Thursday 5 June 2025
When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” (v. 19)
Background
Has there ever been a moment in your life where you have done something wrong or made such huge mistake that you have actively avoided the people you impacted? I know that I have, and more than once. I remember that feeling when, despite my best efforts, I have come face to face with the person I have wronged. I remember the dry mouth, the inability to say anything sensible, and the fear of my impending humiliation and telling-off. I also remember the feeling of complete relief and shock when I received love and grace and not what I truly deserved.
On that first Easter Day the disciples (except Thomas) were gathered together, probably in the same house where they shared the last supper, trying to work out what to do next. Each one had abandoned Jesus, and Peter had denied him three times, and then suddenly Jesus was stood there. This is one of those passages that always makes me stop and wonder what the disciples were thinking and how they must have been feeling, and how it all changed when Jesus said “Peace be with you”.
This was a common form of greeting, most probably spoken in Aramaic ‘Shlama lakum’ as this was the everyday spoken language of the time, but it is possibly that it was said in Hebrew ‘shalom lachem’. Whatever the language, the impact would have been the same.
The peace that Jesus speaks in this welcome is one that means prosperity, quietness, rest, harmony, freedom from attack, and a sense of rest and contentment. Despite their actions Jesus did not arrive to chastise and condemn, he came to bring forgiveness and a new relationship. 'Peace be with you' on the lips of the risen Christ brings a new dimension to the greeting, it brings the promise of Christ’s peace that was spoken about in John 14:27 and 16:33. ‘Peace be with you’ was clearly important as Jesus said it twice. Perhaps we should follow the example of Christ and speak peace before we speak anything else.
The peace of the Lord be always with you.
To Ponder:
- What are the situations where you would find it hard to say, "Peace be with you"? How can you address this?
- Have there been times when people have brought you peace when you deserved something else?
- Have you ever brought peace to someone who you felt deserved something different?
Prayer
God of love and peace, help us to receive your peace, help us to live in your peace and to show your peace to the world around us. Amen.
Bible notes author: The Revd Stuart Reed
Stuart is a presbyter in the South East Cornwall Circuit and lives in Looe with his wife and their labrador. He is currently on a mission to find the best pasty and icecream in Cornwall.