"Peace on Earth?"

Isaiah 32: 1-2; John 3: 16

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Now keep the subject in mind as you read Isaiah 32: 1-2; for in this chapter you will find "The Coming Reign of the Righteous King" in view.

I can't speak for you, but when I stop and think about the man made storms raging today, I don't find much peace in our land  nor in man's heart.  We will once again celebrate Christmas against a backdrop of the war that is raging in Iraq.  Some of us remember the many wars of our life time; and for many of us it is vividly clear that the coming of real peace is an allusion.  The genuine peace we hope for lies beyond us.  Society of International Law, in London, states that during the last 4,000 years there have been only 268 years of peace in spite of good peace treaties. In the last 3 centuries there have been 286 wars on the continent of Europe alone. Wars, and roomers of war.

We have the same experience in our personal lives.  We think; "If I can just make it to the weekend - summer break - until the holidays are over, or what ever, then I will be ok.  Experiences teach again and again it doesn't work this way.  Whatever peace we can make or find for ourselves is not the real thing.  All in all, life is a matter of peace looked for but not found.  Real enduring peace lies beyond our capacities, for there are wars being fought within us.

We are not at peace with ourselves, we are not at peace with one another.  Just think about the killings on the streets of America.  All kind of jokes are directed at man and his faith in God; it is fashionable to laugh at the way we observe Christmas, "you believers are odd balls.”

Just suppose you are in the market for a new car - you go shopping - a salesman shows you what you want.  "These two are just alike - same interior - color - they are identical.  But this one is $5,000. cheaper."  But why the difference you ask? "They are identical in every respect, except this one does not have an engine." A ridiculous story? Yes! But in reality the engine is what makes the car go, and our faith is what keeps us going.

The little baby, Jesus, grows up to be the man of sorrows, the man, Jesus, was killed, He died for us that we might through faith, repentance, confession, have peace here, in our heart. The Good News about Advent is that God has come to bring peace. He does what we cannot do. The coming of the Christ Child is the beginning of the end of the long waiting for peace - The Perfect Picture of Peace.

Long ago a man sought the perfect picture of peace. Not finding one that satisfied, he announced a contest to produce this masterpiece. The challenge stirred the imagination of artists everywhere, and paintings arrived from far and wide. Finally the great day of revelation arrived. The judges uncovered one peaceful scene after another, while the viewers clapped and cheered. The tensions grew. Only two pictures remained veiled. As a judge pulled the cover from one, a hush fell over the crowd. A mirror-smooth lake reflected lacy, green birches under the soft blush of the evening sky. Along the grassy shore, a flock of sheep grazed undisturbed. Surely this was the winner.

The man with the vision uncovered the second painting himself, and the crowd gasped in surprise. Could this be peace? A tumultuous waterfall cascaded down a rocky precipice; the crowd could almost feel its cold, penetrating spray. Stormy-gray clouds threatened to explode with lightning, wind and rain. In the midst of the thundering noises and bitter chill, a spindly tree clung to the rocks at the edge of the falls. One of its branches reached out in front of the torrential waters as if foolishly seeking to experience its full power. A little bird had built a nest in the elbow of that branch. Content and undisturbed in her stormy surroundings, she rested on her eggs. With her eyes closed and her wings ready to cover her little ones, she manifested peace that transcends all earthly turmoil. [From, A Wardrobe from the King, Berit Kjos]

Amen and Amen!