Blessed Are the Peacemakers
Matthew 5:9
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.
Introduction
A. Todd Coget tells the story of a four-year-old and a six-year-old presented their mom with a houseplant. They had used their own money to buy it and she was thrilled. The older of them said with a sad face, "There was a bouquet at the flower shop that we wanted to give you. It was real pretty but it was too expensive. It had a ribbon on it that said ‘Rest In Peace,’ and we thought it would be just perfect since you are always asking for a little peace so that you can rest.
I need only look at the paper or turn on the news to realize there are not enough "peace makers" to go around. Man is continually striving against his fellow man. Anger, bitterness, envy, and hatred are just a few of the reasons there are murders every day and constant war.
Someone has said that out of the last 4000 years there has only been 300 years of peace on the planet. Even the compilers of this statistic agree that there could have been a skirmish some where that would reduce the amount of peace time. It seems that man will always war with his fellow man.
There are some who would eliminate the weapons of war as a solution. They want to rid the earth of pistols, revolvers, rifles, conventional explosives, and nuclear weapons. Treaties, truces, and cease fires seem to have little or no effect.
Recently a bill was introduced in the Senate which would make the manufacture, selling, or owning a firearm of any kind illegal. Only the police and military would have weapons. All ordinary citizens would be disarmed of all firearms, forcibly if necessary. The bill was introduced in reaction to the recent school shootings. I dare say it would promote more violence instead of less from many in this country.
None of these are going to solve the problem of violence. After all, the problem goes back to the time of creation. Just after the fall from the garden Cain murdered Abel. The problem goes to the very core of our being. Matthew 24:6-7 says,
And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars.....nation will rise against nation, kingdom against kingdom.
Jesus knew the problem would persist even till His return. Man has no solution to war. It’s not the weapons of violence we need to abolish. We are the instruments of destruction. Jesus told His disciples who we really are inside. Jesus said,
For from within, out of men’s hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and make a man ‘unclean.
For a solution to be effective there must be a change within each of us. We must become makers of peace. But how can this be? Jesus said we could be peacemakers and be blessed. If He said it there must be a way.
1. The Definition of Peace
Some have translated the word peacemaker, "eireônopoioi", to mean; "peaceable men". However, it does not take into consideration the making or bringing of peace as in "maintainers of peace" as one commentary declared. To understand the peacemakers we need to first understand what is meant by the biblical word peace.
The root word for peace in scripture is "eirene". The word has a depth of meaning. First it means peace as the absence of war. We think of this as peace most of the time. The absence of war could be accomplished with a truce, a treaty, or a cease fire. But the word has a deeper meaning than the absence of war.
Another facet of biblical peace is an absence of hate, anger, rage, envy, and all of the reasons we wage war. We must have an inner peace for this to happen. All of the emotions that interfere with peace must be changed. Our attitude needs to be different.
The word also carries the idea of unity or oneness. Peace that is to unify us also eliminates division and connects us to become one. There is no division, only unity. Peace brings harmony.
Peace is a wonderful word but it is impossible for us to accomplish. We can make treaties, we can declare cease fires, and we can even call a truce, but inner peace and harmony without all of the negative hate filled emotions, it is unattainable for us. So how can we be "peacemakers" if we can not even attain peace for ourselves?
2. The Master of Peace
There can be no peace until we are at peace with the One who created us. Our peace must be centered on Jesus Christ. Only He can bring about a change of heart that we so desperately need. Only He can forgive the sins that separate us from God. Only His peace brings true peace that is everlasting. Ephesians 2:13-15 says,
But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations.
The first step to peace is to realize you are at war, war with God. We are according to scripture "objects of wrath" to God. We have been separated from God by sin. We can do nothing to heal the wounds of war, sin. But if we accept the lordship of Jesus Christ, His sacrifice, we will be saved, redeemed, made clean before God. Instead of objects of wrath we become objects of His love.
Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. 4But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. (Ephesians 2:4-5)
Accepting, receiving, trusting, or believing in Jesus as your Lord and Savior is the only avenue to peace with God and others. Peace is a gift of God thru Jesus Christ. Jesus said in John 14:27,
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives.
How do we remain in peace as a believer? We trust in the work and words of Jesus. He has brought peace with God. God loved us enough to give His Son on the cross for us. Ask yourself, "If God gave His own Son for you and me out of love for us, what "won’t" He do for you and me?"
We will confront all types of problems but we can abide in Christ and trust the Lord completely. We can be at peace with ourselves! What do I do when trouble comes? Paul said in Philippians 4:4-7,
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Rejoice, Rejoice, and do not worry is the first step. Pray and give thanks about everything and the peace of God will guard our hearts in Jesus.
3. The Ambassadors of Peace
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.
We are to be peacemakers. We are to be merciful, the action of showing mercy, and we are to be peacemakers, the action of bringing peace to others. So what does being a peacemaker entail?
First, we must have peace with God through Jesus Christ. Jesus gives us peace with God. A lordship relationship with Jesus is the first step. Romans 5:1 says,
Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand.
Until we deal with our own anger and hostility we can’t bring it to others. We can not give what we do not have. When we come to Jesus Christ and receive Him as lord we receive peace with God. 1 Corinthians 5:17-20 gives a clear picture of our mission.
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.
We receive peace in Christ to bring peace to others. The Great Commission commands us to make disciples. Our mission is to Love God, love others, and share Jesus with everyone. We witness and share Him with others so that they may be at peace with God. We are Christ’s ambassadors of peace and reconciliation.
Finally, we need to stand firm in truth and righteousness. We can not compromise the message of peace. Jesus and Jesus alone is the way to peace with God. There is no other way. It would be convenient to change a few things, get a world view that sounds acceptable but it would be a lie. We are sinners before God, we are helpless and hopeless, but Jesus died for us and paid the price for our so that we might live. He is the only way.
4. The Result of Peace
The result of being a peacemaker is "we will be called children of God". If we receive Jesus as Lord and do as we are commanded we will be His child. John 1:12 says,
Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.
A peacemaker is not someone who wants peace at all costs. A peacemaker knows their peace comes from a loving, merciful, and forgiving God that gave His Son on the cross to bring peace to all who accept Him. A peacemaker is one that lives and communicates the message of peace in Jesus. Why, because they know peace is not found anywhere else. Why, because they have experience the greatest peace so much so that is surpasses our understanding. A peacemaker abides in truth and righteousness.
Are you ready to become a peacemaker today? You begin by receiving the Peacemaker, Jesus Christ as Lord.
Invitation
