The Peacemakers

Posted on Mar 1, 2017 in Uncategorized |

The Peacemakers

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God. -Matthew 5:9

How would you define “peace”? No one bugging you? No work or responsibilities in the near future? Everyone happy with you? That would be nice. But there’s more to peace than that.

Have you ever gotten into a big fight with someone close—a friend, a brother or sister, perhaps even mom or dad? That was bad. Now imagine you’re still fighting. You haven’t made up yet. You’re not sure you’ll ever talk to this person again. Soon after the anger passes comes a gaping hole when you realize you may never talk to this person again unless peace is made.

Even after the big fights have been resolved, its easy to think that the other person is to blame or at least shares the blame for the fight. Here’s the thing: You’re the one who broke the peace when you and mom got into a fight. You’re the one who broke the peace when you gossiped about your good friend and now the two of you aren’t talking anymore. You’re the one who broke the peace by mouthing off to the teacher. You broke the peace.

You’ve also broken peace with God. And if that relationship were never fixed, the reality is that you would never get to talk with God again, never feel his love, never have his care and attention.

God did not want things to end like this. Something was required to make peace, to make up for your past misconduct, especially because God did nothing to break the peace. It was all you.

And God did what needed to be done, even though it wasn’t his fault. He sent the Prince of Peace, Jesus, God’s own Son, to make peace. Without the shedding of blood, there could be no forgiveness. That was the price. That’s how bad our sins are. The wages of sin is death. But Jesus died in our place. He made peace by his death and resurrection.

Through faith in Christ you have peace with God—a blessing! Because you have peace with God as his own beloved child of faith, you can have peace with others. After all, as God has forgiven you much, you can forgive others and make peace with them.

Prayer: Dearest Jesus, thank you for making peace between me and God. Help me now to live at and work for peace with others. Amen.