6 Easter Year C

May 22, 2022

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid…

How many of us have ever needed to hear these words of comfort from Jesus?

I would guess that most of us over the years, especially the past few years, and at other times throughout our lives, have needed these words of assurance.

At this place in John’s gospel today, Jesus is continuing with his final instructions for the disciples (as he knows his time on earth will be coming to an end soon)…he’s sharing some final words of love and encouragement with them as he tries to prepare them and give them a vision of hope for what is yet to come…

The disciples’ world was changing fast; it had been a whirlwind of highs and lows in their time with Jesus. And now, as they were just getting comfortable in their relationship and understanding of some of Jesus’ teachings, and growing daily in their love for him, he gives them the bad news, “I am going away”. Jesus knew that this news would be devastating to the disciples. But he didn’t just walk away without some words of comfort. He didn’t just throw his arms up in the air, and say, “Oh, well, life is tough, get over it.” He didn’t turn his back on them, and just walk away. This is what we might expect from the world. Not from Jesus.

In the face of uncertainty and change, Jesus gives them a gift, the gift of peace. With a deep abiding breath, he speaks these words to them… "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give as the world gives."

It may seem a strange gift to speak of in the middle of this talk of leaving, of death, and of persecution. But there it is. And it's far more than what we mean by peace being the absence of conflict, more than mere calmness or tranquility but rather the wholeness that is captured by the word Shalom. Unlike the world that would give a peace that is only a pause in the conflict. The gift that Jesus would give, the deep abiding peace of Christ, would keep on giving in the difficult days ahead.

And with that promise of peace, came the words of assurance that have been spoken to countless people throughout the ages, "Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid."

In today’s gospel, Jesus tells the disciples about the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, the comforter, whom God would send in his name, the One who will continue to teach them, and to continue to remind them of everything he had said to them.

One of the great works of the Holy Spirit is to reinforce in our hearts and minds and bodies what Jesus did and is still doing in our lives today.

One of the great works of the Holy Spirit is to remind us of Jesus’ peace, to remind us of this parting gift that Jesus gave to us, and to assure us that this was a gift that the world cannot take away…As relentless as the world and its people and its trials and sufferings and never-ending changes can be in attempting to steal it from us….this gift of the Holy Spirit is a gift given for eternity… She will remind us, always, of the love and the peace of God that is here to stay with us… the deep, abiding peace of Christ that unites us to God and one another…forever..

In the next couple of weeks, as we wind down our season of Easter, and recall Jesus’ ascension to heaven this coming Thursday, and as we prepare to celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit, once again, on the Day of Pentecost, June 5th...hold fast to Jesus’ words and vision of hope for what is yet to come: “the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom God will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you.”

Hold Jesus’ words of hope and comfort close to your heart, for whenever you might need them…Breathe in and receive the deep abiding peace that Jesus wants to give you… Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid…

Rev Julie Platson

St Peter’s by the Sea Episcopal Church

Sitka, AK

Hymn after sermon: (Voices Found) #53 - Spirit of God, unseen

RECORDING OF HYMN HERE

Spirit of God, unseen as the wind,

gentle as is the dove:

teach us the truth and help us believe,

show us the Saviour’s love!

You spoke to us long, long ago,

gave us the written word;

we read it still, needing its truth,

through it God’s voice is heard.

Spirit of God, unseen as the wind,

gentle as is the dove:

teach us the truth and help us believe,

show us the Saviour’s love!

Without your help we fail our Lord,

we cannot live his way;

we need your power, we need your strength,

following Christ each day.

Spirit of God, unseen as the wind,

gentle as is the dove:

teach us the truth and help us believe,

show us the Saviour’s love!

Margaret Old (1932-2002)