It Makes No Sense

“And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7).

There are just some things that don’t make any sense. The popularity of the Kardashians. Why do we call it a pair of pants when there’s only one? We drive on the parkway and park in the driveway. What’s so “fun-sized” about candy in smaller packages? Michael Brooks even wrote a book called “13 Things that Don’t Make Sense.” Paul says we can add God’s peace to that list of things we can’t wrap our minds around. “And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus” (v7). 

Through our relationship with Jesus, God’s peace acts like an impenetrable force field protecting us from anxiety’s attacks. Nobody can figure how it happens. You can’t look at it under a microscope. You can’t recreate it in a lab. But you’ve seen it yourself firsthand. A friend who’s absolutely unshaken after a horrible diagnosis. A coworker who remains calm despite being downsized. A neighbor who keeps their cool in the face of the loss of a loved one. The only thing they all have in common is Christ. His presence in their lives doesn’t mean their pain isn’t real. They should feel like they’re under attack. But they have His peace protecting their hearts and minds. It just doesn’t make any sense.

There’s every reason the apostle should be personally freaked out. He’s in a Roman lockup for telling people about Jesus. And he’s been there for about five years. I don’t know about you, but I would probably be throwing myself a personal prison pity party. But not Paul. Why? Because he’s got the peace of God. And he’s writing to a bunch of friends in Philippi who aren’t exactly living in the lap of suburban luxury. It wasn’t that long ago when the message of Jesus ignited riots in the city (Acts 16:19-23). In a letter to the Corinthian church, we read about how tough things are for the Macedonian churches, which includes the Philippians. They’re facing a “severe test of affliction” and “extreme poverty” (2Cor 8:1-2). Both the author and his recipients have every reason to gripe and complain. Instead we see peace. And not just any peace. It’s the peace of God. It just doesn’t make any sense.

We’re in the homestretch of Paul’s letter and he’s giving the Philippians specific instructions. He’s spent nearly all of the first three chapters reminding them of who they are in Jesus and the unbelievable value of an intimate relationship with our Savior. Here he shifts gears and gives us application. Once we realize who we are in Christ, he tells us what to do as His followers. The indicatives lead to imperatives. The facts lead to actions. The apostle reminds us to rejoice, repeat, and rejoice again (Phil 4:4). Make sure we have a rep for sacrifice and humility (Phil 4:5). Instead of freaking out about anything, we pray to God about everything (Phil 4:6). 

Here in verse 7, we see the very practical benefit of dropping off all our worry at the feet of Jesus. God’s mind-blowing peace defends our thoughts and emotions. “The peace of God” (v7) is so much more than a lack of warfare. There’s no doubt that Jesus puts an end to our rebellion against God’s kingdom. But that’s just the start. Both the NT Greek word eirene and the OT Hebrew term shalom describe something SO much more than an end to fighting. We’re talking about total harmony and perfect order. Everything fits together. Life makes sense. Think back to the description of God’s perfect creation…before we broke it, of course. Every time the Almighty stopped to check things out, He made a point of saying just how awesome things were (Gen 1: 10, 12, 18, 21, 25, 31). Why? Because everything was working in shalom. Perfect, God ordained rhythm. 

In his book “Not the Way It’s Supposed to Be,” Cornelius Plantinga describes shalom as “the webbing together of God, humans, and all creation in justice, fulfillment, and delight…Shalom means universal flourishing, wholeness, and delight—a rich state of affairs in which natural needs are satisfied and natural gifts fruitfully employed. Shalom, in other words, is the way things ought to be…the full flourishing of human life in all aspects, as God intended it to be.” 

Pump your brakes and ponder that thought for a moment. Universal flourishing. Wholeness. Delight. In the light of just how jacked up our world is in the 21st Century, shalom absolutely doesn’t make sense. God’s peace is WAY beyond our limited human understanding. Flip on CNN or Fox News for just a few minutes. War. Murder. Poverty. Corruption. Entertainment news. Is there any doubt the world is spinning down the porcelain bowl? But it’s the thought that Jesus is on His way back not just to rescue you and me but to redeem our broken universe. Justin Timberlake may be bringing sexy back, but Christ is bringing God’s peace back. 

Can you think of anyone better for the job than the Prince of Peace (Is 9:6). Right before His own betrayal and murder, Jesus tells His posse, “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid” (Jn 14:27). The prophet Isaiah praises God for the amazing shalom He blesses on those who lean on His goodness. “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You” (Is 26:3). Paul prays for the Thessalonians that “the Lord of peace Himself give you peace at all times in every way” (2Th 3:16). The apostle has a similar prayer for Colossian believers to “let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts” (Col 3:15). Don’t settle for substitutes. Don’t be fooled by imitators. There’s no better source for God’s peace than the God of peace. 

