Right now, the world feels loud with chaos. Bad news greets us at every turn. Division is amplified, outrage spreads quickly, and peace can feel fragile, even absent. It is easy to be swept up into that same unrest.
But it is precisely in moments like these that our gaze must be fixed firmly on the cross - on Jesus, the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6).
Lent invites us to slow down long enough to look again at how Christ loved. And what we see is not sentimental love, but costly love. Not convenient peace, but crucified peace.
The Table of Betrayal
Imagine sitting at a dinner table with close friends, knowing that one of them is about to betray you. Not suspecting, knowing. How would you respond? Confusion. Shock. Anger. Hurt. Perhaps confrontation. Perhaps exposure. Perhaps humiliation. Depending on your personality, you might defend yourself, reason with them, or withdraw entirely.
Yet when Jesus sat at the Last Supper, fully aware that Judas would betray Him (John 13:10-11, 18), He did something astonishing. He washed his feet (John 13:3-5). He loved him to the end (John 13:1). There was no public shaming, no last-minute retaliation, no cold withdrawal of affection. Christ’s love did not collapse under the weight of betrayal.
That is peace - not the absence of pain, but the refusal to let pain dictate your response.
The Courtroom of Injustice
Now imagine being falsely accused of a crime you did not commit - sentenced to death despite your innocence. Most of us would fight. We would defend ourselves, plead our case, protest the injustice, perhaps even lash out at those condemning us.
Jesus, the sinless and righteous One, endured punishment for crimes He did not commit - our crimes (2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Peter 2:22; Hebrews 4:15; Isaiah 53:5-6; 1 Peter 2:24). Though mighty and glorious as the Son of God, He did not retaliate. He did not silence His accusers with divine power. He did not object to the beatings, the insults, the mocking, the crucifixion (Isaiah 53:7; 1 Peter 2:23).
Instead, from the cross, He prayed, “Father, forgive them” (Luke 23:34). This is the narrow way of peace.
The Narrow Way of the Cross
Jesus shows us that peace is not about winning. It is about surrender.
So much conflict flows from the desire to put ourselves first - to be right, to be superior, to be vindicated, to be in control. We want the final word. We want justice on our terms.
But Christ’s life, from the manger to the cross, is one of self-lowering and self-emptying – humility (Philippians 2:5-8; 2 Corinthians 8:9). He put others first. He served (Mark 10:45; John 13:14-15). He forgave. He loved the disciple who denied Him, the friend who betrayed Him, the crowd who mocked Him and the rulers who condemned Him (Luke 22:61-62; John 21:15-17; Luke 23:34). He loved them not halfway; not until it became inconvenient. He loved them till the very end, no matter how costly or how many times He was wronged (John 13:1).
Lent confronts us with this uncomfortable truth: we cannot claim to follow Christ while nurturing quiet hostility. Most of us love conditionally: we love until we’re misunderstood; until we’re wounded; until we’re embarrassed. If we are honest, the greatest obstacle to peace is not always “them.” It is the war within us. Resentment feels justified, revenge feels satisfying and cold distance feels safe.
But Lent asks us to fast not only from food but from hostility. To love the enemy until the end does not mean pretending wrong is right. It does not mean tolerating abuse. It means refusing to let bitterness take root. It means surrendering the right to revenge. It means choosing mercy when pride demands retaliation.
Remember Who You Were and Are
Keeping peace begins with remembering who you are in Christ and who you once were. We were sinners, enemies of God (Romans 5:8-10; Colossians 1:21-22). Yet we received undeserved mercy and grace (Ephesians 2:4-5,8-9; Titus 3:4-7). We were brought near (Ephesians 2:13). We were called friends (John 15:15). We were adopted as children (Romans 8:15-17; 1 John 3:1).
God’s heart toward you - patient, forgiving, compassionate - is His heart toward all of humanity (2 Peter 3:9; Psalm 108:8-12; Lamentations 3:22-23). Everyone has access to His grace (John 3:16). And because we have received it freely, we are called to extend it freely (Matthew 18:21-35; Ephesians 4:32; Colossians 3:13; Matthew 10:8).
It is difficult to withhold forgiveness from others when you are standing beneath the cross, aware of how much you have been forgiven (Luke 7:47). We keep peace not because others deserve it but because mercy has been shown to us (Romans 12:18; Matthew 5:9; Romans 15:7; Micah 6:8).
Bearing the Cross in Your Heart
Dear reader, the way to keep peace is to bear the cross of Christ in your heart (Luke 9:23; Galatians 2:20).
Peace has always come from God, never from our own strength (John 14:27; Philippians 4:6-7). We keep it by returning to Him - solidifying our relationship with Him, dwelling in His presence, allowing His Spirit to reshape our instincts (James 4:8; John 15:4-5; 2 Corinthians 3:18). The more we abide in Him, the more we become like Him (Galatians 5:22-23).
As you move through this season, consider asking: who do I struggle to love? Where am I keeping score? What would it look like to love until the end even if the end is costly?
Lent reminds us that resurrection comes through surrender. Keeping peace is not losing.
It is trusting that God will vindicate, heal, and restore. In practice, this might look like:
- Refusing to gossip about someone who hurt you
- Praying for the person you’d rather avoid
- Choosing a gentle answer instead of a sharp one
- Setting healthy boundaries without hatred
- Releasing the need to be vindicated publicly
So, this Lent, fix your eyes on the One who loved His enemies to His final breath and ask Him to teach you to keep peace the same way - until the very end.
