The Beatitudes 7

Matthew 5:9
Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God.

Most of us would agree that there is a difference between a peacemaker and a peacekeeper. But what exactly are those differences, and why would Jesus identify peacemakers as being worthy of the title, ”sons of God?”

Peacekeepers don’t concern themselves with the underlying issues of a conflict, but peacemakers expose and try to resolve those issues.

Peacekeepers use force to suppress conflict or use silence to avoid it, while peacemakers allow conflict to occur as a natural part of any relationship.

Peacekeepers are concerned more about their own safety and comfort, while peacemakers put others’ safety and comfort before their own.

Peacekeepers fear conflict, but peacemakers manage conflict.

Jesus is a peacemaker. He addresses conflict between God and people, and He addresses conflict between people and other people. In the conflict between God and people, Jesus tackled the dividing issues of sin and death, and He resolved them once and for all. He could have suppressed this conflict by forcing all people into compulsory obedience. He could have avoided this conflict by not going to the cross, but instead, He put our wellbeing before His own and died a cruel and lonely death in our place. And “It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us” (Romans 8:34).

In conflicts between people, Jesus removes the basis for their differences. For example, the deepest-rooted conflict of Jesus’ time was between Jew and Gentile. Of this conflict Ephesians 2:14-16 says, “14For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, 15by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, 16and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility.”

Jesus is a peacemaker. And when we operate as peacemakers; when we introduce others to the only Way to be reconciled to God; when we put others’ wellbeing before our own; when we refuse to suppress or avoid conflict, but instead work hard to resolve it, then we are fulfilling our highest calling—to be like Jesus, to be sons of God.

Today let’s pray that:
· We would be effective in making peace between unbelievers and God.
· We would be useful in resolving conflict between people.