Let there be Peace on Earth?

by Josiah 21 December 2008 219 views Comments

I was listening to the radio the other night and heard that great song “Let there be Peace on Earth”. It’s a song that seems to be associated a lot with Christmas and Jesus. I wonder why? I know Jesus is referred to as “The Prince of Peace” but when I read the Bible I don’t see that He came to bring peace on earth but instead peace to those willing to give up everything for Him.

In Matthew 10:34 Christ says : Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword.”

So, Jesus came to bring a sword not peace? What am I supposed to fight against or for?

I think Jesus came, with a sword, not to fight off those who disagree with us but to fight off the things inside that war against our relationship with God. And if you do that you will find peace but that’s a whole different tune than the one I hear on the radio.

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Angela Harms said:

Here’s a place where I wonder about the original language. Just like “sin” and “evil” can mean many things, and the meaning is affected by our biases, “peace” also can mean many things. Is “peace” the situation where everyone keeps quiet to avoid conflict? Is it the lack of inhibition one feels when drinking alcohol? Is it putting up with anything that people want to do? Is it submission? What is this “peace” that he didn’t come to bring?

I think Jesus says conflicting things. He turned tables over in the temple, and yet says that we should not resist our enemy. He came to bring a sword, but he wants us to turn the other cheek, and he turned over himself to those who wished to destroy him (and yet refused to be destroyed).

I was talking with my husband about those contradictions, and what that means for me/us, and how we can discern how to respond, and we noticed something. It looks to me like his big message was to love, and sometimes that might look like turning over tables, and other times it might look like turning the other cheek. It might look like peace sometimes, and other times it might look like not peace, but a sword.

Angela

# 21 December 2008 at 1:28 pm

Jason Carr said:

Angela,

What do you mean that sin and evil can mean different things?

# 21 December 2008 at 3:18 pm

Angela Harms said:

What I mean is that ranslation is imprecise. Where the word “sin” occurs in our translations, several different words appear in the original. I don’t have time to dig up a bunch of references, but translators have said that the words mean things like “to miss the mark,” or “to make a mistake.” Our word “sin” certainly has connotations that aren’t included in those phrases!

So I don’t much confidence that some preacher’s understanding of the word “sin” overrides my understanding of God’s infinite compassion. My heart tells me that to sin means to screw up, and I definitely screw up. And God’s grace definitely covers my error. I am free to grow and love and try to do better.

Angela

# 21 December 2008 at 6:41 pm

Angela Harms said:

P.S. See this page for more, especially on evil: http://christswords.com/?page_id=614

Here’s a taste of what he says there:

One of the most flagrant and consistent misleading translations I see in all current version of the Gospels regard’s Christ’s use of “evil.” The term that is almost always translated as “evil” or “wicked” is ponêros (poneros), which means “oppressed by toil,” “burdened,” and “worthless.” Of things, it means “toilsome,” “painful,” and “grievous.” In a moral sense, “worthless,” “base,” and “cowardly.” It does not mean “evil” in the sense of malicious, which is another word that Matthew uses very seldom, kakia. Nor is it the term used for “corrupt” or “rotten,” another uncommon term, sapros.

# 21 December 2008 at 6:56 pm

Josiah (author) said:

Angela,

But isn’t sin still sin, something we want o avoid no matter how you define it. And evil, it’s bad right?

# 21 December 2008 at 7:31 pm

Angela Harms said:

Depends on what you mean by “avoid,” and what you mean by “bad.”

If you mean we must never make any mistakes, else burn in hell, then no, I don’t think it’s necessary to avoid sin. To keep trying, keep growing, keep turning toward God, yes. To keep doing our best, yes.

If by “bad” you mean cause for sign-waving, depression, needing a drink, beating ourselves up until we then beat our children up, and they in turn kick the dog, then no, I don’t think so. I think this attitude leads to sin. (See above.) If, on the other hand, you mean something to pay attention to, lest we harm ourselves and others, then yes, and again, see above.

Adam and Eve ate from the tree of the *knowledge* of good and evil. They wanted to know how to judge like God. That wasn’t such a great idea. Jesus said to them, later, “Judge not.” Attempting to label things as “evil” is a mistake that gets us into trouble over and over.

Angela

# 22 December 2008 at 9:59 am

Jason said:

There’s a difference between righteously judging and judging to condemn. Only God can judge a man’s heart and soul.

However, a form of judging is also to discern. God gave us the ability to judge good from evil, right from wrong, and to discern the sign of the times. While I do have the right to make a judgment about someone’s actions - that I believe to be wrong - that doesn’t mean I have the right to judge that person’s soul. Doing wrong, doesn’t make you “evil.” Seeking to hurt, destroy, degrade, or lift yourself above others, is evil. That’s why Satan was thrown out of heaven.

Jesus was a Hebrew, a Jewish man who spoke Aramaic and Hebrew. While some of the NT may have originally been written in Greek, one must not look past the Hebraic overtones and nuances throughout scripture. And while certain versus may have been penned in Greek, they were obviously spoken in Hebrew or Aramaic first, which Jesus spoke.

In the Hebrew Scriptures, evil is related to the concept of sin — “sinned” translated in Hebrew as chata which means, “missed the mark” (a term from archery). The mark in question is the law of God.

Since Jesus is the “word” or the “Law” of God, his references to evil transcends all definitions, including evil in the “malicious” form. I believe that indeed Jesus referred to evil in the malicious form. John 10:7-10:

Therefore Jesus said again, “I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. All who ever came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”

Jesus doesn’t have to directly use the word “evil” in order to prove its existence. Jesus makes a clear delineation between himself and the “evil” one or Satan (and false prophets), and his intentions. If kill, steal and destroy isn’t evil, what is?

# 22 December 2008 at 2:37 pm

Josiah (author) said:

For me Angela sin is sin. I’m guessing when you say the word God will reveal to you whether something is a sin or not. But we all should be open to hearing and changing if God says SIN.

# 22 December 2008 at 9:19 pm

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