Jesus ever hurt anyone in his life. The most violent he ever got was when he turned over the tables of the merchants in the temple. He was angry that they had turned the temple into a retail outlet, so he threw over their tables and chased them out. Even in that act there is no hint that he hurt anyone.

Jesus was a peaceful revolutionary. He was very outspoken. He disrupted the religious establishment, defied and condemned the leaders, he wasn't afraid of the political rulers, but he never reverted to violence. In spite of all that was done to him, he didn't strike back.

II

During this last week of his life he took all the abuse that people could heap on him and never struck back. Horrible violence was done to him, but he didn't return violence with violence. He took on the brutality of the world rather than keep the cycle of violence going. Mel Gibson's Passion of the Christ illustrated too well the abuse that Jesus suffered. Can you imagine enduring all of that without responding?

Because of how he lived he didn't strike out at people. He was born the Prince of Peace and he remained that all through his life - even to the brutal end.

III

The peace that Jesus taught is not just an end to conflict; it is a way of life. Jesus was able to endure all that because he had a sense of peace within himself. He lived with a strong relationship with God and a sense of goodwill toward people.

In Hebrew the word for peace is Shalom, of course. Shalom means more than not fighting, it is a sense of wholeness, of well-being. It is a solid, well integrated sense of being at peace with God and with other people. Obviously Christ had a life of shalom.

IV

Being the peacemakers Jesus calls for doesn't mean being passive - rather, it is taking direct actions to bring about peace. Norman Cousins once wrote that peace doesn't come by afterthought. It is something that has to be actively pursued. It means not rattling the sabers of war, but taking the difficult steps of sitting down and negotiating, talking, and especially listening. Rattling the sabers will be more popular, but negotiations will be more productive. Look at the release of British soldiers in Iran this week, and think of what that could have turned into.

If we are to be the peacemakers our risen Lord called us to be, we will not just try to end conflicts, but get people to reconcile. The Christ who rose on Easter Day wants us to stop fighting and also to be people of goodwill.

V

People have learned from the peace Christ taught. A small church in rural Ohio calls an open meeting of the congregation to work out the differences that are threatening to cause a split in the church, because they know their risen Lord taught them to seek peace and unity.

A proud man struggles to offer forgiveness and begin again in his relationship with his son, because, as a Christian, this is the difficult step he must take.

Thirty years ago a young man, with his PhD in theology led a peaceful revolution against injustice. People marched peacefully in the streets as police turned vicious dogs on them and beat them with clubs; others swept them away with the force of fire hoses. These people didn't strike back in anger but continued their march for freedom. They had been trained in non-violent protest in their local churches. They took the abuse, and again and again won victories.

The dynamic Christian, Desmond Tutu, was a leader in the peaceful effort to end apartheid in South Africa. What could easily have been a national bloodbath instead was an unbelievably peaceful transition. Tutu then headed the Peace and Reconciliation Commission where injustices were dealt with in a peaceful, forgiving and non-vengeful way. Followers of Jesus have been involved in miracles of peacefulness.

Conclusion

The Christ who was raised up from the dead on Easter is the same Prince of Peace born in the manger. All through his life he taught and lived a life of shalom. Because of his relationship with God and his concern for all God's children, he taught us to be peacemakers. "Blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called the children of God." The Son of God calls us to be children of God also. People have seen and heard and followed the risen Christ.

On December 24, 1914 men faced each other in battle. It was WWI. Men stood knee deep in the cold, muddy water of their trenches only about 50 feet from each other.

On this night a group of German soldiers began to sing Christmas carols. The British on the other side heard them and began to sing the same carols in English. A call went out from one side asking for an informal truce on Christmas Eve.

The other side called back OK. Some brave soldiers ventured out onto the land between their trenches. Soldiers came from the other side. They shook hands. Then hundreds of others joined them. The British offered gifts of Christmas crackers and candy; the Germans brought beer. Soon the Germans brought out a small Christmas tree - a Tannenbaum - which they set up in the middle.

The next day - Christmas - they brought gifts to each other: buttons or postcards or food. They showed each other pictures from home. They sang some more. In the afternoon they played an informal game of soccer. The Germans won. A soldier wrote home for his family not to feel sorry for him at Christmas because he had one of the most surprising and strange and wonderful Christmas he had ever experienced.

It wasn't a coincidence that all this happened on the day the Prince of Peace was born. Throughout his life, teaching, examples, death and resurrection, this risen Christ taught us to make peace.

Amen

© Richard J. Henderson 2007