His peace does something that nothing else can or will do. His shalom “will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (v7). Paul uses a word here (Gr. phroureo) that describes the correction officer just outside his cell. It can be used either to keep someone in custody or to protect from harm. The apostle tells us that God’s peace isn’t holding us hostage but shielding us from assault. Think of the detail of Secret Service agents who protect the President. God’s peace acts in a similar way, completely surrounding and shielding our hearts and minds. 

What is He protecting us from? Fear. Worry. Panic. Why do you think they call it an anxiety attack? I don’t know about you, but it’s not the full-on front assault that worries me. It’s those emotional terrorist raids that knock me for a loop. That’s why I need to be in a continual state of prayer with and dependence upon Jesus. His peace is always on high alert. His shalom remains at DEFCON 1. His protection brings me His peace. The world around us may be spinning out of control. But His shalom keeps us calm. King David had a hit song all about how God’s protection keeps us safe when we’re strolling through Death Valley (Ps 23:4). How does it work? I dunno. It makes absolutely no sense. Kind of like why a round pizza comes in a square box and is cut in triangles.

The Great Multiplier

“May mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you” (v2).

There are two kinds of people in the world. Those who love math and those who don’t. There’s a couple of generations of folks who memorized our multiplication tables back in elementary school. Learning to multiply simple numbers wasn’t too bad. But calculating the answer when huge numbers are multiplied is hard. I don’t know about you, but there’s no way I can do the math in my head when I see 147,569 x 29,658 = ?. I could probably figure this one out with paper and pencil but would prefer a calculator. Well, I have some very good news for you. I can’t promise you there will be no math on the final. But I can tell you that Christ will handle all the arithmetic. You see, Jesus is the Great Multiplier.

Here in the second verse of his very short letter, Jude prays for his readers. He asks God to increase their “mercy, peace, and love” (v2). And when I say he asks God, I mean he asks his big Brother. Now I don’t know if Jesus’ helped his kid brother with his math homework. But it is clear that Jude knows that Jesus is great at multiplication. Maybe He learned from His adoptive dad that measuring and calculations are an important part of carpentry. You’ve heard the only saying, “Measure twice, cut once.” Whatever the case, Jude prays to His Brother that He would multiply these in the lives of his friends.

Jesus is the Great Multiplier.

The first request is for more mercy. This is the Greek word eleos. Generally, this is also withholding punishment that is deserved. Because of our rebellion against God, each one of us deserves to die a rebel’s death. That’s where Jesus steps in. He’s willing to step in and suffer the execution for our sin on our behalf. But the biblical idea of mercy is much deeper and richer than getting the divine punishment that we rightly deserve. It’s also compassion toward someone in serious need. It’s kindness, concern, and pity. It’s goodwill especially to the afflicted with the intention to do something to help. Jude prays that Jesus would demonstrate His incredible compassion to us in real and practical ways. I certainly won’t turn down God’s help. What about you? Yeah, I didn’t you would.

Jude goes to his Brother for mercy because He was on a mission of mercy. Time after time, Jesus dripped with mercy for the people He met (Mt 15:22). Christ drips with mercy because He’s God, and God is “rich in mercy (Gr. eleos)” (Eph 2:4). God promises a fresh batch of His endless mercy hot off the griddle each and every morning (Lam 3:22-23). You may be wondering where you can find a heapin’ helpin’ of His pipin’ hot mercy. So very glad you asked. The exclusive distributor for divine mercy is found at the foot of Jesus’ throne. “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy (Gr. eleos) and find grace to help in time of need” (Heb 4:16). Jude knows where to go.

Jesus is the Great Multiplier.

Next, Joe and Mary’s boy prays for our “peace (Gr. eirene)” (v2). This is so much more than a lack of war. When the writers of the Bible talk about peace, they’re talking about the great old Hebrew word shalom. It describes harmony, health, welfare, and freedom from anxiety. Peace is the original state of God’s creation. Everything working in perfect rhythm. Well, it didn’t take long for our first parents to toss that in the toilet. And we’ve been searching for peace ever since. Is your life jacked up? Need a little peace? Need a LOT of peace? Yeah, me too. The good news is that Jude knows a Guy. 

