In a world of peace destroyers and peace interrupters and peace mockers, can I be a peace creator and a peace protector? But is it worth the uphill battle to fight for peace? And will there be any lasting reward for such a conquest?
Jesus offers a resounding yes to these suppositions in the first section on His Sermon on the Mount known as the Beatitudes. “Blessed are the peace makers: for they shall be called the children of God.” (Matthew 5:9) The word “beatitude” is not in Scripture, but later the term was applied to this passage. Beatitude means supreme blessedness.
Being a peace maker is simply one quality that is listed as being blessed here in Matthew five. Being poor in spirit, mournful, meek, merciful, pure in heart, and hungering and thirsting for righteousness are also rewarded. But peace maker stands out as a bit different. Their reward is one of becoming and less one of receiving. A peace maker is called a child of God, Who Himself is also a Peace Maker. Jesus Himself was sent by the Father to make peace through His death on the cross and then draw us back to the Father through the work of the Spirit.
Am I like my Father? Am I actively seeking peace in my life? Do I promote peace in my marriage, with my children, and with my friends and colleagues? If I am a peace maker, it springs from that peace in my heart that is cultivated by my Father. As a peace maker, I can be a chip off the Old Block or an apple that didn’t fall far from the Tree. I can be blessed with God’s smile as a peace maker.
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