Real Peace

Malachi 3:1-4

Introduction

When we think of Christmas, one of the themes that often comes to mind is that of peace. If you think about a nativity scene, the calm animals, the reverent visitors, the serene parents and of course the sleeping baby, all of it looks so peaceful. And that is what we consider peace, just some quietness in the midst of the hustle and bustle of the rest of life.

However, that is not necessarily the biblical concept of peace. Peace is not even the lack of conflict. Peace, or shalom, is more the concept of wholeness. So when we think of the nativity scene, the peace that is there is not because everyone was quiet, the peace is there because everyone who was supposed to be there was there.

We live in a world that desperately needs peace. But what does that peace look like. It is not just quietness. Two people who have a broken relationship may refuse to speak to each other but that is not real peace, even though it lacks yelling. We are looking for shalom.

And what does peace with God look like? We might think of it as God not being angry at us or perhaps that we are not angry with God. But that is not shalom. Shalom is having all that we need for a healthy relationship. Malachi in our passage today will give us some insight into the concept of peace.

Messenger of God

The passage we are looking at might seem strange for a Sunday where we are focusing on peace. None of the verses actually use the word peace. It even seems to focus on the strong rather than the tender side of God. Where is the peace here?

Like our previous Sunday, this passage takes place in the context of difficult times. It was probably written after the Jewish exile after the defeat by the Babylonians and their return under the Persians. Judah was in shambles and the once mighty nation was a shadow of its former self. While some progress had been made there was much uncertainty. The people were longing for God.

Like Jeremiah before him, Malachi gives a prophecy concerning a future time. Malachi speaks of a time coming when a messenger would be sent to prepare the way of the Lord, who would return to the temple. The coming of the Lord would not be to offer hugs but to bring judgment.

Is there any hint of peace in this? There is if we know where to look. The fact that a messenger was being sent tells us that this would be an event like no other. The focus is on the Lord coming to his people. The focus is on presence. That is what real peace is about. 

But there is something else here that might be confusing. The presence that is spoken of here does not sound affectionate. It talks about the Lord coming to refine and purify his people. That does not sound like fun. The Lord was coming to help the people become who they were supposed to be, even if it created great discomfort. I don’t think I fully understood this until I became a parent of teenagers. Sometimes what I think and what my children think of la good relationship are two different things. My focus is not on their comfort in the moment but in the people they are becoming. That is what Malachi is telling us that the Lord will do. This is his act of peace.

Coming of Jesus

Some of this should sound familiar to us as Christians. In the New Testament, the messenger that was being sent was identified as John the Baptist. How did John prepare the way for the Lord? He offered a baptism of repentance. Not that the water would cleanse but that the water would represent the change of heart that came with repentance. 

In Malachi, the Lord that is being prepared for is the God of Israel. In the Gospels, the Lord is Jesus. This is telling us that Jesus was not just another prophet. Jesus was the Lord.

We rightfully identify Jesus with peace. Everything Jesus did was out of love and he called people to live a life of peace. Jesus is the Prince of Peace. 

Matthew identifies Jesus with Emmanuel, God with us, God’s presence. This is what we said is required for peace. But what did his presence do? At this time, we look at cute little baby Jesus in the manger. It is a beautiful scene. But baby Jesus grew up and called people to real life change. He sought to refine and purify his people. Malachi spoke of the Lord coming to his temple. Jesus did come to the temple and what did he do? He overturned the tables and demanded justice. Worship leader Brian Doerksen in one of his songs uses this phrase inspired by Jesus’ actions in the temple: “Fashion Your love into a cord of discipline. Drive out the blinding darkness once again.” What Jesus did in the temple was an act of peace, even if the people on the receiving end did not feel it that way.

Jesus did not come to give the world’s style of peace. “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives.” (John 14:27)

Conclusion

I want to conclude by reflecting on what the peace of God means for us today. We want peace. But we may want peace by God just snapping his fingers and bringing quietness to a loud and noisy world. That was not God’s plan for peace. The way was prepared by the messenger, by John the Baptist, who called the people and us to repentance. Jesus came as Emmanuel, God’s presence with us. Even though Jesus ascended to heaven after the resurrection, his presence is still with us through his Holy Spirit.

What does God’s peace look like? It is not just the absence of conflict. God desires to bring true peace, that is shalom or wholeness. God knows what is required for a peaceable kingdom. There needs to be a change. It includes repentance, a changing of our direction. It requires Jesus bursting into our lives and overturning the tables of our comfort. It might not feel like peace at first, and Jesus understood this from experience. But the end result will be peace with God, peace with others and peace with ourselves.