After his resurrection, Jesus entered a room full of frightened disciples who had been in hiding since his crucifixion and said, “Peace be with you (John 20:19).” These words were not a greeting, like saying good morning or good afternoon. His words were a profound prayer and expression of hope. Through these words Jesus was praying that the disciples would find peace. They were words of assurance that he would be with them in the future. They were a source of tremendous strength for the anxious disciples.
Jesus says, “Peace be with you” to us too. As they were for the disciples, his words are a prayer for us, his sometimes panicky disciples, to be at peace with the assurance that he is with us. His words also beckon us to do more than simply greet each other with hello or how are you. Like Jesus, we are called to say “Peace be with you” to others as a prayer, as a declaration of our hope that the other person knows the presence of God in his or her life.
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