The Lord said to Moses, 'Tell Aaron and his sons, 'This is how you are to bless the Israelites. Say to them,
'The Lord bless you and keep you,
the Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you,
the Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace.' Numbers 6.22-26
What then is to be my service to others in the ministry of peace? Aaron and the priests blessed Israel with a benediction of peace. Benedictions of peace help each of us minister to others by seeking for them a life free of turmoil. It is godly to bless the turbulence out of our lives, flooding the world with the peace of Christ.
Jesus once drove the demons of peacelessness from the life of a man with an evil spirit. When the striving demons were dispersed, it is said that the man was once again in his right mind. (Mark 5.1-20) One can view this true story as a model of what we do for others when we help them discover the indwelling Christ. Their lives of turmoil are transformed into lives characterised by peace. Thus, evangelism becomes our ministry of peace to a troubled world.
Evangelists do not merely keep people out of hell. They publish peace, and by so doing they remove the hell from the here and now. If hell were only out 'there' in the future, people would scarcely give it a thought. But hell is now. Hell is here. Hell is divorce, pain, cancer, family dysfunction and job loss. Hell is neurosis, addiction, co-dependency, loss. Above all this struggle Christ offers His benediction, and we offer Christ as the healing peace-bringer.
Blessings spread through the world in the world in the name of peace. What wonders would be wrought if we would say to those around us, 'The Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace.'
No comments:
Post a Comment