Peace Amidst Persecution
“The Church throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria was at peace.
She was being built up and walked in the fear of the Lord, and with the consolation of the Holy Spirit she grew in numbers.”Acts 9:31
Just a little bit ago we heard that severe persecutions broke out and the people scattered and preached the Good News wherever they went. But today we hear that “The Church was at peace.” Persecutions were still rampant and followers of this “Jesus” and who “ate His flesh” and “drank His blood” were not liked and were being eradicated. Why did the inspired author tell us that the Church was at peace?
Despite the persecutions, the Church was at peace and the Church was growing because this peace does not come from the world and is not dependent on the worldly situation. This peace is the peace that Jesus gave to the Apostles in the upper room when He appeared to them after the Resurrection. “Peace be with you.” The world around us may be falling apart and everything may seem to be going wrong, but this peace will never leave us. We must invite this peace to dwell within our hearts.
It was this peace that enabled the Apostles and disciples to go and preach the Good News despite the craziness around them. This peace gave them courage and it strengthened their faith. This peace even enabled Jesus to work through Peter in restoring mobility to a man who was paralyzed for 8 years and even bringing Tabitha, a disciple, back from the dead. This is what we must hold on to during these uncertain times. This is the peace that remains with us even through persecutions, trials, and violence. This peace is Christ Himself.
