The seventh Beatitude is this:
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they shall be called sons of God. (Matthew 5:9)
Who are peacemakers? Peacemakers live peaceful lives and try to bring peace and friendship to others. They also try to preserve peace between God and man.
Jesus wants us to be filled with his peace that comes from an understanding of the Gospel. He then wants us to communicate the peace and the Gospel to those who need it. Romans 14:19 tells us: So then let us pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another.
Peace-receivers thus become peace-givers.
Peacemaking however, may not mean seeking peace at any cost. A peacemaker does not avoid taking a position. A peacemaker has strength and Godly wisdom and uses that to establish proper relationships between people based on truth and righteousness. Think Jesus in the temple. Think Jesus with the Pharisees.
A peacemaker realizes there is only one way to have peace: by trusting in Jesus. It was by the cross that Jesus brought peace between God and man and provided a way for peace between men.
At Jesus’ birth the angels sang:
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. (Luke 2:14)
Jesus was God’s way of showing good will toward men; of providing peace on earth between man and God.
Because of Christ's death we have access to God and can come into the presence of God and the peace that surrounds Him.
By his death Jesus also destroyed another barrier to peace: that dividing wall of hostility between fellow men. Ephesians 2:14 "For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one, and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall".
The reason we can love other people and have peace with them—including our enemies—is because Christ destroyed the hostility between man and man when he died on the cross. Colossians 1:20 "And through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross".
By being peacemakers—between ourselves and between man and God, we are blessed. God calls us His sons and daughters. Children of the King? Yep, that’s a blessing.
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, thank you for giving us peace and providing a way to have peace among men. Please show us ways to share your peace with others so that we, as peace receivers, can become peace givers, and thus be called "sons of God." Amen.
WHAT ABOUT YOU? In what way are you a peace giver?
6 comments:
♪♫♪ Peace, peace, wonderful peace, coming down from the Father above! Sweep over my spirit forever, I pray, In fathomless billows of love. ♫♪♫
@ Pam - you have such a lovely voice!
Only when I sing this way!
I love learning more about peace!
Here's a verse that I've been working on and thinking a lot about:
But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness. James 3:16-17
Love this series Carol !!
Love your descriptions of peacemakers as people with character and strength instead the cultural concept of someone holding up 2 fingers and saying "peace, man!"
@ Christine - ha! If all you had to do to be children of God was hold up 2 fingers, heaven probably wouldn't be too heavenly, would it?
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