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"Blessed are the peacemakers,
For they shall be called sons of God."
(Matthew 5:9)
Before we get into what it means to be a peacemaker, I want to share with you a statement of Jesus that seems on the surface to contradict this Beatitude. In Matthew 10:34, Jesus said He did not come to bring peace but a sword. But taken in its context, in verses 34-39, you understand what He meant. He is indeed the Prince of Peace, as Isaiah prophesied in Isaiah 9:6. But not everyone receives Him as the Messiah. Even within the same household, there can be those who believe in Christ and their lives change radically, while others reject Christ and create tension within the household. Jesus died and rose from the dead, and He offers forgiveness to all. Those who receive Him are saved and those who do not are lost for eternity; tension between the two is inevitable.
One of the great verses in the Bible that teaches the purpose of the death of Jesus to bring about everlasting peace is Colossians 1:20: "And by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross."
Who are the peacemakers?
In this seventh Beatitude, the Lord Jesus says, "blessed are the peacemakers." These are individuals who have peace and are proactive in helping those who do not have peace. The Greek word Jesus used which is translated as "peacemakers" is eirenopoios, which is the same word used in Colossians 1:20, which we looked at earlier. It is a compound Greek word from eirene, which means peace, prosperity, oneness, quietness, and rest, plus the word poieo, which means to do or make. The word connotes peace, harmony, and tranquility. The way I remembered the Greek word was that it sounds like Iran, and there never seems to be peace over there! The word in the Old Testament that correlates with this word is shalom, which means peace, complete, and whole. One of the Hebrew names for God is Jehovah Shalom, the LORD is peace.
A peacemaker is one who is living in peace and works to bring about peace for others. The primary peace that this person enjoys is peace with God, and the main objective of the one living in peace is for others to experience this peace. I came across some wonderful verses in the Bible that speak about the peace from God through Christ. Here is one example: "And the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen." (Romans 16:20)
Note how the God of peace desires to bless us with peace through His Son, Jesus Christ. I am praying for you as you read about this peace from God. May God give you an abundance of His peace today.
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