The power of God that raised Jesus from the dead is the same power that can heal troubled families.
Jesus prayed for his disciples, “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you, not as the world gives, do I give to you.” The two key words are “my peace.” Jesus had a sense of peace that came to him from his heavenly father, peace that sustained him in the most frightening situations. Jesus gives us his peace. You can have peace from Jesus no matter what is happening in your family.
Can the power of God heal troubled families? It can. And sometimes it does. The power of God can restore marriages and bring angry children back home and cause feuding brothers to talk to each other once again. God raised a dead man back to life. It is not too big a thing for God to heal a troubled family. Sometimes he does.
For some families, reconciliation will bring something different than restoring harmony. For some families, reconciliation will mean becoming reconciled to a reality different than what one might have wished. Sometimes too much damage has been done. Sometimes one member of the family isn’t invested in healing the family. It may be hard to believe at the time, but one can still have peace, no matter what ultimately happens to the family.
In our sermon this Sunday we will talk about the resurrection and about how to get along with your family.