Blessed are the Peacemakers
Matthew 5:1-9
September 4, 2022
For the past 6 weeks, we’ve been looking at the beatitudes from Matthew 5. Jesus gave us some very difficult to follow rules for living life. Yet, they are so needed. Let’s look at what He’s told us so far - - -
3 Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
7 Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
And this week, He tells us - - -
9 BLESSED ARE THE PEACEMAKERS, FOR THEY SHALL BE CALLED SONS OF GOD.
Blessed are the peacemakers. That’s not much fun! Personally, I didn’t get into too many fights as a youngster or as an oldster! I did get into 2 fights in high school. They were over quickly, since neither of us were fighters.
I did get into 1 gang fight! I won’t get into the details, but it wasn’t pretty. We were a bunch of suburban boys who knew nothing about fighting, going against Chicago boys who knew how to fight and who were very prepared for battle. The night ended with my first ride in a police car, but only to be taken to a safe place. No arrests were made!
I also learned what a dysfunctional peacemaker was like when I grew up. Maybe some of you can identify with this.
My biggest fight really came at home. It wasn’t always a fun place to be. If you did something wrong, or it was inferred that you did something wrong, you received the silent treatment from my father. So, we ended up being peacemakers, even when we weren’t wrong, we were supposed to apologize so that there could be a false sense of peace at home.
Maybe you’ve been there, but that’s not what Jesus is talking about. In fact, what Jesus was saying would have been very radical to the people He was talking to.
Think about the context ... the Jewish people were oppressed by the Romans. The Jews wanted the Messiah to come because He was going to be a Mighty Warrior like David and a priest like Aaron. He would lead the people in defeating the Romans and become world leaders.
The Jews didn’t want peace, they wanted to kick the Romans out of Israel. The only peace they wanted was what would happen after the war.
They must have been wondering . . . does Jesus really know what He’s saying? “Do you know how much the Romans are taxing us? We live in poverty. King Herod has killed 1000's. Pilate’s desecrated the temple. So, what’s this guy talking about. This is NOT what we want!!”
That must be a sermon-blooper. He meant, blessed are those who make war.
You see, this was a radical, an unimaginable statement from Jesus.
And it sounds pretty radical in our world today. We hear about the craziness of the world and we want to do some butt kicking ourselves. There’s threats all around us. We never know who’s going to fly off the handle at any moment.
Every day, people and situations try our patience — and if we’re not careful, we can easily explode — robbing us of peace.
So, what can we do and what does Jesus mean that the blessed peacemakers will be sons and daughters of God?
Well, let’s start with who we are and move from there. I actually thought the rest of the time I could read various, and I mean a lot of scriptures about peace.
What’s interesting is that when we think of peace, for many people, it’s not God’s peace, but the peace of the world that they try to experience. And worldly peace never lasts. Sometimes, admittedly, God’s peace is fleeting. But that’s because of us, not God - - - because we can easily sabotage it.
The first thing we need to do in order to experience God’s peace is to admit that we’re sinners in need of His grace. It goes beyond making mistakes, it’s the intentional and unintentional sins we commit. We need to confess that we’re in need because we’re fallen. But, who wants to admit they’re a sinner? Yet, that’s the vital first step to peace.
Paul tells us - - -
23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. - Romans 6:23
That’s the starting point, admitting we’re sinners, but because of God’s grace, He offers us the gift, which is free, of eternal life. So, Paul adds - - -
6 For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. - Romans 8:6
Folks, that’s so important for us to grasp. It’s the call of Jesus to set our minds on God, to embrace His call in our lives so that we can experience life and peace.
It also means, seeking peace through the world is never going to work. Finding it in our latest fix, isn’t going to work. Finding it in the next relationship isn’t going to work. Finding it in a new toy, won’t cut it.
Jesus is telling us that we need to fix our sights on God, and God alone so that we can experience life and peace.
It’s the hope we receive when we’re reconciled to God, through Jesus. When we didn’t know God, we didn’t have peace. Paul is great at talking about this . . . In Romans 5:1, he tells us - - -
1 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. - Romans 5:1
That’s a foundational statement for us. I’ll quickly break it down, then we need to move forward.
Paul’s giving us a conclusion. That’s what therefore means. As a result of what I’ve just said, as a result of my prior discussion in Romans 4 about Abraham’s righteousness and the justification of Jesus.
For those who are in Christ, for those who have said YES to Jesus, you are justified by your faith. We don’t use that in our everyday world. We say we have salvation. But understanding justification is really, really important. The best way to look at justification is to view it as a legal term.
For Martin Luther, this section because the cornerstone of his faith . . . and is really what kicked off the Protestant Reformation.
Martin Luther stated that the doctrine of justification by faith alone is the article on which the church stands or falls. Justification answers the question how a sinner can be acceptable in the sight of a holy God.
It’s called forensic justification. This is the backbone phrase of protestant Christianity. Forensic justification is a legal term which means you are not condemned. You are NOT guilty.
So, when satan takes you to court on judgement day and lays out his case against you. It’s overwhelming how bad it’ll be, but then the Father stands up and declares you NOT GUILTY! You’ve been released, freed, your sins, your penalty, will no longer count against you.
