Hello friends,
Today, let’s learn about the character of peacemaking that a believer possesses:
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
Matthew 5:9
At the beginning of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, He lays out a series of beatitudes. These beatitudes are benevolent statements that describe a believer. These statements all start with the phrase “blessed.” In this list is one from which we can learn today:
In verse 9, Jesus says, “Blessed are the peacemakers.” As previously stated, the beatitudes are less about conditional statements and more about characteristics that a believer possesses.
One commentator describes this peacemaker as:
“A man who, being endowed with a generous public spirit, labors for the public good, and feels his own interest promoted in promoting that of others: therefore, instead of fanning the fire of strife, he uses his influence and wisdom to reconcile the contending parties, adjust their differences, and restore them to a state of unity.”
Adam Clarke
As believers, we often contrast the way the world works. The natural posture of the world is not one of keeping peace but rather of making war. The world always seeks vengeance and self-exaltation. Because of this, there is no space for peace in the heart of man. The heart of man is full of anxiety and worry, which drive strife, malice, and war.
The believer, in contrast, is driven by a different set of values. Instead of seeking to get his own way, the believer seeks to please someone outside of himself. A believer seeks to please God by loving God with their heart, mind, and strength, and by loving their neighbors as themselves. This is an altogether different kind of mindset. This is how another commentator summarizes this:
The peace-makers are happy. They love, and desire, and delight in peace; and study to be quiet. They keep the peace that it be not broken, and recover it when it is broken. If the peace-makers are blessed, woe to the peace-breakers!
Matthew Henry
When Jesus Christ highlights this feature as belonging to the believer, He is saying that the believer not only has the capacity to be a peacemaker but also lives out a life that is constantly seeking peace and reconciliation. This is why the author of Hebrews writes:
Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord,
Hebrews 12:14
This idea of pursuing peace and reconciliation is at the center of the believer’s heart because salvation is, at its core, the reconciliation of wicked sinners to a holy God. Our God expresses His love through reconciliation.
Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their transgressions against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation.
2 Corinthians 5:18-19
Having been reconciled to God, the believer understands that they need not seek war and strife with others. Instead, just like their Father in heaven, they ought to seek peace. This character in the believer reflects the God we believe in.
Scripture further showcases the centrality of peace and peacekeeping in the Christian faith. God is named the God of peace (Romans 15:33, 16:20), Jesus is called the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6), Paul refers to the peace of God in Philippians 4:7, and finally, the gospel is called the gospel of peace (Ephesians 6:15).
In many different places, we see peace mentioned in the scriptures as being in contrast to things like war, anxiety, and confusion. These are things that are not native to the believer.
Seeing the frequency of the idea of peace in the Word of God, we ought to be encouraged as believers to understand that we are meant to be peacemakers. In everything we do, we should always seek to make peace.
Let’s make some self-reflections:
- Am I pursuing peace in my life?
- Are there parts of my life or people with whom I have not decided to make peace?
- Knowing that God gave me the ministry of reconciliation, have I reconciled with all those with whom I am not at peace?
- Am I actively involved in using this ministry of reconciliation to reconcile others to God?
I pray this word reminds us that we are peacemakers and that this is how we ought to live our lives.
May the peace of our Lord be with you,
Paul
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