I believe that there is a natural sequence of thought from purity of heart to peacemaking. Oh, I know that we could go in many different directions from purity of heart. It’s like the hub of a wheel with spokes going out in several directions. But the direction that the Lord Jesus has chosen to follow is from purity to peacemaking. And my illustration of evangelism is appropriate because evangelism is one form of peacemaking.
According to my understanding of these beatitudes, every Christian is called to be a peacemaker. Peacemaking will always be a part of the heart and character of the citizen of Christ Jesus’ Kingdom. But he must be a peacemaker in the context of purity and eternal truth. And this blend of our responsibility with God’s holiness and perfection make this characteristic very difficult to fully understand and apply. For example, it is a fact that truth often makes people despise peace. The very presence and ministry of Jesus set men against their fathers and daughters against mothers. The obvious reason is that the heart of the impure heart is antagonistic towards God and His truth. And that is just the reason that we have been given this ministry. In the context of the peace which we have received, and in the light of God’s holiness, we are to be characterized by peacefulness and peacemaking. But how do we know that we have gone just far enough in our efforts to create peace? When does the Christian step from peacemaking to compromise, encouraging the sinner in his sin? No one ever said that these beatitudes were going to be easy.
Before we can be peacemakers, we have to know what peace is and what peacemakers are.
The dictionary defines peace as – “the absence of war or other hostilities. An agreement or a treaty to end hostilities. Freedom from quarrels and disagreement; Harmonious relations public security and order; inner contentment; serenity.” In most of these we can see that peace involves reconciliation; a bringing together of those who were in conflict. Sometimes the peacemaker is one of the combatants, but at other times he is a third party.
Now remember the context of this statement – the beatitudes. Before we can bear these characteristics of God’s kingdom, we must be citizens of that kingdom. This is a divine work, because at it’s root, no matter what area in which it operates it means reconciliation. The saint – you and me I trust – “have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: work of God, being justified by faith.” Through Christ, “God was pleased to reconcile all things (and even us) to Himself.” He does this by “making peace through the blood of the cross.” This being true, it is not surprising to see what is in store for the peace-maker. “Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.” You and I are suppose to be applying or copying what our Heavenly Father has done for us. We are supposed to bear the image of the Son of God in our day-to-day lives.
In Colossians 3:15 Paul exhorts us, “And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.” In that verse the call of God, the local church, the peace of God and thankfulness are all tied together. People truly thankful for their salvation and for the Lord’s daily blessings not only have an obligation to be at peace and peacemakers, but they also have the means. And the body of Christ, the local church, should be a place of peace, not war. “The peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
Interestingly, Matthew 5:9 is the only place in the Bible where the Greek term “peacemaker” is used. But its root is quite common “eirene” (i-ray’-nay). The lady’s name “Irene” may not be as common today as it was among our grandparents, but it means “peace” – it’s a good Biblical name. Is it my imagination or like the absence of Irene today, we are finding less and less “eirene” (i-ray’-nay), and even less peacemakers?
This beatitude does not mean, “Blessed are those who avoid all conflict and confrontation.” Neither does it mean, “Blessed are those who are laid back, easygoing and relaxed .” Nor, “Blessed are those who defend a ‘peace at any price.’” It doesn’t mean “Blessed are the passive, those who compromise the truth or their convictions when surrounded by those who would disagree with them.”
What is it to be a peacemaker?
Remember that Paul once exhorted us, “If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.” We might lawfully add, “if it be possible, as much as the truth permits, live peaceably with all men.” Perhaps I should have given you James 3:16-4:4 earlier to prove how peace and purity are related, but it is pertinent here as well – “Where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace. From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts. Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.” A peacemaker is a servant of God who is, first of all, enjoying the peace of God himself. He is not fearful, worried, agitated, ill-tempered or in turmoil himself. And then he is willing to suffer the hardship and perhaps the pain of settling quarrels – Quarrels either between himself and others or between other separate parties.
Ephesians is one of the most ecclesiastical of all the books of the Bible. By that I mean that not only was it written to a specific church, but its thoughts were often kept within the context of a church. Ephesians 3:20-21 – “Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.” The verses immediately following those take us back to Jesus’ beatitude – “I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, with all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.”
Are you a peacemaker? Are you more apt to help reconcile arguing parties, or are you likely to join one of the sides against the other. Have you ever driven anyone away from the Lord’s church through your antagonistic attitude? For the sake of argument, let’s say that you never have.
