Tom Virtue writes, “In Luke 10:5-7 Jesus introduced the idea of a ‘person of peace.’ These people of peace would be the residents who welcomed the travelers to their homes and extended hospitality for the entirety of their stay in that town. If there was a ‘peace’ between the visitors and the person of peace, it would open the door to more people in the community hearing and being responsive to the message the visitors were bringing!”

Think of a person of peace in terms of someone who is:

• Receptive to Christ and the vision of getting His news out to people (not necessarily a believer but receptive to the message and its going out)
• A person of reputation; they are known by the community
• A ”referencer “ – they have influence and they can refer others to Christ boldly

Virtue continues, “This concept is seen in practice throughout scripture even though it is not explained in detail. There was the woman at the well in John 4. She definitely had a reputation, and God used all of who she was to bring people to Jesus. Lydia was a merchant doing business when she encountered Paul. When ‘the Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message,’ she influenced a whole family to come to Christ. For Jonah in the Old Testament, the king was the ‘person of peace’ as he opened up the whole city to the kind of awakening we dream to see. Jesus found an unusual ‘person of peace’ in the demoniac in Mark 5. After sending all of the spirits into nearby pigs, Jesus discouraged this brand new believer from following Him to the next city. Instead, Jesus told him, ‘Go home to your family and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how He has had mercy on you.’ Is it any surprise the people were amazed?! This man was truly a ‘person of peace.’” From CRU, Finding Help 1: Persons of Peace