The-Blessed-Life-Week6

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the sons of God.”  Matthew 5:9

“Peace” and “making peace” sound good. Although many people talk about peace, few find it. The world ostensibly wants it. The United Nations is supposedly all about world peace. They deploy armed troops with the latest weapons and distinctive blue helmets with the purpose of helping countries in conflict create conditions for peace. These soldiers are called “peacekeepers,” and even though they don’t make peace, the hope is that their presence will stop the conflict and loss of life long enough so that conversations for peace might begin. Such “peacekeepers” are scattered all over the world, holding conflict at bay, hoping for peace.

Achieving peace is no easy task. Jesus said it is the business of every Christian to be a “peacemaker.” The Psalmist said that “whoever would love life and see good days must seek peace and pursue it.” (Psalm 34:14) Peace is elusive and doesn’t come easily or automatically; it must be actively pursued. We find another admonition to pursue peace in I Peter 3:11.

When the United States first entered World War I, the president of Columbia University in New York City sent a questionnaire to the entire faculty asking them what they proposed to do to help with the war effort. One member of the faculty, a pacifist, sent it back with this answer: "Mind my own business." That may be what a pacifist does, but it is not what a peacemaker does. A peacemaker knows that dealing with the conflict is his business. Peacemaking is not a passive job. The language Jesus uses is active; a peacemaker is one who attacks, who faces the situation, who confronts it head-on. Listen in as we try to follow His lead.