James Nisbet Commentary - Luke 2:14 - 2:14

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James Nisbet Commentary - Luke 2:14 - 2:14


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This Chapter Verse Commentaries:

PLEAS FOR PEACE

‘On earth peace’.

Luk_2:14

No one would dream of disturbing words consecrated by long usage, yet in all probability the text does not represent what Luke actually wrote. His real meaning seems to have been ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men of His good will’; or, as the Revised Version has it, ‘among men in whom He is well pleased.’ The question between those two versions turns on a very minute point, on the insertion or omission of a single letter in the Greek text. But there is a real difference of meaning between them.

I. Two views.—They represent two different views—a wider and narrower view, an ideal and a practical view, as to the effect of Christ’s coming in bringing peace on earth. The one view regards His coming as the beginning of a universal reign of peace; the other is less ideal, in closer correspondence with the facts of history. It limits the extent of this reign of peace. The coming of Christ brought peace indeed, but the sphere of its influence was restricted to the true servants of God who had found favour in His sight—to men of His good will. Christ on that view did not bring peace to the world at large. How, indeed, could the peace of God dwell in hearts that were at enmity with God? The legacy of peace which Jesus left behind Him on earth was left only to His own disciples. We cannot say that one of those views is true and the other false. In a sense both are true, and each has to take account of the other. It is true in a sense that Christ brought peace to the whole world. The coming of Christianity has opened up new possibilities of peace on earth. Christianity supplies an ideal conception of peace which is open to the whole world, and towards which we may hope that the whole world is slowly tending. But that is not the aspect of His coming on which our Lord Himself preferred to dwell. He did not wish His followers to live under any sentimental illusions. He foresaw that discord was inevitable—discord between the Church and the world, discord even between Christians themselves. But His attitude towards those two forms of discord was very different. Persecution from the world He welcomed for His followers. His promise to them was that in the world they should have tribulation. But He shrank from the thought that there should be dissensions within the Church. His last prayer for future generations of unknown followers was ‘that they all may be one.’ That prayer still remains unfulfilled.

II. Seek peace.—There have been times, indeed, in the history of the Church when it might almost be questioned whether Christianity was doing anything to promote the peace of Christendom, whether it was not in the main a mere source of strife and dissension. The hatreds of theology had become a byword. ‘See how these Christians love one another’ was the bitter pagan comment, and certainly nothing could be less edifying that the record of the cruel persecutions, of the stern, unloving fanaticisms of the acrimonious controversies which have characterised more than one epoch of Church history and more than one Christian body. How could people, they asked, have the peace of Christ in their hearts and yet not be at peace one with another? Let us seek peace and ensue it. We have to be on our guard against party lines becoming hardened and accentuated. Each party is within its rights in deciding what it must insist on, but it is the bounden duty of each party also to consider what concessions it can make without an absolute surrender of principle. Even peace may under some circumstances be purchased too dearly. But the teaching of Jesus certainly suggests that we should be willing to concede too much rather than too little. Let us long for the time when we shall be able to say of all controversy ‘Righteousness and peace have kissed each other.’

—
Rev. Dr. H. G. Woods.

Illustration

‘The Church has had her triumphs of peace-making as well as her responsibilities for strife. What a great institution, for instance, was the Truce of God in the eleventh and twelve centuries. That was a noble protest on the part of the Church against the constant state of warfare which had grown up out of the feudal system. Those petty wars between feudal lords could not, indeed, be entirely stopped, but the decrees of the Church did much to limit them and to protect peaceable folk. From Wednesday evening to Monday morning in every week, from the beginning of Advent to the octave of the Epiphany, and throughout Lent, the Truce of God was in force. No doubt that still left a good deal of time in the year for fighting, though only for two or three days together. But the principle involved was more important than the actual result. It was a magnificent thing that the Church should make that public declaration on behalf of peace.’

(SECOND OUTLINE)

A RELIGION OF PEACE

The Song of the Angels was the first public preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

I. On earth peace.—That was what the angels saw of special significance to mankind in the ‘glad tidings.’ Men smile and say, Look at history; look at distracted souls; look at the world alienated from God. But is it only the conflict between good and ill which disturbs peace? We cannot untangle the skein of sin and mistakes, but we can see that in our hearts and consciences we seek the Gospel ideal of peace. ‘Follow peace,’ says the Apostle, ‘and holiness.’

II. Peace and purity.—These are the two capital points upon which the Gospel was an innovation in the world. The ancient ideal looked upon the world as the battlefield for the trial of strength between nations; the Gospel gave a new ideal.

III. Christianity a religion of peace, but Christians have sometimes made it a religion of quarrels. We may deplore it. But more than that is needed. We have to decide whether we will associate ourselves with what we know to be God’s will, or whether we will ignore it, choosing ideals of our own. We shall have to give account of every action of ours in every department of our life which has endangered peace.

IV. Peace belongs to those who will have it. ‘Whence come wars and fightings among you?’ But the fruit of the Spirit, ‘peace,’ is within the attainment of all.

Dean Church.

Illustration

‘What have we now? True, England is at peace with the whole world, and we accept it gratefully, but who can see the vast armaments which fill the Continent, and the tremendous power of the instruments of war, increasing everywhere, and call it “Peace”? Or, if you go into an inner circle, where is the household without a jar? where is the family of which every member is in perfect unison? Who has not some one with whom he is not quite on terms of love? How many are there who are at “perfect peace” with themselves? How many with God? Peace on earth—where is it? Is it “peace” only in the angel’s song, in the far vision of celestial intelligences, and the womb of the future?’