Blessed Are the Peacemakers

Matthew 5:9

Our God is the God of peace (1 Cor. 14:33; Php. 4:9; 1 Thess. 5:23).  His Son is the Prince of Peace (Isa. 9:6) and the Lord of peace (2 Thess. 3:16).  The apostles Peter, Paul and John included a blessing of peace in their letters.  Surely we too must be people of peace.  But how can we reconcile these truths with what Christ said in Matthew 10:34, “Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword”?

To make peace is to bring harmony between two parties.  We typically think in terms of peace between two people, or families or nations.  We do well to desire such peace even to pray for it.  And, certainly, given opportunity we ought to make every effort for peace with all men.  But Jesus knew the gospel would not bring world peace.  In fact, because of the nature of man, the gospel would in many cases bring division.  We must remember, however, that man is the cause of division, never God.

There is a peace that is accomplished through the gospel: peace between God and man.  This is the peace Jesus gives to all who will obey.  From the time of Adam’s sin there has been division between God and man.  Because He is holy, God cannot be in the presence of sin; because we are sinners we cannot be in the presence of God.  But Christ came and, through His death, made peace between God and man.  His blood washes away our sins, first in baptism, and then continually as we walk in the Light with Him (1 John 1:7).

Those who have found this peace are truly blessed because they are the children of God.  As His children we ought to be peacemakers.  We should desire peace with all men: in our homes, our communities, our nation and our world.  We should promote peace among the brethren.  But we must also seek peace between God and man for such peace has the greatest virtue.  We can best help bring about this peace by teaching others the gospel of Christ.  When we proclaim the gospel to the lost we have a part in their reunion with God.

Let us always be peaceful.  And let us be peacemakers.  First let us, through Christ, make our peace with God.  Then let us do all we can to make peace between God and our fellow man.  When we do these two things we too are the blessed children of the God of peace.

Thomas Sneed