“Once you enter a house, speak to the people there and say, ‘God’s blessing of peace be upon this house!’ If a lover of peace resides there, your peace will rest upon that household. (Luke 10:5 TPT)
I started the Bible Recap plan again for 2024 with the goal of reading through the Bible and was progressing well until I hit Jeremiah. The Major and Minor Prophets are rich with meaning, but understanding them requires unpacking historical and cultural context, and I just found myself overwhelmed. When I couldn’t connect with what God was saying, I stopped reading. A few weeks ago, I decided to focus on finishing the New Testament this year—maybe I’ll return to the prophets this winter. Recently, I came across a familiar passage where Jesus instructs his disciples on ministry and evangelism, and, while there are several threads in this passage on which I could focus, the concept of bringing peace to a place caught my attention.
“When you enter a house, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’ If someone who promotes peace is there, your peace will rest on them; if not, it will return to you. Stay there, eating and drinking whatever they give you, for the worker deserves his wages. (Luke 10:5-7 NIV)
Did you notice that Jesus says his disciples (us) should embody peace? If “our peace” will rest on other people, that means WE must first have peace. Where does that come from? The Holy Spirit within the believer. I admit that it can be hard in every moment to embody such peace, but hopefully we are each growing in this capacity. When we come into a place, we bring God’s Spirit – and God’s Peace – with us.
Jesus also seems to be telling us that if we have peace, we can also give it to others. Our peacefulness can help create an atmosphere where others feel peaceful. Perhaps we provide a listening ear or a space away from the chaos in their life. In a world of noise, busyness, hustle, hurt, and general turbulence, our peace can be an oasis for others.
Finally, when Jesus tells us to say “Peace to this house,” he is telling us to give it a blessing. Our words, actions, and attitudes can be a blessing (or a curse!) to other people. Jesus is instructing us here to speak peace over a household and be a blessing to it. In a world where true shalom seems rare, we can be peace for others.
Prince of Peace,
Thank you for the Holy Spirit’s peace within us and for your call to give that to others. Help us to choose words, attitudes, and actions that create atmospheres of peace and share peace in this world. Help us be a blessing to those around us, we ask in Jesus’s name. AMEN.
The tongue has the power of life and death,
and those who love it will eat its fruit. (Proverbs 18:21 NIV)