Thursday, September 30, 2010
True Peacemakers
"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God."
—Matthew 5:9
Of all the Beatitudes given in Matthew 5, there is one most likely to meet with the approval of almost everyone: "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God" (Matthew 5:9). We all want peace in the world. Yet this is not a statement Jesus made to solely advocate working for global peace, although that is an honorable thing to do. I am all for peace, but not for peace at any cost.
The context of Jesus' statement is not about working for peace in and of itself. It is speaking more about those who are bringing the message of the gospel because they want people to enter into a relationship with Jesus, the Prince of Peace. Romans 10:15 says, " ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things!' "
As people who have met God, as people who have experienced His mercy and have committed our lives to hungering and thirsting after Him, we will be true peacemakers. Romans 5:1 says, "Having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ."
However, let me forewarn you that peacemakers are often troublemakers. As contradictory as it sounds, real peacemakers are troublemakers, because they recognize that as long as people are at war with God, they may have to make them sad before they can make them happy. In other words, they may have to confront them with the reality of their spiritual state before God, and as such, they will have to be aggressive, not passive.
Who was a greater peacemaker than Jesus himself, the Prince of Peace? And how did they treat Him? They crucified Him. So if you are a real peacemaker, then you will be persecuted.
Copyright © 2010 by Harvest Ministries. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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