Text: Isaiah 9:1-7, Luke 2:1-20
“Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.” —James 3:18
It was Christmas Eve, 1944. Twelve-year-old Fritz Vincken and his mother were retreated in a hunting cottage in the Ardennes Forest, not far from the German-Belgian border. Though a charming cottage in the snowy woods might seem like a wonderful place to nestle for Christmas, the Battle of the Bulge was raging just outside their little cabin. It was the last major German offensive of WWII.
There was a knock on the door. It was three cold and battered American soldiers who had found their way to the isolated cottage, one of them having been seriously wounded. Recognizing their need for refuge, Fritz’s mother let them in, despite the risk it posed to her family in aiding the enemy. As she prepared them a meal, the pleasing aroma of savory potatoes soon attracted another knock at the door. It was four German soldiers.
Before inviting them in, Frau Vincken warned them there were other “guests” whom they would not consider friends, and they must leave their guns outside on the woodpile because, “It is Christmas,” she said, “and there’ll be no shooting here” on such a sacred night of peace. Tensions slowly eased as the ranking German soldier, who had studied medicine before the war began, tended to the wounds of the injured America. They sat down for a meal together, while another German opened a bottle of wine as a token of good will—“Prost.” Fritz said that his mother read from the Bible and declared that there would be “at least one night of peace in this war.”
In a little hunting cottage in the Ardennes Forest on Christmas Eve, mortal enemies who had been trying to kill each other just hours before came to experience an uncommon bond together. At the center of it all was a godly woman of peace.
Nothing can rival the miracle of peace. Reconciliation and unity are uncommon virtues in a world of common hostility. When we read the Christmas story of Christ’s birth in Luke 2, we find a great multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests” (Luke 2:10-14). Christ came to usher in a new era of peace with God and peace with others. Our sins had separated us from our God (Isaiah 59:2), but when Jesus died in our place on Calvary’s cross, he took the punishment those sins deserved (2 Corinthians 5:18-21)—affording us a forever peace with God (Romans 5:1) and the ministry of reconciliation with others.
You never know when a temporary ceasefire can lead to a permanent change. A miracle can happen anytime, in any place, under any circumstances. Because God is always present, peace is always proximate.
Has your soul been infected by the contagious hostilities of this world—social discord, political madness, hatred, racism? Have your thoughts and emotions been hijacked by internal stresses—financial hardship, health challenges, marital disharmony, or fractured relationships? Have you been in conflict with other brothers and sisters in Christ? The Prince of Peace is not just an idea, the catchy name of a song, or a children’s book theme; He is the real Son of God, bringing real peace to real struggles in your life. Let the peace of this Prince bring His rule and governance over all your fears, worries, conflict, and tension as you seek to abide in Him this week.
PRAYER
Lord, thank you for the peace that passes all understanding—a kind of peace that only comes from you. Help us to learn of your peace, to walk in that peace, and to become agents of peace as we flesh out the ministry of reconciliation with others. Thank you that all of this comes from your power and grace at work in our lives. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Questions for Reflection and/or Group Discussion
- When has peace been elusive in your life?
- When have you experienced a miracle of peace?
- What areas of your life do you find it difficult right now to bring under the governance and rule of the Prince of Peace (Jesus)?
- Is there a situation or conflict you sense that God is calling you to be involved in as a “person of peace,” or a mediator of reconciliation with others?
- Is there a particular sin, pride, resentment, offense, or hostility that God is convicting you to repent of, so that you can live in the joy of His peace?
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