Peace in the Family
“Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember… First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.” (Matt 5:23-24)
The family is the place of rest and peace, refreshment and relationship. God in the beginning gave Adam a wife to solve the only imperfection in all creation, and thus Eve brought such companionship and fruitfulness. Sayings like ‘East or West home is best’ were coined to show the expectation from family at home. Nonetheless, the family institution is not without challenges. Jesus Christ address a number of these in his teachings, and particularly murder, adultery, divorce and oaths in part of the Sermon on the Mount (Matt 5:21-37). When these vices affect and eat up the very best place of abode, one wonders where to run!
We need peace in the family, and that is the natural expectation. Why then would a mother murder her own son? This is what she actually does when she uses careless insulting words out of anger or mere lack of parenting skills. The parent who should through love build up the boy into a strong young man is now tearing him apart and almost crushing him! Jesus warns against murder.
Why would a man undress his wife before young girls fit to be his children? This is what he actually does when he speaks ill of her or even ignores her phone calls and messages before staying out deep in the night with a lustful maiden. The man that should have protected his tender better half is now the source of shame and untold pain. Jesus warns against adultery. More so, it was never God’s will that a marriage relationship should ever break; divorce or separation is an invention of human beings when they run out of commitment. This makes family an ironical sour grape indeed.
Jesus also warns against false promises. Building trust takes time, but losing it is very easy. Jesus calls us to a principled life that speaks with without demand for swearing. When your ‘Yes’ us ‘Yes’ and your ‘No’ is ‘No’, then you are a family member that can be trusted; others can run to you and be sure they have an ally that does not change like a chameleon with circumstances around them.
Make family family. Jesus call us to make family what it was created to be – a place of rest and peace, refreshment and relationship. Unfailing love is required in nurturing one another, and especially nurturing children; we also need a deep respect for the marriage institution to keep faithful and committed therein, in order to foster a community that honours God according to His purpose. It is impossible to worship God fully without peace in the family. The offering is not good enough when you are at war with your brother or sister. May the good Lord give us grace to cultivate peace in the family so that we will enjoy peace with God in worship and in all life.
God bless you all.