Blessed are the Peacemakers
Matthew 5:9
Let’s turn to Matthew 5. We are studying the Sermon on the Mount verse by verse, so we can understand what Jesus taught, and live what Jesus taught. So if you need a Bible, go ahead and raise your hand and we’ll bring you a Bible. Matthew 5 is on page 908 in the Bibles we are passing out.
Jesus taught that He will give us believers such love and unity – such closeness together -- that the world will be shocked – where did they get that love? And as a result they will be convinced that there is a God, that He has come to earth in the person of Jesus – and that they need to give their lives to Jesus.
That’s what will happen as people see our love and unity. So here at Mercy Hill our vision is to be a church of deep love and unity – and to build Christ-centered home groups of deep love and unity – so when we invite in people they will see our love and unity – and come to faith in Christ.
But this will never happen unless we obey Jesus’ words in the seventh beatitude. Let’s read all eight beatitudes – vv.3-10 – but focus on the seventh which is in v.9 –
3 Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
7 Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Eight beatitudes. We’ve covered the first six. And today we’re digging into the seventh – v.9 – let’s read that again --
9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
Are you a peacemaker? What does it mean to be a peacemaker? A peacemaker works to bring people who are divided and quarrelling into love and unity. Peacemakers do this with everyone. But most commentators think Jesus is especially talking about doing this with followers of Jesus. So peacemaking means helping believers overcome their conflicts so they experience love and unity.
The reason we need to do that is because believers will have conflicts. We have been saved through trusting Jesus, the power of sin has been broken in us – but this side of heaven we are not sinless. So all of us believers still have sin in us. And because we have sin in us – there will be conflicts. There will be hurt. There will be bitterness. Believers will have conflicts.
Which is why Jesus calls us to be peacemakers – we will need to overcome our conflicts so we experience love and unity so the world can see who Jesus is. That’s what a peacemaker does.
There’s red-tailed hawks at the creek where I walk. Hawks fly high in the sky and whenever they see movement – a mouse, a squirrel – they dive at that mouse or squirrel to get it. Peacemakers are like hawks. Whenever we see conflict – we dive at that conflict and seek to bring love and unity.
But now why is it important to be a peacemaker? Look again at what Jesus says –
9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
In the Greek language that’s meant generically – it includes both sons and daughters. So Jesus is saying that if we are not peacemakers – then we are not sons and daughters of God. But if we are peacemakers – then we are sons and daughters of God. That’s why it’s so important to be a peacemaker – because only peacemakers are sons and daughters of God.
But what does that mean? It’s huge. We were created by God to have Him as our Father and to be sons and daughters whom He loves. But each of us has turned our backs on God, and rebelled against God. Even though we might have looked good on the outside, our hearts were far from God on the inside.
So, because of our sin, we lost the privilege of being sons and daughters of God. And instead we faced God’s judgment forever.
But God loves us. Cares about us. So much that He made a way for us to be completely forgiven – changed so we turn to Him -- so He could adopt us into His family – so we can be His sons and daughters
How can that happen? Because God came to earth in the person of Jesus, and was punished in our place on the Cross for our sin. So the moment anyone turns to Jesus, confesses his or her sin, and trusts Jesus to forgive us, change us, and satisfy us – everything changes.
We become God’s sons and daughters. He pours His love into our hearts so we feel His fatherly care. We are secure in His love for us, strengthened in His love for us, satisfied in His love for us.
So how do we become God’s sons and daughters? By trusting Jesus.
But then why does Jesus say that the peacemakers shall be called sons and daughters of God? Which is it? Is it those who trust Jesus who are called sons and daughters of God? Or is it peacemakers who are called sons and daughters of God?
It’s both – because everyone who trusts Jesus automatically becomes a peacemaker. How does that work? How does trusting Jesus change me into a peacemaker?
Again, the order of the beatitudes is crucial. Everything starts with being poor in spirit – we admit to Jesus that in ourselves we are sinners needing a Savior.
And when we admit to Jesus that we are poor in spirit – and trust Him as our Savior -- something powerful happens – we receive the kingdom of heaven. God’s power forgives us, changes us, and satisfies us in Himself.
And one result is that we mourn – we mourn before Him for our sin. We see how we have ignored Him, dishonored Him, disobeyed Him – we mourn before Him for our sin.
And when we do that – we will be comforted. We will feel our guilt lifting off of us, we will feel God’s forgiveness coming upon us, we will feel God’s love pouring into us – we will be deeply and powerfully comforted.
And everyone who experiences Jesus’ comfort will be changed into a peacemaker. Just like every car that goes through a car wash comes out clean – so every person who experiences Jesus’ comfort comes out a peacemaker.
How does that work? When you experience the comfort of Jesus’ forgiveness, and love, and presence – you want everyone to experience it. And you know that when believers are in unity – people will be drawn to Jesus. So you love unity, you love closeness, you love camaraderie – because it will draw people to Jesus.
But then how will you feel when you see believers divided – distant – or angry? It will grieve you – because Jesus is being dishonored – people will not be drawn to Jesus – people will be turned from Jesus. So you grieve over conflict, you sorrow over division, you are heart-broken over quarrels – and you do everything you can to make peace.
