The Beatitudes - Part 7

Blessed are the peacemakers

5^th July 2008

The seventh beatitude is:

Matthew 5v9
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.

The world is crying out for peace; peace between nations, peace between ethnic groups, peace on the streets, peace in the pubs and clubs. We have an increasing problem where our young people resolve their differences with knives. We need peace, but we seem to have less and less of it. Our accident and emergency services are busy every Friday and Saturday night with people who get seriously hurt in fights after a few drinks. Our schools are increasingly violent, our hospital staff get attacked by patients. Increasingly, our young people work out their differences with knives.

Most people are not even at peace with themselves. Our lack of peace with ourselves is the root cause of sudden outbursts of anger, such as road rage or a sudden argument in a pub or a checkout queue.

We need peace between friends, peace within families, peace with ourselves, peace with God.

We need peacemakers. Some can bring peace between individuals. Some can help change whole societies by finding a path to reconciliation between groups who have had mutual antipathy for many years.

To help two people to find peace with each other is a wonderful act of service. To bring a measure of peace between communities can change the atmosphere of a whole area.

And Jesus, the Prince of Peace, says that those who make peace between others are called “sons of God”. Jesus the Son of God came to Earth to bring "peace, goodwill towards men" Luke 2v14 (AV). God is the God of peace. And peacemakers are called sons of God because they share His mission.

Often those who try to bring peace are abused by those they are trying to help, at least at first. Jesus is not saying that we’ll be called sons of God by other people, but by God Himself.

The previous beatitude was “blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God”. And with pure motives, we can bring peace to others. This becomes possible because we have no ulterior motive. We don’t avoid conflict for fear of being hurt ourselves. We give ourselves to people who are not at peace with each other, to help them. We can avoid siding with one or the other, we can love both partied equally, we can be patient and gentle. And, if our pureness of heart enables us to maintain a good relationship with God, that will help us to remain peaceful ourselves, and to pray for those we seek to help.

Being a Christian isn’t just about our own salvation – it’s also about helping others. James 2v17 reminds us that faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. And, as Christians, we are uniquely equipped to bring peace to others.

The greatest peace of all is, of course, peace with God, available through the Gospel of Peace (Ephesians 6v15). And the only way to find peace with ourselves is to find peace with God. And the only way to be completely at peace with others is to be at peace with ourselves.

We should seek to bring peace wherever we can. Peace with God, peace with ourselves and peace with others. In His name.