Gospel of Peace - Week 5: Saturday

James 3:18

But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

Commentary

Fr Tadros Malaty
A) Pure: that is, straight forward and bestows on its owner a pure heart and a chaste life. As God is pure (1 John 3:3), and His words are pure, therefore, whoever obtains God’s wisdom cannot tolerate evil but is drawn to the pure life resembling God.

B) Peaceable: that is, full of peace, for it is written that all its ways are peaceable. By wisdom, one is drawn toward God, and his heart is filled with peace and he pours outer peace on others, for he cannot tolerate to see fights or loud voices. He obeys the commandment, “Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another.” (Rom 14:19)

C) Gentle: When the heart is filled with peace toward others and does for the edification of others, he is gentle toward the shortcomings and weaknesses of others, and he focuses on how to win many to Christ. This gentleness is not an outer appearance but an inner life, whether one talks or is silent, one is chastened or criticized. In all that, he is gentle and compassionate, but in strictness.

Questions

• Is there an end goal when it comes to finding divine inner peace?

• Does having inner peace lead us to act differently on the outside?

• How do wisdom and peace tie in together?

• What are your biggest takeaways from this week?