Bp Miller’s Musings: Peace Be With You

When Jesus appeared to the disciples on that Easter evening and again a week after, his greeting to them is, “Peace be with you.” We hear this phrase three times in the reading from John’s gospel; three times, to the disciples who, after hearing Mary’s report— “I have seen the Lord.”—gather in a locked room, fearing arrest and possibly even crucifixion for themselves. Even after all but Thomas see the Lord themselves, they still gather in a locked room a week later.

“Peace be with you.” Perhaps this was simply a way of greeting common to the people, a simple “Hello.” In the Aramaic that Jesus likely spoke, the word “shlamaa,” derived from “shalom,” the Hebrew word for peace, wholeness, harmony, safety, and well-being. In the context of the story, the deeper meaning of the word comes out, especially as Jesus commissions the disciples, sending them “as the Father has sent me.” These fearful disciples need to know peace in the same way Jesus knows, because the mission on which he sends them will take them into the midst of a world that has rejected him and his message.

We should take note that Jesus does not give these disciples instructions on how to arm themselves against those who would wish them harm; nor does he offer assurance that they will somehow gain power over others by what he gives them. He simply tells them, “As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” The power he gives is to forgive and retain sins, the same power he exercised during his ministry: and look what that got him.

John states that “these words are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.” Hearing John’s words, we must come to a new understanding of life. The life we receive through faith is not one in which our bodies are free from harm, whether illness or injury, or death. Instead, the Shalom Jesus gives is a security or wholeness that comes from knowing whatever harm may befall us, not even the grave can have the last word.

“I and the Father are one.” Jesus calls us to himself so that we also may find ourselves in the Father. In that unity of love that is the Holy Trinity, we find our life; we have the certain knowledge of God’s merciful goodness to us and all creation, a peace that passes all understanding.

When we greet one another in our liturgy with words of peace, may we recognize the Shlamaa, the Shalom that is our Lord’s gift to those who follow and are sent. May this peace embolden us to share this good news to the world so that many more may know the love of God in Christ Jesus.