Giving your peace

In Matthew 10:12 Jesus gave his disciples some instructions concerning where they were to stay as they preached the gospel to the people of the various cities around Galilee. He began by telling them that when they entered a city or village they were to ask around and find out who in that city was “worthy.” This is an interesting instruction, in that it pre-supposes first that there would be such people in each city, and also that other people would know who these people were and recommend them to Jesus’ disciples. It makes me wonder if such a thing were to happen today, how many of us would be considered “worthy” by others in our city or village?

Once the disciples found people who were “worthy” Jesus told his disciples to stay with those people the entire time they were in that city, and not to keep moving around to other homes. (Luke 10:7) This too is interesting, and it suggests several things. For one, it seems Jesus wanted his disciples to stay in one location so they weren’t always being distracted with the details of finding and adjusting to their accommodations. By staying at one house, they would only have to do this once, and could they devote all their time and energy to the mission at hand. It also seems that Jesus preferred that they have a large impact on one family rather than a smaller impact on several families – much like having a few close friends rather than many shallow ones.

But perhaps the most interesting instruction Jesus gave his disciples in this passage was that when they entered a house, they were to “give it their greeting.” (Matthew 10:12-13) Luke 10:5 makes it clear that the “greeting” that Jesus was referring to was the familiar Hebrew blessing, “Peace be to this house!” It was customary to pronounce such a blessing upon one’s home upon entering it – especially for the first time, but on subsequent occasions as well. This custom certainly has merit in a simple social sense, and undoubtedly would be a good custom to adopt in our own culture even if that was only benefit to be derived from it.

But this passage goes on to make it clear that Jesus had more in mind than just perpetuating a social ritual that served as little more than an “ice-breaker” in potentially awkward social settings. In Matthew 10:13 Jesus gave his disciples some insight into the power of this custom, telling them, “If the house is worthy, your peace is to come upon it. But if it is not worthy, your peace is to return to you.” Though it might not seem like it at first glance, this really is an amazing statement. Essentially Jesus was telling his disciples that they had the ability to take the peace of God that rested upon them as his messengers and transfer that to the household where they were staying merely by pronouncing it so with their mouth!

This same principle is seen in a number of other places throughout the scripture. Perhaps one of the clearest is in Genesis 27, in the story of Jacob stealing Esau’s blessing. After Jacob had deceived his father Isaac into pronouncing a blessing upon him, Esau came in and, not knowing what had happened, asked for his blessing. Isaac informed him that he had already made his brother his master and sustained him with grain and new wine – all by speaking a word over him! Clearly Isaac understood, as did Jesus, the power of speaking a blessing upon someone.

Before leaving the earth, Jesus put this same principle into practice, telling his disciples, “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you.” (John 14:27) The fact is, the power of a spoken blessing, of peace for example, is as strong today as it ever was. Unfortunately many of us either do not understand or do not believe this principle, and so do not act upon it. I hope as you’ve read this article you have been encouraged with regard to the power of your own spoken blessing, and will begin to apply it, to your children, and others you love!