Everyone who experiences Jesus’ comfort is turned into a peacemaker. It’s like we receive an alarm which sounds whenever there’s a quarrel or a conflict. You hear that someone here at Mercy Hill is angry at someone else – beep, beep, beep – time to make some peace. You learn that two people in your home group aren’t talking – beep, beep, beep – time to make some peace. Someone tells you how upset they are at someone else – beep, beep, beep – time to make some peace.
So how do you do that? How can you make peace? Let’s go over three situations in which we can be peacemakers – and how to do it in each case.
So how can you make peace when you are angry at someone?
Let’s say you buy a new Camry and you share it with the home group and someone says Camrys are junk. You feel humiliated and offended. They just cost you respect with others in the group, they put you down in front of others, they basically said you are an idiot. And you are angry with them.
But your alarm is going off. You are not in unity with them – you are not loving them – which means people might not be drawn to Jesus – people might turn from Jesus – so you want to make peace. How do you do that?
You take your anger to Jesus. You come to him poor in spirit and mourning. And when you do that – He will again comfort you – and so fill your heart with His love and goodness and grace – that your anger leaves. The cost of being disrespected is swallowed up in the joy of knowing Jesus. And you forgive them. You love them. This might take a while – but this is what Jesus will do.
Notice – to get rid of your anger you don’t need to go to them. All you need is to go to Jesus and experience His comfort. When you do that – your anger will disappear, and love will return.
But then -- once your anger is gone, and your love for them has returned, you might want to talk with them. Not to get anything off your chest – you’ve already done that with Jesus. But to help them grow in faith. You might want to explore what was in their heart when they said Camrys are junk. You might want to encourage them to think before they speak.
So you might want to talk with them -- not to get back at them, not to make them feel bad, but to help them grow in being part of the body of Christ.
So that’s how you can make peace when you are angry at someone.
How can you make peace when someone is angry at you? Maybe you said something hurtful to them. Maybe you disappointed them. Or maybe you don’t know what you did.
But you can tell – they are angry at you. It’s in their eyes. It’s in their distance. It’s in their words – or their lack of words. But you know – there is something wrong. The fellowship has been broken. The love and unity is not there.
When that happens, Jesus calls you to do something. Later in ch.5 Jesus says that if you are on your way to church, and remember that someone has something against you, skip church and go to them and get it worked out. In other words – our unity with each other is a huge priority to Jesus.
We are a body. If you gashed your femoral artery on the way to church, you would skip church and head to the emergency room. Same with the body of Christ. Division in the body of Christ is like gashing a femoral artery – set everything else aside until the fellowship is restored.
So what can you do? Again, start by going to Jesus poor in spirit and mourning and receive a fresh outpouring of His comfort – His love – His joy – His strength. And then with a heart full of love and peace – go to this person.
Ask if there is something you have done. Listen carefully. Listen some more. Genuinely confess what you need to confess. Humbly explain what you need to explain. Ask if there’s more. And then listen some more.
And through all this express your love for them, your desire to be in unity with them, your sorrow that there has been division. And pray together.
That’s how you make peace when someone is angry with you.
How can you make peace when people are angry at each other? Let’s say you are talking to Bill in your home group – who tells you how upset he is at George – because at the last home group meeting George ignored him.
Now if you are a peacemaker – at this point alarm bells will go off. You love Jesus, you love the unity in Jesus believers have, but Bill and George are not in unity. There is division. Pain. Hurt. Disagreement.
So what will you do? In our sin, what we will be tempted to do is gossip about this. Maybe you will share something you don’t like about George. Then maybe Bill will think of something else he doesn’t like about George. But what happens when you do that? You make the conflict worse. The pinprick in the femoral artery of your body has become a gash. The body of Christ is dying.
But if you will come to Jesus poor in spirit and mourning for your sins, He will pour His comfort, forgiveness, and love upon you so powerfully that you will not need the joys of gossip – and you will want to help Bill and George reconcile. So you will gently tell Bill that instead of sharing this with you – he needs to take his hurt and pain to Jesus.
Because Jesus will heal him. Jesus will fill him. Jesus will so satisfy him that he will be able to forgive. And then Jesus will make it clear whether Bill needs to share this with George or not – to help George grow and learn
That’s how to be a peacemaker. Listen. If Bill has a complaint against George there’s only one person who should hear about it. Who? George! Anything else will increase division, quench the Spirit, cause dissension, dishonor Christ.
So you would need to gently but firmly urge Bill to take his hurt heart to Jesus, and be freed from anger, full of forgiveness, back in unity with George. And then he can decide if he wants to talk with George about it.
Questions?
Everyone who trusts Jesus is a son and daughter of God. And if you trust Jesus – you will be a peacemaker.
Which is why Jesus says “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons and daughters of God.”
Live in the first two beatitudes – coming to Jesus poor in spirit, mourning before Jesus for your sin – and you will receive such comfort from Jesus that you will want everyone to know Him.
And because you know that our unity and love will bring people to Jesus – you will do everything you can – everything you can – to make peace.