Part 7: Those who are the peace makers
(Matthew 5:1-12)
When it comes to peacemaking, the world is woefully inadequate. Governments spend billions of dollars on police forces, criminal justice systems and large militaries while violence continues to grow in our schools, communities and nations. The traditional method of locking up the violent offender is not working. If you don’t buy what I’m saying, just watch your local news followed by a dose of CNN or FOX News.
The reason the above paragraph is true is because a police or military response to evil and violence is never more than a temporary solution. The root cause of evil and violence is sin. As sinful people, we disobey God and do whatever we want to satisfy our own desires. This extreme selfishness leads people to commit acts of violence in order to have their own way. Police forces and militaries do not address sin and, therefore, can only provide a temporary solution to violence.
The only permanent solution to violence is the changed heart that comes through a relationship with God. As people walk with God through faith in Jesus, the Holy Spirit changes their hearts. They become less self-centered and more God centered. This naturally results in a less violent person. This is where the 7th beatitude comes in: “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God”
By now, you should realize that the beatitudes are progressive. The Holy Spirit uses each beatitude as a segue into the next one. First we surrender our humbled and mourning hearts to God (The first three beatitudes). Then we find ourselves hungering to become more righteous or like Christ, which makes us more merciful and pure in heart (The 4th, 5th and 6th beatitudes). The more ‘pure in heart’ we become the better peacemakers we become.
Before we continue, we must understand that the beatitude transformational process serves two purposes. The first purpose is to bring us back into a love relationship with God. The second purpose is to transform us so God can effectively use us to change the world. As we become peacemakers, God uses us to bring His peace into the world.
I’ve seen this happen on numerous occasions during KAIROS Prison Ministry week-ends. By the end of every week-end, hardened and violent convicts find themselves openly weeping and hugging each other. There was one particular incident when two convicts started to argue across the table and came close to blows. Before they actually started to fight, a third convict spoke up and said that everyone at the table should pray. So, we all prayed. The next day our table went to chapel. At chapel we each had an opportunity to pray whatever was on our hearts. During this chapel time, the two convicts who came close to blows the day before expressed repentance and forgiveness. They hugged each other and started a close friendship. God used the KAIROS team members and the other convicts as peacemakers to bring His peace into a maximum security prison.
If God can bring peace into a prison, I think God can use us to bring peace into our families, schools, work and community. As we surrender everything to God and allow God to transform us, we will become a peaceful presence to everyone around us. Where there is hate, we’ll bring love. Where there is evil, we’ll bring goodness. Where there are lies, we’ll bring truth. Where there is violence, we’ll bring peace.
Not everyone, however, will appreciate this. Many hateful & selfish people use lies, violence, manipulation and other evil means to maintain their power and further their own agendas. Peacemakers are a threat to them. They will, therefore, persecute the peacemakers in whatever ways they can. This brings us into the next beatitude, “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so men persecuted the prophets who were before you.” This, however, is the topic of the next article.
