“Where is the Peace of God Today?”

July 5, 2025

Dear Families of Grace Members, Neighbors & Early Learning Center Families,

Verse 5 from this Sunday’s Gospel (Luke 10:1-11, 16-20) reads: “Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’” Have you ever asked yourself, “Whatever happened to the possibility of people living together again in peace today?”  Perhaps it’s time to no longer understand the problems in life, relationships, and in the world as problems to be fixed or behaviors to be corrected. That approach has not gotten us very far. Rather, these problems of brokenness may actually be symptoms pointing to a deeper issue. The deeper issue is the human heart.

Where is the peace of God today? It’s a question I suspect God might also be asking. But, let’s stop blaming God for our human imperfections and expecting God to fix our problems. This is not about God’s failings or imperfections. It is ours and the world is crying and begging for an answer.

Two questions come to mind: 1st, what does peace mean to you? 2nd, are you willing to change your understanding of peace and pay the price for peace? Here’s why I asked these questions. I think most of us limit our understanding of peace to a particular set of behaviors that we expect of someone or some other person. We typically think of peace as an ideal to be attained and as the elimination of conflict. We’ve convinced ourselves that peace will come when this person or that group changes or stops doing something. Ultimately, we condition peace on our ability to change someone else, but that does not work. The reality is that we don’t have the power to change anyone. When we think we have the power to change another person, it usually results in more disagreement.

Jesus did not send the 70 folks out to change the towns and places they would go but to simply offer his peace. How often does Jesus instruct us to go and change other people? He doesn’t. That may be our way of doing things, but that’s not God’s way. Jesus does, however, spend a lot of time teaching us to change ourselves and our way of being towards another. That’s the change of heart that is at the core of peace.

What if a heart at peace is about loving our enemies, doing good to those who hate us (Lk. 6:27), turning the other cheek, giving our shirt to the one who has taken our coat, and doing to others as we would have them do unto us (Lk. 6:29-31)? If that’s about peace, the question becomes, am I willing to pay the price? This Sunday’s Gospel offers this pronounced message: “Whatever house you enter, 1st say, “Peace to this house.”

As you begin to celebrate and offer “peace” to one another, consider accepting this invitation to “come home to Grace Church” this Pentecost season and be part of this congregation that is filled with prayer, fun, laughter, and the love of Jesus! Experience the presence of Jesus in the Holy Sacrament.  All come at Jesus’ invitation – young and old, the assured and the doubting, the wise and the foolish, and the in-between.  All are welcome here! Come to the Feast!

CONTACT INFORMATION:

Grace Lutheran Church

254 Curtiss Parkway

The Reverend David O. Guss, Ph.D.
Miami Springs FL 33166

Pastor – Grace Lutheran Church
305-888-2871