And he shall stand and feed his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God. And they shall live secure, for now he shall be great to the ends of the earth; and he shall be the one of peace.” 4-5a
Micah 5:4-5a
After Jesus’ death and resurrection his followers searched the scriptures for clues that he was indeed the messiah they’d been waiting for. When they read these verses from Micah about the coming king, in their eyes this was the perfect description of Jesus. He was not only the Good Shepherd; he was most certainly the one of peace. For some reason, even though it’s a dominant theme of Christmas, and Jesus said in his first sermon, “Blessed are the peacemakers,” many religious folks are more drawn to warmongers. In fact, the first Christian nationalist, Constantine, had his troops march into war under the banner of Christ. We continue to be drawn to tough leaders, big talkers who make threats against anyone who doesn’t fall into line with their policies. But that’s not who Jesus is! In his kingdom peacemakers are heroes, and gentle leaders are the difference makers. Under their rule the poor are taken care of, the hungry are fed, and the broken people are restored. No wonder Luke records the song of the angels to the shepherds in the fields as having been “Peace on earth among those whom he favors.”
Thought for the Day: To what extent do I have peace in my life?
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