Sunday Devotional: Matthew 5:9

Blessed are the peacemakers, for these will be called sons of God.

The Greek word translated “peacemaker” in this Beatitude, eirênopoios, means quite literally, “one who makes [poieô] peace [eirênê].” It seems fairly obvious what this means: one whose life is characterized by creating harmony and not stirring up contention and strife. However, we know that if the Christian is faithful in his or her proclamation of the gospel, and living out that gospel message, peace and harmony will not always follow in his or her wake. Indeed, more than once Jesus promised his disciples that families will be split because of him, and that there will be division on account of the message his followers carry. Are these concepts at odds with each other?

Palestine in Jesus’s day was occupied territory. Though the Jews were allowed to practice their religion and govern themselves, it was always under the supervision of their Roman overlords. They were not accepted so much as tolerated, and their apparent freedom was held with tentative hands. The slightest misstep, and the weight of Rome would come crashing down on them, as they saw in AD 66, when the Jewish War broke out, leading ultimately to the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple in AD 70. Many Jews chafed under this pressure, and never really felt free. As a result, groups arose that took it upon themselves to be a thorn in the flesh of their oppressors. These “zealots” considered themselves to be “sons of God,” because they sought to bring down the Roman government and re-establish Jewish rule, even a theocracy. It’s very likely at least some of them saw Jesus as a potential leader for their cause.

However, Jesus eschewed such a response. It isn’t those who seek to bring about the Kingdom of God by war and rebellion that are the sons of God, he says. Rather, it is those who try to be peaceable, who balance an attitude of uncompromising loyalty to God with a desire to live at peace within the situation God has placed them. This attitude is clear if you read the New Testament. Nowhere are Christians ever called to take up arms against their persecutors. Christians are never told to advance the Kingdom of God no matter what physical damage they might do along the way. On the contrary, Christians are told to pray for their persecutors, live at peace in the world, and submit to the God-established authorities!

This last point is, perhaps, a rather sticky one. What if the ruling authorities oppose the gospel and suppress the preaching of God’s Word? I think the New Testament example is that, in those cases, we obey God not man, but, just like the Apostles, we accept the consequences for so doing. I don’t think it’s wrong to use lawful and peaceful means of protest and appeal as they are available to us. But we should be prepared to lay down our lives for the sake of Christ.

So, how can we be peacemakers? By exhibiting the love of God to all our brothers in Adam–those who are non Christians, and perhaps even living lifestyles we find Biblically objectionable. Our goal should never be to upset people, or get people angry; the gospel should be the “rock of offense,” not us! That’s not to say we ignore sin and rebellion against God; but our attitude should be to see the non-Christian come to Christ and have peace with God, not to relish in their condemnation. And within the church, we should be a community of peace, where we love even those with whom we disagree, learning how to discuss our disagreement–yes, to argue–but with love and respect. We need to recognize our common bond in Christ and in the gospel, and let that be what brings us together in peace.

Have a great week!