Why? You have been justified by your faith in Jesus. You believe Jesus died and shed His blood for you. You are justified and in overly simplistic terms we could say God looks at you - - -
just - if - I’d never sinned
And because God looks at you that way, there’s no more enmity between you and God, you now have peace with God. It’s what I said last week, the old person is gone and the new person has arisen. And because of that you are now at peace with God. And it’s all because of what Jesus did for us.
So, we now have peace with God, because we’ve admitted we’re sinners, we’ve now been bathed, washed by the blood of Christ. It’s part of what we did a few minutes ago during communion. We hold to the hope we have in the work that Jesus did for us. We’re now viewed as righteous, cleansed, washed, because Jesus died in our place.
Which leads to another huge theological term called IMPUTED RIGHTEOUSNESS.
It means God now views you as righteous. Not because we are, because we’re not. But because of what Jesus did for us. God brought Jesus into the world to atone for our sins. Paul tells us that Jesus was the propitiation for our sins. He paid the penalty that we should have received.
An entire seminary course could be taught on these doctrines.
NOW . . . we have to keep moving . . . because we’ve been reconciled to God --- we have peace with God, so now we can His power to go into the world and be peacemakers. It’s not always easy, because we find the world is so antagonistic towards Christians in general.
Yet, Jesus reminds us that the peace we receive is not a normal, natural peace, in fact, it’s a super-natural peace. As Jesus was preparing the disciples for His death, He told them in John 14 - - -
27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. - John 14:27
What important words for us to hear. Firstly, notice it is not the worlds peace, it is the peace of Jesus. He gives it to us. We don’t have to buy it, we don’t have to perform for it, it’s a gift. Actually, it’s part of the package of saying yes to Jesus when we proclaim belief in Him.
He makes it clear this is a different kind of peace, again, not the worlds peace. So, because it’s the peace of Jesus, He reminds us . . . don’t let your hearts be troubled, don’t be afraid, because I am with you.
Literally, Jesus is saying don’t let the world get you all agitated. Don’t let the world get you all stirred up so that you become more than afraid, you become more like a coward, fearful of the consequences, a timid, afraid person.
So, when we have His peace, we don’t have to fear, we can be courageous in the face of whatever we’re going through because we trust He is with us.
It goes along with what Jesus later said in John 16 - - -
33 I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world. - John 16:33
When we receive Jesus’ peace, we’re confident in that peace, because Jesus has overcome the world. He is the victor. Only through His death did He defeat the enemy and give us victory.
So, the call is now to be that peacemaker. We hear that in many scriptures - - -
14 Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. - Hebrews 12:14
15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. - Colossians 3:15
18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. - Romans 12:18
We are now called to be the peacemakers. Attempt to make peace. Boy, isn’t that a tough call. Maybe you haven’t lived in a peace-filled home. Your home had no peace, a home where you’re always walking on egg shells.
If you’ve been there, you know what it’s like to try to be a peacemaker. You get involved, you step on toes, and you may get hurt in the process and sometimes it seems like everyone else is getting along fine except for you.
Being a peacemaker is not an easy thing to do. Again, it’s counter to our nature. And admittedly, we have to pick and choose where we get involved. And know this . . . when you get involved with people who don’t know peace, often times, it won’t be pretty, it won’t be a quick fix. Partly because they don’t know what peace is. They’ve only experienced a sample from the world. Which doesn’t last.
And the world’s peace often comes through home-made remedies, like drugs, alcohol, sex, and other addictions. Sometimes it’s through emotional and mental abuse, which leads to feelings of power for others, so it’s not easy.
OK, whew - - - TIME for the reward. Jesus says when you’re a peacemaker - - -
9 . . . FOR THEY SHALL BE CALLED SONS AND DAUGHTERS OF GOD.
Those who seek to be peacemakers receive the ultimate reward of being called a child of God. In may respects you’re reflecting the character of God.
In Galatians 3, Paul explains for us - - -
23 Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed.
24 So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith.
25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian,
26 for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith.
You may be wondering, “SAY WHAT?” Paul’s telling us before we believed in Jesus we were restricted to following the law. The law was what condemned us, held us hostage in some respects.
But now we have been freed by Christ so that we might be justified by faith.
As a result we are now sons of God, through our faith.
The phrase sons of God is super important. I think I’ve said that a few times today! When we think of ourselves as a child of God - - - it really goes deeper than that.
Men and women are now characterized as having the rights of “sons,” because with sonship comes the right of inheritance. The Greek word Paul uses for “sons” is a legal term used in the adoption and inheritance laws of first-century Rome.
This term refers to the status of all Christians, both men and women, boys and girls, Jews and Greeks, slaves and the free - - - who have been adopted into God’s family. Each person now enjoys all the privileges, obligations, and inheritance rights of God’s children.
Let me end with this from 1 Peter, because this is the best description of our inheritance - - -
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to His great mercy,
He has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
4 to an inheritance that is IMPERISHABLE, UNDEFILED and UNFADING, kept in heaven for you
This is part of the great reward we receive for being peacemakers.
Our reward is received by seeing God in this world and in the world to come.
We’ve received Jesus - - - we’ve been changed, cleansed, healed
We’ve taken on God’s character as best we can.
We know God and His peace
so, we seek to bring His peace to others
WHY?! because we’ve experienced it.
We’ve received His promise - - - -
we’re adopted into His family through the blood of Jesus
we’re cleansed / washed clean
and now we receive this great inheritance
an inheritance that will
NEVER PERISH,
NEVER BECOME IMPURE
NEVER FADING!
