Praying For Peace

As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it and said, ‘If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes.’ -Luke 19:41-42

Jesus makes this statement during his “triumphal entry” into the city of Jerusalem. On that day, the people of the city came out to greet him as their conqueror. They were shouting the word “hosanna,” which means “save us.” They fully expected Jesus to take up arms and overcome their oppressors (the Romans) through military might.

Yet Jesus deliberately chose to make his entrance, not on a warhorse, but on a donkey, a symbol of humility and, yes, of peace. And rather than waving a sword and declaring war, he came weeping. 

All too often, we hear a particular group proclaim that God is on their side, and that this justifies acts of violence against some other group. Even in our own Old Testament Scripture, we often find stories of God commanding His chosen people to go to war against another group, and even to kill off entire races of people. This may be one reason that so many today use religion as a pretext for violence and war. 

But Jesus came to usher in the new covenant that had been predicted in Isaiah 11:6-9: “The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them….They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.” In fulfillment of this prediction, Jesus refused to take on any political power at all; in fact, when his people tried to crown him as a king, he deliberately withdrew (John 6:15). And when he was asked to declare his allegiance to a certain side, he responded by saying, “Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s” (Matthew 22:21).

However, it would be wrong to say that Jesus never took sides; he did. He consistently took the side of those who were suffering (Matthew 4:23), of little children (Matthew 19:14) and of those living in poverty (Luke 6:20). And I believe that God still does this today.

In every part of the world, God’s heart breaks for those who must endure the horrors of war. It is the vulnerable, the needy and the innocent who are always hurt the most when a country is torn apart by violence.

As much as some would like to persuade us otherwise, Jesus is not a Republican or a Democrat. (In fact, I believe he would have some very harsh words to say to most of our politicians and world leaders today!) He is not on the side of any of those political leaders who use their power to harm others. 

Instead, Jesus Christ calls us to take the side of the suffering civilians. The families who are torn apart; the children who witness unspeakable violence at a young age; the civilians who have been deprived of their homes and neighborhoods and left as refugees. 

If you had only known what would bring you peace…

So what can bring us peace? Like Jesus, we are called to make peace in whatever small way we can. We are called to champion those who are weak and vulnerable. And we are called to quietly resist (as Jesus did) all the structures in our culture which pull us into conflict and into violence. 

It may mean speaking up for someone who can’t speak up for themselves. It might mean walking away from toxic arguments. But the most important thing we can do is pray.

Very often, the phrase “thoughts and prayers” is used as a punchline, implying that prayer is worthless and ineffective. But in fact, I believe that prayer can be the most powerful means at our disposal to change the world…as long as we are open to the ways that the Holy Spirit might lead us as a result of our prayer.  When we pray, we must be ready for God to take us on a path that we do not expect and for which we may feel unprepared. This is what being a peacemaker (as Jesus was) is all about.

O God our Creator and Redeemer, we pray for all those who are affected by war and violence. Please guide our world leaders to prioritize peace. And make us instruments for Your peace wherever we may be found. In the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.