Church of the Holy City

Peace to the Nations

Peace to the Nations
Rev. Dr. David J. Fekete
August 7, 2011

Zechariah 9:9-12 Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30 Psalm 145

Our Bible readings promise us peace. And it is a peace that only spirituality can give us. It is a peace that only God can give us. Our prophesy from Zechariah states that the king to come will “proclaim peace to the nations.” We are told to “Rejoice greatly,” and to “shout.” And in the New Testament we find those precious words from Jesus, promising rest:
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light (Matthew 11:28-30).
We need to look at our Old Testament reading in its internal sense for it to speak to us meaningfully. This morning’s passage speaks of a king to come whose rule will extend from the Euphrates River to the ends of the earth. In other words, this king will rule the whole world. This king is the long awaited Messiah. Here, Jews and Christians are divided about the nature of the Messiah. Jews see the Messiah as a great king who will come to earth and unite the world under his rule. Christians see the Messiah as Jesus Christ. And the opening of our passage seems to predict Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. It reads,
See, your king comes to you,
righteous and having salvation,
gentle and riding on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey (9:9).
This sounds like Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, when people threw palm fronds in front of Jesus as He entered Jerusalem riding on a donkey. We could say that this prophesy has been fulfilled, if we read it as talking about Jesus. Like the king in Zechariah, Jesus’ rule is indeed over the whole world. He is indeed the Prince of Peace.
This interpretation is good, so far as it goes. But there is just one problem if we read this prophesy as being about Jesus. The king is supposed to “take away the chariots from Ephraim and the war horses from Jerusalem.” The “battle bow will be broken” and “He will proclaim peace to the nations.” As we know only too well, the battle bow is not broken in this world. And Jerusalem is even one of the flash points of international strife with Palestine. We are very far from finding peace proclaimed to the nations.
No, for this passage to read true, we need to see it as treating spiritual matters, not worldly ones. For while a time of peace may well come upon this troubled world, but if it does, I do not see it coming soon, but much, much later. In general, nations signify the good things of charity. Nations also refer to the reformed heart and mind of a person who is regenerating. Another meaning for nations is the worship of the church. This is in keeping with the other meanings, since worship is nothing else than love in a person’s heart, and truth in a person’s mind.
When we let our Divine King into our lives, then we first feel peace. Peace is a holy feeling that comes right from God through heaven. Some think of peace as quiet, or of the lack of problems from the world, or of the cessation of war. But spiritual peace is a special feeling that pervades the whole heart and mind and brings with it a holy clarity of thought and a heavenly rapture of emotion. Swedenborg distinguishes between heavenly peace and worldly ideas of it:
It is called peace in the world when wars and hostilities cease between kingdoms, and when enmities and discords cease among people; and it is believed that internal peace is rest of mind on removal of cares, and especially tranquility and enjoyment from success in business. But the angels said that rest of mind, and tranquility and enjoyment from the removal of cares and from success in business, appear as of peace, but are not of peace, except with those who are in heavenly good; since peace is not given except in good (HH 290).
I struggled with language when I tried to describe spiritual peace just above. It is a feeling that is very difficult to put into words. Swedenborg himself says this, “I am able to describe it, yet not in words as it is in itself, because human words are inadequate” (HH 284). Then Swedenborg goes ahead anyway, and tries to describe peace by talking about where it comes from. I have wrestled with this passage for years, and still find it quite out of reach. Maybe for some of you it will be more clear. It is certainly important enough that we all should be aware of it at least:
The Divine of peace in heaven is from the Lord, existing from His conjunction with the angels of heaven . . . peace in the heavens is the Divine inmostly affecting with blessedness every good they, and giving all the joy of heaven; and that it is in its essence the Divine joy of the Lord’s Divine love, from His conjunction with heaven and everyone there. This joy perceived by the Lord in angels, and by angels from the Lord, is peace (HH 286).
I get mixed up here as to who has the joy from whom and in whom. This much is clear: heavenly peace comes from the Lord’s joy in being conjoined with heaven. The best explanation I heard about this passage is a mother watching her children at play. Their joy in playing becomes the mother’s joy as she watches.
Clearly, this kind of peace can only be given to those who love the Lord. This kind of peace is from God and is God in us. This kind of peace is heavenly joy from God when we are in God. So Jesus says in the Gospel of John,
As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in His love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete (John15:9-11).
This brings us to our passage from Matthew that we read today. Jesus says, “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” If we learn from Jesus, we will find rest for our souls. If we become gentle and humble in heart, we will find rest for our souls.
Humility is a sure way to peace. No one is more frustrated than someone driven to greatness. Nothing is ever good enough. No deed comes out right. No possession is prestigious enough. No amount of reward is sufficient. No amount of wealth is large enough. But living in humility brings us to inward peace. Humility means that only God is great. It means we are content to sit in the last place at the dinner table. It means we are content with the goods we have in life. It means we do not need the praise of multitudes. And above all, it means accepting our finite condition. It means turning to God and turning away from ego.
Trying to make it according to the world’s standards is continual frustration. But living in relationship with God is peaceful. Jesus tells us, “My yoke is easy and my burden is light.” I remember a time in my life not too long ago. I was working hard to publish articles, keep up my technique on the piano and bass, and to write poetry–all the while working full-time. A friend of mine asked me, “Do you have peace?” I replied, “I have satisfaction.” “That’s not what I asked,” She said. The fact is I was driven. I had ambition, but I did not have peace.
I still play the piano. I am still working on a book that I intend to publish. I have an article that I think is ready to send out. But my pace is much more balanced. And my attitude in doing these things is much different. I’m not driven to succeed. I don’t need to have these things. I see them as projects of love that will manifest in their due season. I am learning from Jesus and taking on His easy yoke and light burden. I now have moments of peace.
This is the peace that we all have open to us if we learn from Jesus and become gentle and humble. This is the peace we all have open to us when we let the Prince of Peace into our hearts and minds. This is the peace that results from God’s joy in being conjoined with heaven–in this world, or the next.