‘Blesses are the peacemakers’ is the seventh beatitude of Jesus Christ on the mountain when he addressed the crowd.
According to Mathew 5:9, Jesus said that those who are called the peacemakers would be called the children of God. What does Jesus mean by ‘peacemakers’?
It takes one a whole load of patience and calmness to be peaceful. Jesus in the scripture is advocating for conflict resolution. He said that being peaceful and making peace makes you the son of God.
Making peace is all about your reconciliation with God and the people around you. How you see that people do not pay wrong for wrong to others (1 Thessalonians 5:15).
To be a peacemaker, you must find peace in God to understand what it means to be peaceful. Peace does not only mean the absence of conflict but also finding comfort within yourself (Mathew 8:17-19).
Christ, during His ministry on earth, was a peacemaker. He brought peace between the Jews and the Gentiles by dying on the cross. He broke down the walls that separated them and kept them enemies (Ephesians 2:14).
Therefore, God has bestowed upon us the task of making others his friends through Christ, who had changed us from God’s enemies to his friends (2 Corinthians 5:18).
To understand this conception fully, we have to break it down to their phrases.
“Blessed are the peacemakers”
In this context, blessed in other bible versions can be called ‘happy’ joyful’ It doesn’t exactly mean you would be blessed if you are a peacemaker, but there’s happiness for being a peacemaker.
Blessed are the peacemakers is like a condition. There’s a reward If you create peace with God and people.
Being a peacemaker comes with happiness and excitement. Bringing people close to God and creating a good relationship within themselves.
‘They shall be called sons of God’
Christ is known as the prince of peace, the maker of peace, and the lover of peace (Isaiah 9:6). Through him, we have found peace with God and the people around us (Roman 5:1).
Because Christ is the visible likeness of the invisible God, superior to all created things (Colossians 1:15), anyone who builds peace as he did will be called a son of God.
Son of God doesn’t refer to only a male child but also a female child. It doesn’t matter your age or position on earth. Some bible versions may say ‘children of God’
To be a son of God, you have to mend your ways, agree with people, and be at peace with one. And the God of peace and love will be with you (2 Corinthians 13:11).
Why are the peacemakers called the ‘sons of God’?
Jesus is the prince of peace. We can only make peace with God through him. He died on the cross for our sins to create peace between God and us.
And so, it is left for everyone who wishes to follow his lead to be called his son. Building peace for God and man doesn’t mean you should die like Jesus did, No.
Jesus had already done that. Your task is to let people understand the love of God and expose them to his good deeds while on earth.
What is your role as a peacemaker?
To be a peacemaker, you have to do these tasks;
#1. Promote harmony
People tend to quarrel over a minor issue. A disagreement that would have been solved if a peaceful dialogue came to play.
As a child of God, you create peace within them by making them agree and come together in one accord.
Jesus brought peace to the world by laying his life on the cross for our sins. Through him, God brought the whole universe back to himself (Colossians 1:20). We are saved because of his love for us (John 3:16).
He had bestowed on us the task to create peace among people, by bringing them together to agree on one thing. Whoever loves peace, loves God because God is God of peace.
#2. To reconcile people with God.
The iconic aim of being a peacemaker is to bring the lost sheep to the Shepherd. No one is righteous, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).
Most sinners have driven themselves away from God as impure beings. You have to preach the gospel to them. To let them know of the love of God.
There’s no condemnation for anyone who admits to his sin and confesses before God. For God, who is right, and just is always ready to forgive.
#3. To make people find peace within themselves
Most people are depressed, sad, and feel unfortunate for the condition they found themselves in. They need that inner peace and joy within themselves but don’t know how to go about it.
You, as a peacemaker, ensure that they finally find peace. Teach them what Jesus had said while on earth.
They should not worry about food or drink to survive. Or the clothes for their body. Our father in heaven knows all our needs and will provide us with all of them (Mathew 6:25-34).
Are they troubled? teach them how to be calm. Are they depressed, give them a living hope and always remind them of God’s love.
#4. To bring reconciliation between people on dispute
Disagreement on a particular issue is no longer new to people. Two people or a group of people may have a misunderstanding between them, which requires to be settled amicably.
Being a child of God demands you to bring those people together. Create peace within them. Make them love one another warmly as Christian brothers and sisters, and be eager to show respect for one another (Romans 12:10).
How do peacemakers achieve their aim?
Peacemakers can achieve them in many ways. It depends on the kind of people they meet and the situation they are in.
The peacemakers could share testimonies and gospels with people. Tell them of Jesus’ good deeds while he was on the earth and even to their lives.
As a peacemaker, you may require to take action to promote goodwill among the people by calmly resolving their conflict. Unresolved issues are like a growing tree watered with hatred and resentment as its root.
You must be patient and calm with people you want to resolve their issues. Losing your temper can only result in more quarrels and drama. Learn people’s emotions and know how to handle them.
Conclusion
Every good deed has a reward. Being a peacemaker will make you a son of God because Jesus is the prince of peace. He was the price that was paid to bring peace between God and man.
Being a peacemaker doesn’t limit you to creating peace between people and God and within themselves. It also involves you finding peace within yourself and with God.