Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives.” (John 14:27) What is the difference between the peace Jesus gives and the world’s peace? I will explain it with the story, “Loving grandpa and the naughty grandchild.”
“Grandpa walked into the family room and found his little grandson, Jeffy, standing up in his playpen crying. He looked so pitiful, standing there in his little baseball T-shirt and diaper. His face was red and tear-stained from crying. When Jeffy saw his grandpa, his face lit up in a way that smote the old man’s heart. He immediately reached up his chubby little hands in supplication. ‘Take me out, Papa, out!’ What grandpa could resist such a plea? Not this one! He walked over to the crib and reached down to lift his little buddy out of captivity and distress. Just then, however, Law and Order stepped into the room. Jeffy’s mother walked out of the kitchen with a dishtowel in her hand and spoke sternly. ‘No, Jeffy! You are being punished. You have to stay in your playpen! Leave him right there, Dad.’ Oh, fine. Now what’s a grandpa to do? His grandson’s tears and reaching little hands tugged mightily at his heart – but he didn’t want to interfere with a mother’s discipline either. What could he do? Love found a way. Since Grandpa couldn’t take Jeffy out of the playpen, he climbed in the playpen with him. ‘If you’re in the playpen, Buddy, I’m in the playpen. What’s your sentence? How long are you in for?’ And finding a big, jolly grandpa suddenly filling his little prison cell, the little boy found comfort even in his captivity.” (Source is Fr. Tony’s Homilies)
The difference between the peace of Jesus and the world’s peace is this: Jesus comes to you with true peace. The world gives no peace. The world gives only strife, envy, jealousy, rage, competition, anxiety, fear, and worry. Jesus is the opposite of everything the world falsely offers as peace. The world says lots of money, good looks, and power will bring you peace. But money can be lost, good looks fade and power diminishes. As the old saying goes, “money can’t buy you love.” I’ve met some very rich, powerful people in the world who when faced with serious illness could not find peace because they had no relationship with God. Once they opened their hearts to Jesus, they found an inner peace in the midst of their struggles. One person told me, “I no longer live in fear, but hope.”
Like the grandpa who climbed into the crib to be with his grandson, Jesus climbs into the crib of your life to be with you. There, He gives you His peace that frees you from the captivity of anxiety and fear. The peace of Jesus is a complete and consistent calmness, no matter what chaos is going on in your life now. The world can never offer what Jesus gives.
Jesus tells us in John 14:16 how He enters your heart. “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever.” The Greek word for “helper” is “paracletos,” which means “the one who walks by your side.” Paracletos has another meaning: “the Comforter.” St. Paul wrote, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles.” (2 Cor 1:3-4)
The comfort the Holy Spirit gives comes with a command. The Holy Spirit comforts us “So that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.” (2 Cor 1:4) One of the most beautiful moments of comfort I witnessed was to see a suffering child smile when given a present at Christmas. The Holy Spirit is with you every time you put a smile on another’s face. “Comfort, Comfort my people, says your God.” (Is 40:1) said, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives.” (John 14:27) What is the difference between the peace Jesus gives and the world’s peace? I will explain it with the story, “Loving grandpa and the naughty grandchild.”

“Grandpa walked into the family room and found his little grandson, Jeffy, standing up in his playpen crying. He looked so pitiful, standing there in his little baseball T-shirt and diaper. His face was red and tear-stained from crying. When Jeffy saw his grandpa, his face lit up in a way that smote the old man’s heart. He immediately reached up his chubby little hands in supplication. ‘Take me out, Papa, out!’ What grandpa could resist such a plea? Not this one! He walked over to the crib and reached down to lift his little buddy out of captivity and distress. Just then, however, Law and Order stepped into the room. Jeffy’s mother walked out of the kitchen with a dishtowel in her hand and spoke sternly. ‘No, Jeffy! You are being punished. You have to stay in your playpen! Leave him right there, Dad.’ Oh, fine. Now what’s a grandpa to do? His grandson’s tears and reaching little hands tugged mightily at his heart – but he didn’t want to interfere with a mother’s discipline either. What could he do? Love found a way. Since Grandpa couldn’t take Jeffy out of the playpen, he climbed in the playpen with him. ‘If you’re in the playpen, Buddy, I’m in the playpen. What’s your sentence? How long are you in for?’ And finding a big, jolly grandpa suddenly filling his little prison cell, the little boy found comfort even in his captivity.” (Source is Fr. Tony’s Homilies)

The difference between the peace of Jesus and the world’s peace is this: Jesus comes to you with true peace. The world gives no peace. The world gives only strife, envy, jealousy, rage, competition, anxiety, fear, and worry. Jesus is the opposite of everything the world falsely offers as peace. The world says lots of money, good looks, and power will bring you peace. But money can be lost, good looks fade and power diminishes. As the old saying goes, “money can’t buy you love.” I’ve met some very rich, powerful people in the world who when faced with serious illness could not find peace because they had no relationship with God. Once they opened their hearts to Jesus, they found an inner peace in the midst of their struggles. One person told me, “I no longer live in fear, but hope.”

Like the grandpa who climbed into the crib to be with his grandson, Jesus climbs into the crib of your life to be with you. There, He gives you His peace that frees you from the captivity of anxiety and fear. The peace of Jesus is a complete and consistent calmness, no matter what chaos is going on in your life now. The world can never offer what Jesus gives.

Jesus tells us in John 14:16 how He enters your heart. “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever.” The Greek word for “helper” is “paracletos,” which means “the one who walks by your side.” Paracletos has another meaning: “the Comforter.” St. Paul wrote, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles.” (2 Cor 1:3-4)

The comfort the Holy Spirit gives comes with a command. The Holy Spirit comforts us “So that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.” (2 Cor 1:4) One of the most beautiful moments of comfort I witnessed was to see a suffering child smile when given a present at Christmas. The Holy Spirit is with you every time you put a smile on another’s face. “Comfort, Comfort my people, says your God.” (Is 40:1)