Harmony Over Divisiveness

Pastor Gary Oser

For several months now, we have been looking at the Beatitudes from Matthew 5:1-12. This month we move on to the seventh beatitude found in Matthew 5:9. It reads, “Blessed are the peacemeakers for they shall be called the sons of God.”

With all of the unrest and turmoil going on in our country and around the world at the present time, this is a very timely beatitude.

This beatitude is often misquoted. Notice it does not say, “Blessed are the peace-lovers,” those who strive for peace no matter the cost. There is no such thing as peaceful coexistence with evil. Nor does it say, “Blessed are the peacekeepers.” There is a world of difference between passively keeping peace that already exists and actively trying to bring peace into situations where it does not exist.

The idea of the word, “peacemakers,” is that followers of Jesus are more interested in harmony than divisiveness. They desire to see people reconciled to each other rather than at odds with one another. They will never give so much as an inch when a moral principle is in question. But when it is a matter of personal preference, peace and harmony are always the most important.

The story is told of a 4-year-old boy whose parents were seeking a divorce. During a court hearing, the boy would first pull on his mother’s hand and then on his father’s hand. He kept pulling on each of their hands until he could finally join their hands together. What a beautiful picture of being a peacemaker. This boy’s desire for peace should characterize our lives as followers of Jesus.

Notice the promise made to those who are peacemakers—”…they shall be called the sons of God.” Have you ever really paused to think about what it means to be a son (child) of God?

Pastor John MacArthur shares some helpful words; he says that it means “God has a personal, eternal love for you. God bears with your weakness and sin. God accepts your imperfect service. God provides for your every need, shields you from every danger, reveals to you His eternal truth. He forgives you and keeps on forgiving your every sin.”

Peacemakers will be called sons of God and will be known by their likeness to their Father, the God of Peace (Heb. 13:20). Does peacemaking characterize your life? How can you do a better job at peacemaking?