When I first learned about people of peace in the context of disciple making, I felt that a light bulb went on in my spirit. It was a big aha moment for me. Thanks Peggy for drawing my attention to this.
The concept of the “man of peace” is taken from Jesus instructions to His disciples in Luke 10.
“Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace be to this house!’ And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest upon him. But if not, it will return to you.” Luke 10:5-6 ESV
Here is how I interpret this!
When you go out to share the good news of the Kingdom of God, you should look for people who are open to the message and to you as a messenger and disciple of Jesus. They welcome you as a person, they are happy for you to meet their family or friends even though they know that you are a disciple of Jesus.
When you for find these people, stay with them (have regular meetings with them), help them discover Jesus and show them how to become disciples of Jesus. Baptize them and their family and coach them to share what they are learning with other people.
The key is this! You spend most of your time with people who are open, and then coach them to do the same. That way as an outsider or missionary you can move on to other communities after some months or one or two years in a region.
Those who are not open today may become open tomorrow!
I desire a world where everyone would love like Jesus and live like Jesus!