Peacemakers || Behind the Beatitudes || Week 7

Welcome back to “Behind the Beatitudes.” This series looks at Jesus’ teachings in the Sermon on the Mount and how it applies to us. Today we are focusing on Matthew 5:9, which says: 

Matthew 5:9 – Great blessings belong to those who work to bring peace. God will call them his sons and daughters. 

Fun fact: we talked about what it means to be a child of God in Part 6 of this series, which you should check out. To me, though, this means that God’s blessings will be given to those who strive for peace because it shows others who God is and how God operates. There’s more to the story, though. Let’s go through it. First stop, Matthew 5:44-45:

The Hard Stuff

Matthew 5:44-45 – But I tell you, love your enemies. Pray for those who treat you badly. If you do this, you will be children who are truly like your Father in heaven. He lets the sun rise for all people, whether they are good or bad. He sends rain to those who do right and to those who do wrong.

This is plain. The love of God extends far beyond you. The love of God extends to your enemies. This universal love of God shows to all people without discrimination. Theologians call this type of love “common grace.” This needs its own title to separate from the crazy love that God gives to us.

I really don’t feel like I need to explain more. Be kind to others. Be loving to all people. Show others who God truly is by being his representative to the world. It’s hard to treat others with respect, especially when they treated you wrong, but no one said following God was easy. I believe Jesus even said it himself. 

Let’s move on to the following scripture to help us understand how to become the peacemakers God calls us to be. Romans 8:14 says this:

How Do I Do This Again?

Romans 8:14 – The true children of God are those who let God’s Spirit lead them. 

What does it mean to be led by the Spirit? It’s how God guides us through different events and circumstances through our lives through two specific means:

• Illumination – God helping us understand what scripture says
• Sanctification: God directing us to follow what scripture says.

This is different from the emotional, mental cues that usually give us direction through life. It’s a complicated explanation, but it boiled down for me that: Those gut feelings you can’t shake and cling to your mind to act on it’s from God.

Often times under challenging circumstances, we operate under emotions first. We yell at someone who yells at us. We fight those who are fighting us. We respond emotionally instead of rationally, yet God tells us that we need to operate rationally first in those circumstances. When someone yells at us, we need to stay quiet and let them release their anger. When someone is ready to fight, we should “turn the other cheek.” 

NOTE: I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE ARE ABUSIVE SITUATIONS WHEN THIS SITUATION DOESN’T APPLY. I’M REFERRING TO GENERAL ARGUMENTS AND MISUNDERSTANDINGS, NOT PHYSICAL, VERBAL, OR EMOTIONAL ABUSE. IF YOU ARE IN A PLACE WHERE THIS HAPPENS, PLEASE IGNORE MY WORDING AND SEEK A SAFE PLACE IF POSSIBLE. IF ANYTHING, PLEASE REACH OUT TO PEOPLE THAT ARE WILLING TO HELP.

God blesses those who make peace. Those who choose to seek peace over anger; those who choose to seek peace over frustrations; those who choose to seek peace over anything else. The world is full of situations where there is not peace, but if we can make that peace in our own little circle, it can make a difference. The butterfly effect and all that. 

See you next week! God Bless!