As he came nearer and saw the city (Jerusalem), he wept over it, saying, “If you, even you, had only recognized on this day the things that make for peace! (NRSV Luke 19:41)
But strive first for the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. (NRSV Matthew 6:33)
In Luke’s version of the good news, Jesus’s weeping over Jerusalem happens right after Jesus rides a donkey into the city with the crowd triumphantly cheering him on. Some thought he was THE one who could overturn Roman rule and give the Jews back the land, their country, and their autonomy as the chosen people of God. Others hailed him as a prophet from God. Yet, in one sweeping view of the city, Jesus can see the future and its destruction. He is brought to tears over humanity’s inability to recognize the things that make for peace. I think God’s ways are not necessarily our ways and Jesus’ perspective is very big picture. Peace is often a puzzle that we don’t seem to be able to put together.
Who was Jesus speaking to in this lament? Jerusalem’s residents? His Disciples? You? Me? US? People of Planet Earth? Yes! He had just dismounted from a donkey. Perhaps he breathed a heavy sigh as he looked over the setting where his final chapter in human history would unfold. He sees the future, but he also is very much in the moment. “On this day” the things that make for peace still illude us too. It is a statement of judgement which we still live today.
Peace or shalom in Hebrew, is a major characteristic of the Kingdom of God- an alternate but conscious reality that Jesus taught about. Matthew suggests that seeking this reality should be primary in our lives to live fully with God. The word shalom has many meanings but they all point to a state of wholeness, contentment, safety, and well-being; physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. That is a tall order for this peace puzzle. I found an interesting quote about peace from President Eisenhower: “People want peace so much that one of these days governments had better get out of their way and let them have it.” Well stated from the commander who led D-Day! Or do we really want peace that much? Most of us probably just want to be left alone to do our own thing, or at the least we want to not be messed with by forces outside our control. Ah, but the fact that we have any control at all just might be an allusion.
We citizens of the 21st century live our lives in families, in communities and in social media where cancel culture tries to erase conflicts, but that is too easy. Peace doesn’t work that way. And conflict creating skills can be shared and easily learned in our families and on social media to our disadvantage in seeking peace. Conflict resolution toward peace is actually a process that often requires hard and challenging work not an eraser. Also, there are too many voices out there to be heard. How can you prioritize what you should listen too? How can you trust what you hear to be truthful? The Apostle Matthew suggests that seeking the Kingdom of God is the critical first step. Slipping into Jesus’s shoes and weeping over humanity’s need for conflict is a whole new perspective. Jesus was proactive: He died once for all. So now we can seek and learn about the Kingdom of God and recognize the things that make for peace.
What are the things that make for peace? Perhaps accepting the point of view of other people who are different from us as authentic and truthful would be a good beginning. Maybe trusting in a caring God who loves everyone is one way to listen to other voices as important pieces of the peace puzzle. If you accept the fact that Jesus did die once for all, that means He also died for the person you are in conflict with. Fact checking information plays a role too. Practicing effective conflict management/resolution skills definitely belongs on this list. Learning techniques to “fight fairly” works in couple’s therapy. If we spent more time searching for and using things that make for peace, instead of seeking revenge or nurturing grievances, we would all probably benefit in our own individual and community lives. What if everyone made it a personal goal to seek things that make for peace? Wow, that could be a game changer!
May I suggest:
Start a list of things that make for peace. Try to remember when you had a conflict that was successfully resolved and the process by which it was resolved. Would this process work in other situation of conflict in your life? Journal the process.
Read the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5 to learn about the Kingdom of God.
If you are in personal conflict with someone and have been for a long time, get professional help for conflict resolution.