Matthew 5:9, “Blessed are the peacemakers because they shall be called sons of God.” 2020 sure seems to be a long season where we all want peace, but it seems to be harder to find. Even though peace and tranquility is what we want, this verse is about peacemakers. It is not for those who want peace but those who make peace. There seem to be lots of ministry opportunities currently with Covid, protests, layoffs, and the increased anxiety.
The beatitudes are sacred paradoxes. “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of God.” Those that are poor in spirit are those that cannot do anything to help improve their personal condition. They will see the kingdom of heaven. In other words, they must totally rely on the Lord for everything and they will be blessed. However, in Matthew 5:9 Jesus says something positive, an action, must be done in order to belong to this group. The one blessed must make peace.
It looks like there is no paradox. If you go out and make peace, God recognizes your efforts and you will be blessed. In the New Testament peace is no hostility with God through salvation provided by Christ. Peace describes the state of the believer assured of God’s grace, content with God’s authority. Peace is directly connected with righteousness, safety, love, grace and glory. God’s peace is independent of outside conditions and is the fruit of real salvation with God.
Peace, then is a word that summarizes the life of those who are citizens of the kingdom. Not a single person in the crowd on that hill as Jesus shared the Beatitudes was experiencing peace. The paradox is connected to the combination of “peace” with “maker”. The paradox is that only those who are giving up this reality of peace reflect God’s character.
Everyone wants peace, but not necessarily the peacemaker. The peacemaker is one who actually gives up personal harmony in order to put himself at risk for the sake of peace. You can’t be a peacemaker without stepping into a war. They engage in battle, not to control, but to counsel. Peacemakers are a paradox. The very thing they want they relinquish.
Happy are those who give up their peace for the sake of someone else’s peace. They are blessed and are sons/daughters of God who are destined to become God’s children. They yield to God’s character within them. Stepping into conflict to bring peace is what God does. The joy comes from participating with God by His Spirit.
This is a great opportunity to become a peacemaker to those around you. Consider the ways to communicate with those who may need peace. You can encourage people through texts, calls, virtual calls, write articles, books, and do pod casts. Enjoy yourself, because you shall be called sons/daughters of God!
In His Covenant Love,
