Peace the World Can’t Give (a sermon by Rich Novak)
Good morning, church!
I am going to take the readings in reverse order and try to make sense of them and show how they are connected.
1. Love and Obedience Go Together
The gospel reading begins with the words, “Jesus answered.” But what was the question?
Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, “Lord, how is it that You will manifest Yourself to us, and not to the world?”
The writer makes the point that this Judas was not the Judas that betrayed Jesus, leading to his death. For us, it is a reminder that this was a popular name at that time and we should not be confused.
Judas had heard Jesus teach that all the earth would see the Messiah in His glory (Matthew 24:30). It was hard for him to understand Jesus when He now spoke of a revealing of Himself that the world would not see.
If anyone loves Me, they will keep My word: In answering Judas, Jesus repeated the themes from the previous verses. Jesus would be revealed to and among the disciples through love, obedience, and union with the Creator. These were not and are not primarily mystical or ecstatic experiences, but real life lived out in the presence and work of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus says, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching.” That’s simple, but not always easy. He’s telling us that love isn’t just about feelings—it’s about action. If we say we love Jesus, it should show in how we live, how we treat others, and how we follow His example.
How do we follow his example? By serving the least of these, we are told by Jesus. The hungry, the homeless, the downtrodden, the marginalized, the migrants. For me, it is hard to see obedience to Jesus teaching in the orchestrated attacks that we’re seeing daily on these, the least of us.
For us at Emanuel, we’ve tried to obey Jesus’ teaching and follow his example. For us, it has meant the historic and lasting work in founding Elijah’s Promise, of being on the ground floor with the Middlesex Interfaith Partners With The Homeless. That has happened. That is in the past. And today it means our involvement with Archangel Raphael’s Mission, Feeding New Brunswick Network, United Methodist Dinner Ministry, hosting the men’s shelter and many other examples.
We celebrate our love of God, for sure, at Sunday worship, but we live this love through following the life and commands of Jesus.
2. God Makes His Home in Us
Jesus says that if we love Him and follow Him, God will live with us. Think about that! The God who created the universe chooses to be close to you and me. Not in a temple, not just in a church building—but in our very lives.
That means we’re never alone. When life is confusing, when things go wrong, or when we’re trying to make a big decision—God is already right there with us. Frankly, for me, this is the strength and hope that keeps me going day after day.
3. The Holy Spirit Is Our Helper
Jesus knew His time on earth was almost up, and imagine how his disciples felt. But He didn’t leave His followers empty-handed. He promised the Holy Spirit, whom He calls the Advocate or the Helper or the Greek word Paraclete, depending upon the translation. In short, they all mean helper, comforter, guide, counselor and even lawyer—someone who stands by you and speaks truth into your life.
The Holy Spirit reminds us of what Jesus taught. The Spirit helps us remember to love, forgive, stay strong, and trust God when we’re afraid or unsure.
Today, we might all feel confused by the world, or we might have questions about faith. The Holy Spirit helps us grow in our understanding and gives us wisdom to walk with God daily.
I will share with you that at Rutgers we are very confused. We are very confused by the national policies that have cut life-saving research grants, that have been attacks in higher education on free speech, that have singled out enemies of the president that have unexplained revoked the visas of students that are here. They were quiet, deceptive things that are going on and not all of them are reported. At Rutgers, we had 64 grants cancelled that were multi-year grants. So, they’re into year two, year three, year four of their grants, where people are hired. This has affected 200 faculty and staff. We had the visas of 12 students revoked. No explanation. No explanation. It gets jammed up in court, it gets overturned. At least temporarily. So, yeah, confusing for sure.
The spirit is our guide, our helper, our counselor.
In the Orthodox Tradition, there is only one prayer that is addressed to the Holy Spirit and it is a prayer that is said every day, calling on the Holy Spirit.
Heavenly King, Comforter, Spirit of Truth, You are everywhere present and fill all things. Treasury of blessings and Giver of Life, Come and dwell within in us, Cleanse us of all stain, And save our souls O Gracious One.
This prayer acknowledges exactly what Jesus promised – he would not leave us alone, but rather the Spirit, that is everywhere present and fills all things, would be our companion, our guide, our helper.
4. Peace That the World Can’t Give
One of the most powerful lines in this passage is this:
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives.” Let’s unpack that.
In Jesus’ world and time, some form of “peace be with you” was the common greeting when greeting or leaving someone. In Modern Hebrew, "Shalom" is used as a common greeting and farewell, similar to saying "hello" and "goodbye", signifying a blessing for well-being upon meeting or departing. It can refer to both inner peace and harmony as well as the absence of conflict and war. The Arabic greeting "As-salamu alaykum" translates to "Peace be with you". In the Middle East, it's a common way for Muslims to greet each other, reflecting the value placed on peace and good wishes. The phrase uses the word "salam," which means "peace" in Arabic. Similar greetings with the meaning "peace be with you" are also used in other religious traditions, like Christianity, with the phrase "Pax vobiscum" in Latin.
I have many friends from the Middle East and they would always greet each other, everyone, with “the peace of God be with you”. When I was growing up, this was something that my parents always said, “Go with God.”
So, once again, Jesus uses a reference that is readily understood by many – the greeting of peace. But he goes far beyond the common usage and says, I do not give to you as the world gives. Even today as the world promises peace through success, money, popularity, or comfort, Jesus counters. Those things fade. They can be taken away. Jesus offers a deeper peace—a peace that stays, even in the middle of hard times.
This kind of peace calms your heart when you're scared. It helps you sleep at night when you don’t know what tomorrow holds. It’s the peace that knows God is in control—even when life feels out of control.
And Jesus says, “Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” He’s not just giving a suggestion—He’s giving us a reason to trust. If Jesus has conquered death and given us His Spirit, then we can face anything that comes our way.
And as I say this to you, this is one of the toughest ones that I wrestle with. Day by day.
5. So What Does This Mean for Us Today?
Here’s how we can live this out:
Love Jesus by following Him
Trust that God is with us
Ask the Holy Spirit for help
Accept Jesus’ peace
Conclusion
Jesus spoke these words knowing He was about to leave His disciples. But He gave them—and us—everything we need: love, guidance, God’s presence, and unshakable peace.
So this week, when our heart starts to feel troubled, remember these words:
“My peace I give you. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”
Let’s live in that peace today.