At Jesus birth the angels the angels announced “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased” (Luke 2:14). Many assume that Jesus came to bring peace on earth. And on the sermon on the Mount, He said, “blessed are the peacemakers because they will be called sons of God” (Matt. 5:9). Peace is then considered to be the absence of war, hatred, and conflict.
According to an article in the NY Times in 2003, of the past 3,000 years only about 8% of those years have been without war and conflict. Conflict is in our world and our country. It is even in our homes and sometimes in our churches!
So what is this peace?
Peace is found in our relationship with God – by making peace with God. Paul tells us that without Christ we are at war with God (Rom. 5:10; see also: Rom. 8:5-7, Eph. 2:1-5). So peace that Jesus announced is being in the new relationship with God. Therefore, a peacemaker is someone who is actively seeking to reconcile people to God, but also someone who seek to establish this relationship with others. This peace is brought by the death and blood of Jesus (Col. 1:19-20). This peace is found in God’s truth and righteousness. This must be our message to others.
Jesus said that his peace was not a earthly absence of war, but would bring division. The division would be between those who believe and accept God’s Word versus those who do not believe. “Do you suppose that I came to grant peace on earth? I tell you, no, but rather division” (Luke 12:51), and he continues showing that there will be division even between people who otherwise love each other.
Now back to the 7th beatitude: “Blessed are the peacemakers, because they will be called sons of God.” What Jesus is saying that these “peacemakers” will be like God, so they will be called his sons, or children.
So peace-making is not pacifism or absence of conflict. We are never instructed to put our head in the sand or run from conflict. “Peace at any price” mentality is far from a biblical command. That’s being a “peacekeeper.” Peacekeepers want peace at all costs. The problem is that peacekeepers often choose peace over truth, over what is right, over God’s will.
God’s peace seeks to solve our problems by teaching and promoting ...