Well then, have you ever been around a Christian who was just the opposite of a peacemaker? Have there ever been one of these people in our church? What did you sense about his spirit and spiritual condition? For example, how much pride did you detect in him? Whatever was the subject of the controversy, did he assume or demand that he had the correct and the only opinion? Did he patiently listen to the other person’s position and arguments, or was his mind closed? If no solution could be reached, did he become angry or belligerent? Let’s say that you are visiting a community whose only scriptural church believes that women should wear head-coverings – that their long hair is not sufficient covering to show respect toward the Lord. When another lady visitor comes in, and she is not wearing a hat or something else, two of the members approached the visitors and an argument ensues. Without a peacemaker, that confrontation could end unpleasantly. Both sides might say that they are trying to honour God, but is the quarrel God-honoring? Perhaps as a visitor it might be out of place for you to try to calm the situation, but some other member of that church should step in and point out that both people have a right to their opinion and that even the experts in Bible interpretation disagree with one another. Sometimes a part of peacemaking is simple patience.
I ran across this poem by an unknown author a couple of weeks ago – it is both funny and very sad – The sad part is that it is all to true, especially in churches where doctrine is taken seriously – like ours. “Believe as I believe, no more, no less; That I am right, and no one else, I confess; Feel as I feel, think only as I think; Eat what I eat, and drink but what I drink; Look as I look, do always as I do; And then, only then, I’ll fellowship with you.” Do I read of our Saviour eating with publicans and sinners, working as a peacemaker between them and the holy God? Why can’t the members of God’s churches be more like that? The fact is that this beatitude says that they will be more like that. How much patience and peacefulness will you share with someone who continues to bring his New International Version of the Bible to your church? I agree with you that only the King James represents God’s original revelation in English. Hopefully that visitor will some day understand, but are you willing to be a peacemaker between him and another member until he recognizes the truth? Or will you be the person who drives him back out the front door because of your confrontational, non-peacemaking, attitude? There may be a hundred topics which could cause strife between people, even between church members, if we allow it to happen. We need to be peacemakers even when we are a part of the conflict. Especially when both parties have some scriptures to authenticate their position, or when there are no scriptures whatsoever on either side.
Our Saviour doesn’t get into the question; but what are the characteristics of a peacemaker?
Realizing that every situation, every quarrel and every war are different, requiring perhaps a few different specifics, may I offer a few. First, I think that peacemakers need to recognize that they are only citizens in the kingdom and not the king. Yes, to us as been given the task of knowing the truth, defending the truth and teaching the truth. But to pull our own sword and to threaten our neighbor has not been a responsibility given to us. Take David and Saul as an example. They had a theological quarrel over who should be king of Israel. Saul, as God’s anointed, had an argument that he had a right to the throne, and he was not going to compromise. David was more theologically correct, and had every right to take the throne by force. But he constantly strove for peace, all the while trying to teach Saul the truth by word and example. And down in the depths of his heart he kept saying, “The LORD judge between me and thee, and the LORD avenge me of thee: but mine hand shall not be upon thee.” David even suffered wrong in order to maintain as much peace as possible.
A corollary to the recognition of God’s sovereignty is man’s humility. If I may take David as a positive example, let’s turn him around an use him negatively. Following two encounters with Saul, David was rebuffed, ridiculed and shamed by foolish Nabal. The peacefulness and humility which we earlier saw in the man of God was overcome by sin and pride. David strapped on his sword with every intention of using it, but Nabal’s wife became the peacemaker. Abigail is the epitome of humility as she races to intersect pride-filled David and his upcoming attack. “And when Abigail saw David, she hasted, and lighted off the ass, and fell before David on her face, and bowed herself to the ground, And fell at his feet, and said, Upon me, my lord, upon me let this iniquity be: and let thine handmaid, I pray thee, speak in thine audience, and hear the words of thine handmaid.” And now this blessing which thine handmaid hath brought unto my lord, let it even be given unto the young men that follow my lord. I pray thee, forgive the trespass of thine handmaid: for the LORD will certainly make my lord a sure house; because my lord fighteth the battles of the LORD, and evil hath not been found in thee all thy days.” “He that is of a proud heart stirreth up strife: but he that putteth his trust in the LORD shall be made fat (shall be made to prosper).” True and effective peacemakers must have the wisdom of Holy Spirit and the knowledge of God. A knowledge of the Word of the Lord would always be important to the spiritual peacemaker.
Obviously, the peacemaker must be someone who is slow to anger. This is certainly not an easy thing. Proverbs 15:1 – “A soft answer turneth away wrath; but grievous words stir up anger.” Proverbs 16:24 – “Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, Sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.” A peacemaker is someone who has control of his tongue – a very unruly, evil part of any human being.
Perhaps another aspect of the peacemaker is toughness and strength. Because peacemaking can sometimes be a painful thing. It cost both David and Abigail something to create peace. If we are in the midst of the quarrel, we might have to bear the pain of an apology for the injury that we have caused. And in Abigail’s case, there were the gifts that she gave.
Then perhaps on the opposite side of the coin, peacemaking requires some degree of love. There must be a tenderness of heart, a desire for reconciliation. That of course was at the root of God’s peacemaking with you. Peacemakers shall be called the children of that God.
I don’t know about you, but as I was meditating on this subject I was struck by the fact, that this is an extremely important ministry, but it’s also one that is often neglected.