Because of what Jesus has done for us that we could never dream of doing for ourselves, “we have peace (Gr. eirene) with God” (Rom 5:1). The Apostle Paul prays for his friends in Rome, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace (Gr. eirene) in believing” (Rom 15:13). Don’t forget that peace is a big part of the delicious fruit God’s Spirit is growing in our lives (Gal 5:22-23). Jude’s brother is the source of this perfect rhythm. Jesus is the “Prince of Peace” (Is 9:6). Yeah, Jude knows exactly to ask for more peace. 

Jesus is the Great Multiplier.

If more mercy and more peace isn’t enough, the author doesn’t stop there. He pleads with God to shower us with more and more of His love. According to MacArthur, Jewish folks would greet each other by wishing peace and grace. Jude adds love to make this a distinctly Gospel cocktail (oops, sorry if I offended any of my friends who don’t drink alcohol with that one!). Jude prays for more of God’s “love” (v2). This is that wonderful Greek word agape. The problem is that we’ve so overused this term that it’s lost it’s flavor. Kinda like old chewing gum. And that’s a crying shame. Agape is a crazy word that describes a love like no other. It’s love in action. It’s love that does. It’s not just a warm fuzzy feeling toward somebody. It’s love demonstrated. It’s love accomplished. The Apostle John goes so far as to say “God is love” (1Jn 4:8, 16). God demonstrated His love for us by sending His Son on the greatest rescue mission of all time to save us. Talk about love accomplished! And once again, God promises to grow His love in our lives as juicy part of the fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22-23). 

Jesus is the Great Multiplier.

Christ’s kid brother doesn’t just as for a little more “mercy, peace, and love” for his friends. He gets a little greedy on our behalf. He begs for it to “be multiplied” (v2). Jude uses the verb plethuno. Here’s where the idea of math comes into play. It means to increase greatly in number or amount, give in abundance, and grow. His prayer isn’t just a wee bit more of the three. He asks our Savior to crank it up. Unleash the divine firehose of His goodness. More! More!! More!!! This isn’t addition. Nope, we’re talking multiplication. Jude knows just to ask for more mercy, more peace, and more love. 

Jesus is the Great Multiplier.

Keep the Main Things the Main Things

Peace be to the brothers, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ (Eph 6:23).

Not too long ago, Elvis Costello asked the musical question, “What’s so funny about peace, love and understanding?”  A couple of thousand years before, Paul told his friends in Ephesus that peace, love and faith are a VERY big deal.  In many ways, they are the main thing when comes to following Jesus.  The apostle begins signing off his note to the Ephesians by writing, “Peace be to the brothers, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” (v23).  Peace.  Love.  Faith.  He hits the highlights of his letter.  Peace.  Love.  Faith.  These are the main things.  As he wraps things up, he summarizes the big ideas.  Peace.  Love.  Faith.  

Keep the main things the main things.

Too many times I blow right past the opening and closing lines in Paul’s letters.  I want to get to the good stuff.  I want to get to the meat.  But the apostle doesn’t waste any words.  This IS the good stuff.  This IS the meat.  So let’s slow down.  And let’s dig in.  Because Paul uses these parts of his epistles in very important ways.  They almost always contain the big ideas.  The main things.  His letter to the Ephesians is no different.

From a prison cell in Rome, the apostle wishes “peace to the brothers” (v23).  This is so much more than a call for folks to stop fighting.  He uses the Greek word eirene, which means harmony, welfare, freedom from anxiety and tranquility.  In many ways, Paul is referring to the wonderful old Hebrew term shalom.  Throughout the Old Testament, this word describes the perfect rhythm of God’s original created order.  Think back to the way things were in Eden before we jacked up the whole deal.  Everything flowed together in divine synchronicity.  God created His handcrafted paradise for Adam and Eve to enjoy.  Other than one tree, our first parents could eat and savor every bit of God’s unspoiled goodness. And don’t forget about the fact that clothes had not been invented yet.  This is the perfect rhythm of our Creator’s original design.  Shalom.  Peace.  It’s completeness.  It’s contentment.  It’s the absolute opposite of the chaos that our sin brought on the scene.

If you thought that it was a big deal that Justin Timberlake brought sexy back, check out what Jesus has done.  He’s bringing peace back.  He’s bringing shalom back.  He’s bringing God’s perfect rhythm back.  That’s why it’s one of the main things in Paul’s letter to the church in Ephesus.  Right out of the chute, the apostle tells his readers, “Grace to you and peace (Gr. eirene) from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” (Eph 1:2).  This peace isn’t just an idea.  It’s a Person.  Jesus “himself is our peace (Gr. eirene)” and has smashed the walls divided all races, religions and cultures (Eph 2:14-15).  Christ showed up and “preached peace (Gr. eirene)” to both insiders and outsiders (Eph 2:17).  This makes a ton of sense when we look back at what the prophets said about the Messiah to come.  Seven hundred years before Jesus was born, Isaiah announced that He would be the “Prince of Peace (Heb. shalom)” (Is 9:6).

