The thing, beloved, the one thing that was so specially before my heart, was the activity of the love that never fails.
We find, in the early part of the previous chapter, the word referring to that blessed One: “Having loved his own which were in the world he loved them unto the end.” He came from God and He went to God.
I believe, beloved, what He speaks of in. this verse is two kinds of peace. “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you.”
We remember that after the work of redemption was accomplished by Himself, He, the raised One from amongst the dead, presented Himself to the few that were gathered in the upper room within the bolted doors; and his first salutation to them was, “Peace unto you.” “Peace unto you, and when he had so said, he showed them, his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad when they saw the Lord.” Beloved, I believe that the first peace He speaks of here, when He says “Peace, I leave with you,” was that peace that He made when He hung upon the cross. You get the truth in Col. 1, referring to Him. “He made peace through the blood of his cross.” It is His own blood that has made peace.
In Rom. 5 it is being justified by faith we lave peace with God. It is through our Lord Jesus Christ.
In Heb. 13:2020Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, (Hebrews 13:20): The God of peace that “Brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the Mood of the everlasting covenant,” and so on. And also, in the Epistle to the Philippians, God is called the “God of peace.” But here, beloved, you get two distinct things from that peace.
The first is the peace that He made through His infinite grace and love, going down to the cross and shedding His own precious blood. Now, He says, I leave that with you: “Peace I leave with you;” and then there is another peace that He speaks of: “My peace I give unto you.”
What do we get in the early part of the chapter? He says to those who are so dear to His heart, Do not let your hearts be troubled, you have believed in God—now believe also in Me. He shows in the three previous chapters chat He had been troubled. The Lord Jesus Christ had all the trouble, and now He says to those who are so dear to His heart, “Let not your heart be troubled,” for I have had all the trouble—it is not for you to be troubled. He brings out the activity of His own love, having loved His own, He loved them unto the end.
How blessed it is to be occupied with, Himself—with Himself. Just what you get in Eph. 2:1414For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; (Ephesians 2:14), where the Holy Ghost says, “He is our peace.” He knew very well that those who are so dear to His heart would be left in this scene would be left in all the troubles and difficulties of the way. He knew well the troubles surrounding them, but He says, “My peace I give unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” Beloved, I tell you it is whilst we are occupied with Him there is no fear. There is no trouble while we are occupied with Himself, but the very moment we get occupied with ourselves, or our surroundings, we get troubled. It may be we get occupied with our good doings—they are the most dangerous. I should rather be occupied with my bad doings than with my good doings, because it always leads to legality to be occupied with my goodness. Occupation with either good or bad self, is only waste of time.
But what will save us from everything is to be occupied with Himself. To be occupied with Himself is to know the activity of the love of His own heart.
May the Lord in His infinite grace give us to be occupied with Himself, and to know something more of that charity that we read of at the close of 1 Cor. 13, that “never fails” and that is His own love, the love of Christ Himself that, never fails. And whilst we are occupied with Him we shall have the love of His heart for others.. L. T.