24th. May. 2022. Daily Devotion.
27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. John 14:27
Today we are encouraged to give joyous and sincere thanks because Jesus does not give to us as the world gives. We are also encouraged to pause and consider why we value some people and possessions so highly.
From an early age we are taught to assess and prioritise. We develop an urgent and pressing need for money and material possessions. We rank our friends by assigning the title ‘best friend’ to some but not others. We even view parents and siblings in some sort of order of preference.
The way in which we consider (and ‘rank’) other people and the things we own, or aspire to own, largely depends on the fickle whim of the moment, or on the future advantage we think we may gain. Life in our modern world drives us down a path of materialism that fosters both avarice and separation from God, a path which leaves our hearts feeling both troubled and fearful.
Jesus says: I do not give to you as the world gives. We should find great comfort and consolation in these words. Jesus does not ‘rank’ us in any specific order. Instead, Jesus simply loves us, as we considered yesterday, with an open and unconditional love. Jesus might not facilitate our wildly extravagant dreams, but he does give us something that cannot be given by anyone else … Jesus gives us himself, totally and utterly. It is when we come to accept the generosity of that gift that we will come to know the true and profound peace that Jesus left with us following the triumph of his resurrection.
God our Father, help us to set aside our worldly greed for influence and possessions and learn to trust the gifts and the promises of Jesus who gave everything for our peace and joy in your loving presence.
Loving your light, O Lord, may our hearts rejoice in your goodness. Living in your light may our lives reveal your grace. Walking in your light may our works reflect your glory. Amen. Margaret Fell (1614-1702)
All-embracing God of love, timeless and limitless, forgive the Church of the ages. Forgive its misuse and neglect of its Scripture, its teaching that divided and conquered. Forgive the wilfulness that sought power and not humility,
carrying a sword of conflict and not the gospel of grace. Forgive its complicity in peddling the prejudice of its time, its complacency in the face of persecution and pogrom. Forgive its deafness to the cries for help, its silence at the sight of injustice. Through openness and honesty, with frankness and modesty, may we be brave and willing partners with those who seek to right the wrongs, correct the lies, and live in the truth. Amen.
For those involved in conflicts: The innocent, The guilty, The injured, Orphaned, Widowed, Dead, Politicians, Peacemakers, Relief workers. For those involved in conflicts bring comfort, Compassion, Sustenance, Repentance, Forgiveness, Healing, Tears, Love, and a peace that can endure. Amen. John Birch