-Paul combines two traditional and customary greetings, grace being a Greek form and peace (or shalom) being a Jewish/Middle Eastern form (cf 1Samuel 25.5-6). He begins every one of his letters with this exact greeting (slightly modified in Titus, and he adds mercy in 1&2Timothy). Both concepts are found in the mosaic benediction in Numbers 6.25-26.
-As we will see, grace is included not only in all of Paul’s greetings, but also in all of his leave-takings, albeit in a slightly different form. Instead of ‘grace TO you’ he always says some form of, ‘THE grace of the Lord Jesus Christ BE WITH you’, as we will see at the close of this letter (Philippians 4.23). Suffice it to say, we all could use and give a lot more grace. Undeserved favor. Blessing and mercy we and others have not earned. In fact we and they may even deserve some form of punitive justice. But folks need grace (Ephesians 2.8, 2Corinthians 9.8, 2Timothy 2.1), they need to experience grace (2Corinthians 12.9, 1Corinthians 15.10). We need to be people who extend the grace that is found in Jesus to others (Ephesians 4.29, Colossians 4.6).
-Peace on the other hand is a universal ultimate goal of sorts. Every person who has been set adrift amidst the stormy seas of life in this broken world searches relentlessly to be able to find safe harbor and ‘rest in peace’. But the Jewish concept of peace is much broader than that even. The shalom which the Jews so earnestly desire in life and which they extend to others in their greetings and leave-takings encompasses a sum total of life’s blessings, both spiritual and temporal, a state of well-being, completeness, friendship, safety, salvation. All of these derive from and depend upon the favor of God Himself (cf Genesis 6.8, Genesis 39.21, Exodus 33.12, Psalm 30.5, Psalm 122.6-9, Luke 2.13-14) and are seen as indicative of being in a right relationship with Him. Shalom-peace is indeed a sign not only of God’s favor but of His favorable presence in someone’s life (Exodus 33.16, Numbers 6.24-26, Psalm 4.8, Psalm 26.3). Christ Himself is the Prince of Shalom (Isaiah 9.6-7, cf Luke 1.78-79, John 14.27, John 16.33). It is interesting and important to note that there is no real shalom for the wicked (Isaiah 57.18-21, Isaiah 59.8). The typical Arabic greeting also conveys this desire for shalom (‘as-salamu alaykum’ - ‘peace to you’, salam being very close to the Hebrew shalom)(cf Daniel 4.1, Daniel 6.25, Luke 10.4-6, Luke 24.36, John 20.26). I think pretty much every man, woman and child on planet earth are ultimately looking for this shalom/peace - they just don’t all know what to call it, and most of them sadly don’t know where to look for it. This is the spiritual poverty of the world in which we live - this lack of peace stemming from broken relationships - with God, with self, with others, and even with creation. Almost everyone is working to try and achieve peace by rebuilding these relationships. People are longing and working for world peace/absence of war. Most everyone is trying to work their way towards peace with God by various religions. And everyone is hunting for that inner peace - not just peace with their Maker but peace within themselves. Shalom. They think they can find it in the world, in their stuff or in their relationships or in what they do. And to a degree those things do connect to an overall sense of completeness and well-being but ultimately shalom derives from God’s divine favor in a person’s life. It is totally tied to grace, in other words. And it is God’s people who are uniquely positioned not only to experience His peace (cf Romans 5.1, Philippians 4.6-7, Colossians 3.15) but also to spread His peace to others (Isaiah 52.7, Matthew 5.9, cf Romans 12.18, Romans 14.19, Ephesians 4.3, Hebrews 12.14, James 3.18).
-The question I then ask myself is, how am I doing at finding and resting in God’s grace and shalom? How am I doing at spreading God’s grace and shalom to those who haven't any?
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