Practice 7 of 13
Make peace
Be the one who calms things down.
Key points
- The practice: Be the one who calms things down.
- Try this week: Is there a conflict you could take one step toward fixing? Send one message this week.
- The good news: Jesus made peace between you and God at the cross.
What Jesus did and taught
Put the sword away
When soldiers come to arrest Jesus, one of his friends grabs a sword and cuts off a servant’s ear.
Jesus tells him to stop. Then he touches the servant’s ear and heals it, for one of the men arresting him.
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God.”
Matthew 5:9
Find it: Luke 22:47–51
Read Luke 22:47–51
47 While he was still speaking, behold, a multitude, and he who was called Judas, one of the twelve, was leading them. He came near to Jesus to kiss him. 48 But Jesus said to him, “Judas, do you betray the Son of Man with a kiss?” 49 When those who were around him saw what was about to happen, they said to him, “Lord, shall we strike with the sword?” 50 A certain one of them struck the servant of the high priest, and cut off his right ear. 51 But Jesus answered, “Let me at least do this”—and he touched his ear, and healed him.
World English Bible, public domain. The whole chapter on Free Scripture → · Read in the NRSVue, the ELCA’s standard translation →
Why it matters
Fighting back is easy. Making peace takes more courage.
Jesus healed his enemy, right in the middle of the worst moment.
Try this week
Is there a conflict you could take one step toward fixing? Send one message this week.
Low-energy week? In one disagreement this week, lower your voice instead of raising it.
Making peace never means accepting abuse. If you aren’t safe, getting safe comes first.
A question to carry
Where could you be the calm one?
With kids
Make a family “cool down” plan: what each of you does when you get angry.
Go deeper
The good news
Jesus made peace between you and God at the cross. His first words to his frightened friends after Easter were “Peace be to you.”
You don’t earn anything by doing this practice. Why it starts with grace