The Prince of Peace isn’t just the embodiment of God’s peace, He gives us peace as a gift.  He gives us His peace so that we can begin to live in that perfect rhythm of God’s original creation.  We see the impact of this peace on our church.  A big part of walking in a manner worthy of Jesus’ calling on our lives is living “bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace (Gr. eirene)” (Eph 4:1-3).  An important part of God’s armor are the cleats which make us ready to share “the Gospel of peace (Gr. eirene)” (Eph 6:15).  Yeah, peace.  It’s kind of a big deal.

Keep the main things the main things.  And one of those things is peace.  God’s peace.

Next, Paul encourages his readers to realize and practice God’s “love” (v23).  Another one of his main things.  This is the Greek noun agape.  If you’ve been around the church for any length of time, you’ve heard this word.  The problem is that God’s idea of love is nothing like our culture’s definition of love.  Movies (especially romantic comedies) have corrupted the idea of love as simply the emotion of a deep and warm fuzzy feeling.  But that’s NOT God’s definition of agape.  This love is a choice that’s put into action.  This is a love that does.  This is a love with hands and feet.  Love isn’t just a feeling.  Love is a verb!  As a matter of fact, the verb form of love is agapao.  Want the greatest example of love the universe has ever seen?  “God shows His love (Gr. agape) for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom 5:8).  Love doesn’t just feel.  Love does.

Love is one of the three main things in Paul’s letter to his friends in Ephesus.  Let’s hit the highlights.  “In love (Gr. agape)” God handpicked us for adoption into His family (Eph 1:4).  We used to be among the Walking Dead but God brought us to life in Jesus “because of the great love (Gr. agape) with which He loved (Gr. agapao) us” (Eph 2:4-5).  God gives us His Spirit so that we have a chance to wrap our minds around “the love (Gr. agape) of Christ that surpasses knowledge” (Eph 3:16-19).

Once we’re blown away by God’s love, we can’t help but love.  We’re to imitate God by walking “in love (Gr. agape) as Christ loved (Gr. agapao) us,” living a life of self-giving and sacrifice (Eph 5:1-2).   Over and over and over, Paul tells married men to follow Jesus’ example of love in action.  “Husbands, love (Gr. agapao) your wives, as Christ loved (Gr. agapao) the church...husbands should love (Gr. agapao) their wives...He who loves (Gr. agapao) his wife loves (Gr. agapao) himself...let each one of you love (Gr. agapao) his wife...” (Eph 5:25-33).  Yeah, so do you get Paul’s point?  Love is kind of a big deal.

Keep the main things the main things.  And one of those things is love.  God’s love.

The apostle makes the very important point that God’s love doesn’t travel by itself.  Elvis Costello missed on this one.  It’s “love with faith” (v23).  Paul uses the word pistis, which means trust, belief and assurance.  He’s encouraging us to place our faith in the only truly reliable Person to ever walk the planet.  Jesus.  We place our trust in the fact that He’s done for us what we could never, ever do for ourselves.  We place our faith in His flawless faith.  He was faithful to live the perfect life that I completely failed to live.  He was faithful to die the brutal death for my sin that completely deserved to die.  And He rose to a breathtaking new life that absolutely do not deserve.  I place my faith in who He is and what He’s done.  That’s why Paul writes, “By grace you have been saved through faith (Gr. pistis).  And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God” (Eph 2:8).

Our faith in who Jesus is and what He’s done becomes the one thing that draws us together no matter our backgrounds.  We’re to be unified in “one Lord, one faith (Gr. pistis), one baptism, one God and Father of all” (Eph 4:5-6).  God uses human leadership to build up His church so that “we attain to the unity of the faith (Gr. pistis)” (Eph 4:13).  Paul tells us to never forget to take our “shield of faith (Gr. pistis)” into battle as protection against Satan’s attack (Eph 6:16).  You see, our faith isn’t based on how much faith we can muster.  It’s not based on the strength of our faith.  Our faith is completely dependent on the Object of our faith.  That’s Jesus.  He’s totally and unshakably faithful even when we’re not (2Tim 2:13).

Keep the main things the main things.  And of those is faith.  Faith in Jesus.

Elvis Costello was close.  Very close.