31 "Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Will he not first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? 32 If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. 33 In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple.
In our verses for today Jesus shows us through His illustration the answer to our question for “terms of peace”. Who does not desire peace for their lives? The word itself is simply wonderful – translated from the Greek word “Eirene”, it denotes a state of untroubled, undisturbed, well-being; tranquility, repose, calm, harmony and accord. The New Testament Lexical Aids for the Hebrew-Greek Key Word Study Bible goes on to say:
“Such a state of peace is the object of divine promise and is brought about by God’s mercy, granting deliverance and freedom from all the distresses that are experienced as a result of sin. Hence the message of salvation is called the gospel of peace, for this peace can only be the result of reconciliation with God, referring to the new relationship between man and God brought about by the atonement.”
True peace comes only through reconciliation with God which Christ provided for us through His death on the cross and by which He has given us access into this glorious position of high rank and standing. Many of us search for peace in all the wrong places which eventually causes us to come up wanting. Having peace with God allows us to remain undisturbed or tranquil even throughout the direst of circumstances. Paul tells us in Romans:
1 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Romans 5:1-2 (NIV)
Jesus holds this peace out to us all. Just as He told the woman with the issue of blood who was desperate to touch only the hem of our Savior’s garment for healing, Jesus desires for us to come to Him so that we too may “go in peace and be freed from our suffering”:
31 "You see the people crowding against you," his disciples answered, "and yet you can ask, 'Who touched me?'" 32 But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. 33 Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. 34 He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering." Mark 5:31-34 (NIV)
Jesus concludes His illustration in our verses for today by stating:
33 In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple.
Here he gives us the gateway to peace – the emptying of self - a theme addressed in some form or fashion throughout all the New Testament. Paul gives us this same directive in Philippians:
5 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7 but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death-- even death on a cross! Phil 2:5-8 (NIV)
Believers are exhorted to have this same attitude of self-less humility. Christ divested Himself of His self interest yet not of His deity – having all rights yet surrendering them for a greater good. Those who follow Christ, in like fashion, are to divest themselves of their “rights”. It takes one good look at holiness to realize our nothingness – all of our rights seem to fade away! The Bible Knowledge Commentary states:
“As God He had all the rights of deity, and yet during His incarnate state He surrendered His right to manifest Himself visibly as the God of all splendor and glory.”
Hebrews tells us:
1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. 2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. Heb 12:1-3 (NIV)