We are Tigers fans at the Smith house. What that means is that we are with absolute certainty *not* Chicago White Sox fans. As a matter of fact, hating the White Sox is almost a requirement for being a Smith – you might even say it is a tenet of Smith family doctrine. Touching any White Sox swag or visiting the home of a White Sox fan makes us ceremonially “unclean.”
My kids will ask me, “Why do you dislike the White Sox so much? And why does your love for me depend on me hating them too?” And tell them, “If I have to explain it then you won’t understand it.” One boy asked me, “If I grew up and made it into the pros and played for the White Sox would you watch me play and cheer for me?” I responded with, “E tu, Brutus?” “Away from me Judas!”
There can be no peace between Tigers and White Sox. However, in Jesus Christ there is peace. And if anyone could bring peace between Tigers and White Sox fans in my household it would be Him. (That’s good news for any White Sox fans aspiring to membership at EFC!)
Our passage today is about peacemakers. Peacemakers to be exact. Jesus says in Matthew 5:9, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” Lets study today under 4 headings: 1) What is a peacemaker? 2) The Theology behind peacemaking, 3) How to be a peacemaker and 4) children of God.
WHAT IS A PEACEMAKER?
A peacemaker is someone who makes peace. They are not a peace-taker, but a peacemaker. The actual Greek word is only used here in the entire bible so we don’t have other passages to see it in use. In secular Greek it is used very seldom and when it is it is used to describe state officials who were sent to end hostilities with other nations. It was also used as an honorific title for people who established large-scale peace in a society – think Caesar and the Pax Romana.
A peacemaker is someone who actively creates peace and harmony with others where they are. They are peace “producers” – who effect greater peace in the groups they’re part of. They maintain peace – which makes me like to say they are stewards of peace. They take up the responsibility of making peace wherever they are.
- Think of Ephesians 4:3 where it says to all Christians, “Maintain the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.” Unity depends on peace and peace depends on people doing the necessary things to create and keep peace.
- Think of Paul writing to the Philippians and in chapter 4 he names two women – Euodia and Syntyche – whom he loved, and who have both worked hard helping him and the church, and who both were outstanding Christian women. He said, “I PLEAD with you two women to be of the same mind in the Lord.” Then he asks someone in the church to intervene and help these women come into harmony with each other and not be at odds. Paul was working and enlisting others to go to work as peacemakers.
- Another example of disunity and contention was in the Corinthian church, in chapter 1, where Paul rebukes them for their tribalism. They were forming tribes based on who they were baptized by rather than all of them forming one tribe based on their faith in Christ. The peace was gone, rivalry was growing, smug arrogance was growing, putting fellow Christians down was happening. Paul was working as a peacemaker by addressing the issue, pointing it out, and correcting them.
- Of course that wasn’t the only way they were disrupting the peace in Corinth. The way they did the Lord’s Supper was a complete failure. In chapter 11:17-18 Paul said this, “I have no praise for you, for your meetings do more harm than good. In the first place I hear there are divisions among you, and to some extent I believe it….So then, when you come together it is not the Lord’s supper you eat….” and then he goes on to describe how they form cliques and neglect poorer among them and play the status game and get drunk and so on. Fellow Christians leave their gatherings humiliated, neglected, looked down on, unloved, discouraged, put out. That kind of environment has no peace.
A church that is non-stop chaos, fighting, back-biting, division, and so on has poor leadership and poor members. Things come up in the life of the church regularly, but a Corinthian-like church is poorly led. People who are always at war with everyone and everything are ungodly people, ruled by their sinful flesh – not the Spirit of Christ.
Let me quickly banish any misconceptions there may be about peacemakers. First, Peacemakers are not passive doormats who are afraid of conflict and “for the sake of peace” never tackle issues. That actually does not promote peace, but lets problems persist – problems that threaten peace. Instead, peacemakers are proactive in bringing up issues or problems, and working through them in a godly, patient and loving way.
The reality is that conflict is a part of life. Its unavoidable. And conflict is not the problem 99% of the time. How we respond to and handle conflict is the problem 99% of the time. This is what this verse is speaking to: peacemakers work to make peace where there is conflict – NOT avoid the conflict to keep a pretend peace.
One more misconception would be
THE THEOLOGY OF PEACEMAKERS
Peacemaking is not simply wishful thinking or good suggestions from the bible. It grows out theology and doctrine.
First, God is a peacemaker. He made peace with us through the cross (Rom 5; 2 Cor 5). He made peace between Jew and Gentile through Jesus (Eph 2). We are like God when we are peacemakers. A trait of godliness is following God’s commands. We do the work of peacemaking because we know God has done that with us personally.
The enemy of God, Satan, thrives on discord and fighting. Those who thrive on it, or continually live in it, are pawns of Satan.
A second doctrine that is a foundation of peacemaking is God’s righteousness. Righteousness produces peace. Sin produces quarrelling, division and so on. Turn to James 3:13-18 with me….
Another doctrine is God’s wisdom. God is perfect in wisdom, and wisdom is characterized by peace. Think of the wicked lie and selfishness of the woman before King Solomon. In 1 Kings 3 two women and a baby were brought before King Solomon and he had to figure out who the baby belonged to because both women claimed to be the mother. Finally the King said, “Cut the baby in half and give half to each woman.” The one woman, who was lying, said, “Yes, do it – cut the baby in half!” The other woman, the true mother, said, “No! Give him to her – just don’t kill him.” And with that Solomon masterfully smoked out the truth. He said, “Give the baby to the woman who said No. She is the real mother.” (While it doesn’t say I do wonder if Solomon ordered the lying woman to be cut in half like she wanted for the baby). See how the sinfulness of the lying woman created the chaos, but Through a wise judgment Solomon ended the dispute and brought peace.
No doubt the two women didn’t personally get along but societally peace was established. By the way, if the lying woman reviled King Solomon Deuteronomy says she should be put to death. “Act according to whatever the judges and priests teach you and the decisions they give you. Anyone who shows contempt for the judge who stands ministering there to the LORD your God is to be put to death. You must purge the evil from Israel. All the people will hear and be afraid and not be contemptuous again.” (Dt 16:11-13)
HOW TO BE A PEACEMAKER
Here are some practical biblical guidelines for being a peacemaker:
- Ensure you are committed to peace personally. Romans 12:18 says “As far as it depends on YOU, live at peace with everyone.” Peace cannot rule among believers unless believers allow peace to rule their own hearts. Turn to Colossians 3:15 with me….In other words, what is the condition of your own heart?
- Help others come into harmony. Paul begged a Christian man in the Philippian Church to help the two Christian women resolve their issue and get along (Philippians 4:2-3). Or think of Abigail, King David’s wife, before she was his wife. They have a fascinating origin story in 1 Samuel 25. David was coming to destroy her husband and his whole household for his evil behavior. Abigail heard about it, prepared a parade of gifts and met him on the road, and made an outstanding speech to persuade David to not slaughter the whole family.
Be willing to make peace, or to come alongside someone here and help them make peace with other believers. Treasure the peace between believers enough to help.
Don’t help others. Luke 12:13-14…Don’t try to solve everything for everyone. Some things just need to be left alone and people need to be adults and figure it out. Not everything needs to be micromanaged for everyone