“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.” (Matthew 5:9)
I liked Peace Week so much, I decided to make an immediate sequel: Peace Week 2! Is the exclamation point too much? Last week was a tour of some thoughts from the Old Testament about peace; this week we’re tackling 7 NT passages – starting with this one.
You’ll find it toward the end of the Jesus’ famous “beatitudes,” a list of counter-intuitive head-scratchers. Blessed are the mourners? Blessed are the meek? Blessed are the persecuted? What? That sounds backwards! And that’s the point; God rewards humans who demonstrate their trust in him by surrendering their right to escape suffering and get ahead in this life.
That’s where peacemakers comes in. They set aside their agenda for personal fairness, victory, and comfort in favor of bringing a godly peace to their relationships and circle of influence. Does that make them volunteer doormats? Or does it show the ultimate confidence in their Father to protect them and make everything right in the end?
Think: Would you describe yourself as a peacemaker? What does it cost to be a peacemaker? Why is it an act of faith in God?
Pray: Ask God to give you the courage to be a peacemaker.
Do: Read James 3:13-17 and notice that God’s kind of wisdom leads toward becoming a peacemaker.