Blessed are the peacemakers - walkingbyfaith.com.ng

The peacemakers are those who desire and delight in peace. Such people work tirelessly for Peace. Making people to live in peace in this catastrophic world is sometimes a thankless task.

Often, the peacemaker received blows from both sides, each condemning him for what he said, did or did not say or do.

In our world today, ‘peacekeeping’ has become a very common term, especially among world leaders. lost of efforts have

been made to ensure that peace reigns in some parts of the world where there is chaos and unrest. Yet we are not sure, how much positive results have been achieved.

For over a decade there has been an ongoing crisis and unrest in Afghanistan and Iraq. yet the world powers occupying these areas will preach to the world that they are on peacekeeping mission, but many people do not accept their peacekeeping missions.

There is a sharp cry for Peace, unity and equality between the Islamic majority and Christian minority worlds, following series of attacks against the Christian minority in Egypt.

These attacks we are heightened by a bomb blast, which was suspected to have been carried out by a suicide bomber.

This bomb blast targeted at the Christian since exploded outside a Coptic church in Alexandria as the Christians were leaving

the church after a service ushering in the new year 2011; leaving many people dead and others injured.

The story is not different in Jos, Nigeria where many people have been killed by Islamic militants and their appraisal attack carried by Christians who have suffered casualties.

In the face of all these crisis and violence the world leaders still say that they are making peace. They send military troops to enforce peace. Is this really what Jesus was referring to win when he said “Blessed are the peacemakers”?

The beatitudes teach us that peacemakers wood together with Christ who came into the work to overcome all barriers and to proclaim peace on Earth.

The peacemakers follow the footsteps of Christ as his ambassador, reconciling humans to God and follow humans (2nd Corinthians 5 verse 18 to 21).

Christ gives the peacemakers a name! they will be called sons of God.

God will acknowledge them as his children.

What is the application of Matthew 5:9 to believers in our present day society?

Matthew 5:9 is a call for Christians to live at peace with one another and with those outside the Faith. As a disciple of Jesus, God calls us to be a peacemaker, and that night, my soul was not full of peace.

Through the renewing blood of Christ, Christians have the power to pursue peace in all circumstances. Based on my own experience and the teachings of the Bible as a whole, here are 3 ways Christians can act in obedience to Matthew 5:9:

1. Trust in the promises of the Bible despite your situation. Whether there’s relational conflict, financial stress, sickness, trauma, or chronic pain, Christians are called to live in light of eternity, not our fluctuating circumstances.

As frail humans, we often react to our circumstances based on our feelings, rather than trusting God’s good and perfect plan. In order to act in obedience to Matthew 5:9, we

must trust in the promises of God and lay aside our anxiety as Jesus states in Matthew

6:25-34. For peace is not the absence of conflict or pain, but rather the power and presence of Christ in the midst of our struggle.

Therefore, we must cling to Christ and His word, seeking His strength to live out the fruit of the spirit among our challenging circumstances. Not only will this provide peace for our own souls, but we will emulate the God of peace as we do so.

“I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” – John 16:33

2. Pursue peace in and for your community, city, and the world by serving others. A peacemaker is one who promotes God’s peace. As Christians, we are to seek shalom—or holistic well-being for ourselves and the watching world.

This practically looks like putting our own selfish desires aside and seeking the well-being of others. Later in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus calls His disciples to serve the

needy, love our enemies, and lay up treasures in Heaven. A peacemaker creates an environment of peace in the community even when it provides no gain to you. As

Christians, we’re called to care for the spiritual needs of people as well as the physical, seeking to create shalom for each person we encounter. Practically speaking,

this can look like serving at the food bank, caring for an elderly neighbor, forgiving a friend who hurt you deeply, or fostering kids who need a home. Whatever the need is in

your community, we are to emulate the peace of God by pursuing His peace on behalf of the people around us.

“What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.” – Philippians 4:9

3. Choose confession, repentance, forgiveness, and lament. Much of my own walk with Jesus has been learning how to submit my anxieties regarding relational

conflict over to Him. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus tells us not to be anxious, not to judge others, to love our enemies, and to release our anger. As He taught, He knew relational conflict would infiltrate the church

with the potential to quickly destroy the unity He created. Matthew 5:9 specifically calls Christians to obedience in being a peacemaker with others inside and outside the church.

This means we are held accountable to how we react in traffic, how we communicate when there is hurt from a friend, and how we respond when something is done that we don’t agree with.

As we seek to be obedient to Matthew 5:9 in the midst of our relationships, let us be quick to confess and repent of our own sin and struggle. Let us be quick to forgive as Christ has first forgiven us for all our wrongdoings—

past, present, and future through His life, death, and resurrection. Furthermore, let us look to the book of Psalms as we lament hurt, sin, and struggle, reminding ourselves of God’s character, and trusting in His faithful promises.

“Finally, brothers, rejoice. Aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.” – 2 Corinthians 13:11

There is a great responsibility in reading the Sermon on the Mount and understanding the expectations Jesus has for His disciples.

There is also great hope, as we look to Christ, the God-man who has already conquered all sin and death for us on the cross. Will our efforts for peace sometimes feel hopeless?

Yes. Will we fail miserably at times? It’s likely. But through each step of obedience, each active death to our rebellious hearts of sin, Jesus is making us more like Him. The disciple who loves Christ, and has committed

themselves to Him as the Messiah, will continue to pursue His peace because He has already provided all the peace we need. It is only in His strength that we can choose peace, and it is only in His grace that we can

fail at peacemaking and still be fully forgiven and fully loved. As we seek to apply Matthew 5:9 to our lives, let us rest in the fact that our

happiness or blessedness comes from being a child of God. As children of God, we can be peacemakers because we are emulating our Father, who is the God of peace.

Shalom….