The Holy Trinity, 31 May 2026 | A Sermon on 2 Corinthians 13:11-14 | by The Rev. Beth A. Schlegel

2 Corinthians 13:11-14 English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles

11 Finally, brothers, rejoice. Aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love

and peace will be with you. 12 Greet one another with a holy kiss. 13 All the saints greet you.

14 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

What’s in a greeting?

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

This is the way St. Paul and the Christian congregations exchanged greetings.

St. Peter wrote similarly:

From Peter, apostle of Jesus Christ— To God’s chosen people …. 2 You were chosen according

to the purpose of God the Father and were made a holy people by his Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ

and be purified by his blood. May grace and peace be yours in full measure. 1 Peter 1:1-2

From God: the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, to me to you – grace and peace.

And as when receiving a gift, the recipient responds: Amen, let it be so.

To be chosen and set apart for holy obedience,

• baptized,

• forgiven,

• and be given wholeness and favor.

This is what it means to be caught up in the life of the Holy Trinity.

All of this is summed up in the words “grace and peace” as used in greeting and blessing.

These greetings and benedictions are characteristic of the community of faith that identifies itself

with Jesus of Nazareth as Lord and Savior, God’s anointed Messiah or Christ, crucified and risen

from the dead.

In the Greek language of the New Testament, “hail” and “farewell” both are derived from the

same word as “grace” – −−to rejoice, to be glad, to find favor, to receive good things.

We say “hello” to one another, implying that we are glad to see each other. We say “goodbye”

implying that we are happy we saw each other and desiring good things for the other. Such

greeting and farewell is not uniquely Christian or even religious.But from the beginning, Christians have greeted one another with specific reference to the

Triune God.

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be

with all of you.

And Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

What’s in this greeting?

• Grace is more than just “I’m happy to see you”. It is “God is happy to see you”.

• Peace is more than just “I have no grievance with you”; it is also “God has no grievance

with you”.

The greeting carries with it the understanding that you and I are not just in relationship

with each other, but in relationship with God.

It is even more accurate to say that we are in relationship with each other because God is

in relationship with us in Jesus Christ.

…

Our Hispanic brothers and sisters are on to something when they greet one another and us

saying: “God bless you” “Dios te bendiga”

. To which the response is “Amen.

” Yes – so be it–

Thank you.

It carries the same sense as “grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus

Christ.”

Jesus, when he greeted his followers after he rose from the dead, showed them his wounds and

said “Peace be with you.” From that moment on, peace was understood in the Christian

community as being God’s gift to the Church through the Spirit of forgiveness and reconciliation

secured by the death and resurrection of Jesus.

In John’s Gospel, we hear Jesus say again, “Peace be with you. As the Father sent me, so I send

you.” 22 Then he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive people’s

sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.” John 20:21-23

Peace and forgiveness are inseparable in Christ.

Remember Jesus’ words: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you; I do not give it to you

as the world does. Do not let your hearts be distressed or lacking in courage. John 14:27 NET

There is no true peace apart from God’s forgiveness received and shared.This is the peace we share each time we gather at the Lord’s Table, setting things right and

greeting each other with a holy kiss, as St. Paul urges.

(Okay, we may not kiss each other anymore,

but whether we shake hands, embrace, or give a prayerful sign,

• it is intended to mend fences,

• let go of grudges,

• restore relationship within the body of Christ before receiving

Communion.

• It is putting our prayer into practice: Forgive us our sins as we forgive

those who sin against us.)

Sharing the peace is like washing our hands before a meal, purifying our souls and our

community instead.

We should take the Peace that seriously – as a matter of life and death – because it is in giving

and receiving Christ’s forgiveness, grace, and peace with one another that we share in the

Trinity’s eternal life.

…rejoice, set things right, be encouraged, agree with one another, live in peace, and the God of

love and peace will be with you.

Such intentional concern for the community of faith is not optional but is integral to the

Christian life of obedience to Jesus.

So, we greet each other as brothers and sisters in Christ — Not as a matter of piety or being holy

rollers, but as the experience of being caught up together in the life of the Holy Trinity.

…live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you. 12 Greet one another with a holy

kiss.

St. Peter urges: Greet one another with the kiss of love. Peace to all of you who are in Christ. 1

Peter 5:14

The community of the Church – the body of Christ – is deeper than superficial like-mindedness

or simple social affinity because it is the dwelling of the Triune God. When we greet each

other with God’s grace and peace, or with a holy kiss, or with the blessing of God, it is – quite

literally – the God in me greeting the God in you.

It is the experience of 3-dimensional love – God for us — I for you, and you for me.

This is the experience Jesus prayed for: Father, The glory you gave to me I have given to them,

that they may be one just as we are one—

23 I in them and you in me—that they may becompletely one, so that the world will know that you sent me, and you have loved them just as

you have loved me.

People of God, brothers and sisters in Christ, Jesus is talking to the Father in the Holy

Spirit about us.

Jesus is even now in this moment shaping our hearts and minds to BE that living image of

himself risen from the dead. He is opening our eyes to give us the vision to see him in each other

person. Jesus is setting the table and inviting us to share in his eternal life as we receive into our

bodies his body and blood for our forgiveness, life, and salvation from sin and death. He is filling

us to overflowing with the grace and peace of God our Father, so that we become – here, today –

the community in which the world can see the good and gracious God who is ready to have

mercy on anyone who calls on him.

Let us rejoice to be caught up in the joyous life of the Holy Trinity.

In the name of the Father, and of the +Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

©The Rev. Beth A. Schlegel, STS

pastorschlegel@live.com

St. Peter’s Lutheran Church, York PA, USA

Christ Lutheran Church, Manchester PA, USA