This sermon is from the series THINGS JESUS TAUGHT US and was preached at Cornerstone Baptist Church in Cherry Log, Georgia on October 6, 2013 by Pastor Paul Mims.

Matthew 5:9 “Blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called the sons of God.”

Some boys were playing baseball. Joe Harding said angrily, “You did.” “No, I did not,” quickly replied Frank Talbot. “I say you did; and if you say you didn’t, that is the same as calling me a liar. And nobody shall call me a liar.” Joe was a splendid looking fellow, the envy of all the boys; for he was the best ballplayer in the school. But he had a quick temper, and it was easy for him to fight when he was angry. “He always manages to keep cool when Frank is around,” said Tom. “Frank is his match; so we will never see that fight,” he added sneeringly. Everybody rushed up to where the boys were, as soon as they saw there was going to be a fight. But what! Frank a coward? Not going to fight? There he stood, with his hands at his side, saying as Joe rushed at him, “I never called a boy a liar,” but Joe struck him a blow in the face, which sent him reeling. He recovered himself in time to take another blow, then another and another, merely saying, “I did not call you a liar.” “Shame to hit a fellow that will not hit back,” called some big boys; and they caught Joe and held him. There stood Frank, his face all bruised and bleeding.

“Why on earth didn’t you fight him? You are his match.” “No, I am trying to be a Christian,” replied Frank. “I do not think it is right to fight.” “You are a fool, that’s what you are,” said big Tom. “Are you going to let your face be battered in this way?” “I can’t help that; I have made up my mind never to fight as long as I live.” That evening, in Frank’s room, you might have seen a sight, that none would have thought possible: Joe kneeling to Frank, begging pardon for what he had done.

“Why, Joe, get up this instant; of course it’s all right between us,” and Frank lifted Joe up by the hand. “I can never forgive myself for striking you as I did.”

“Joe is conquered for once,” said the boys at supper. “I always said Frank was his match,” replied big Tom, “but I didn’t think he was going to take that way to conquer him.” Joe never struck a boy after that. Soon it came to be a disgrace to fight in that school. Love is better than revenge any time.—Gospel Herald. We live in a strife torn world amid a strife torn people. Historians have estimated that since the time of Christ there have been over 15,000 major wars. There seems to be no sustained peace to be found in our society in racial peace, religious peace, family peace, or even personal peace except in the peace we find in Christ. But personal peace is what everyone wants.

There are several layers of meaning in this Beatitude. The first is:

I. THE WAY TO PEACE

If I am speaking to individuals today who are hungering and thirsting for peace of mind, peace of heart, and peace within, you can find this peace by claiming what God offers to you. The first five Beatitudes point the way to personal peace. A person must be “poor in spirit” or have a sense of personal need of God. Then one must move on from there to “mourning” or a sense of deep conviction of awayness from God that leads to repentance. This leads to “meekness” or humility before God. Then comes a “hunger and thirst” for righteousness. This is followed by showing to others the same “mercy” which we have received from God. “Purity in heart” comes into view as we are conformed to the image of Christ. Then we are ready to truly have inner peace and be “peacemakers” in our world.

The Bible teaches us plainly that sin is the great enemy of peace. Isaiah 48:22 says, “There is no peace for the wicked.” Jeremiah 8:11 says, “They cry, Peace, Peace, and there is no peace.” He was speaking to the corrupt religious leaders who were not ashamed of the abominable way in which they were living. That can be true on the personal level as well. There is no personal peace until your sin is dealt with. The Apostle Paul says in Ephesians 2:13-14: “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace…”

In Colossians 1:19 he says, “For God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Him and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through His blood, shed on the cross.”

The peace that God can give to man must begin at the cross. Jesus said to his disciples in John 14:27; “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” He is saying, “I have come to give you peace, but I give it to you in a way that the world cannot. You will find peace in my love for you demonstrated on the cross. I give it to you by cleansing away your sin so that you can come into the presence of the Father. When you are in His presence – you will experience the peace that is beyond all understanding.”

In John 16:33 we read, “I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” The trouble we have with our humanity including our relationships, our health, and other human struggles tend to rob us of personal peace. These things cause us to be broken in spirit and in purpose. But though our outward man is struggleing our inner man can be renewed each day as we come into the presence of the Father.

The late Ann Landers who wrote an advice column in many newspapers for years said: “ I’ve learned plenty, including most importantly what Leo Rostea had in mind when he said, “Each of us is a little lonely, deep inside and longs to be understood.”

I have learned how it is with the stumbling tortured people in this world who have nobody to talk to. The fact that the column has been so successful underscores, for me at least, the central tragedy of our society. The disconnectedness, the insecurity, the fear – that bedevils, cripples, and paralyses so many of us. I have learned that financial success, academic achievement, and social or political status open no doors to peace of mind or inner security. We are all wanderers, like sheep, on this planet.

Paul would have answered with this retort for followers of Christ in Romans 5:1: “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” This is the way to all kinds of peace. When we have peace with God and peace within we are ready for

II. THE WORK OF PEACE.

We who are the peace finders are to become the peace makers in our strife torn world. We are to be instruments of peace as St. Francis of Assisi prayed, “Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy.

O, Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love; For it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; it is in dying that we are born again to eternal life.”

The word in the Greek that is translated “peace” is from the Hebrew word “shalom” and has two powerful meanings. First, “shalom” means “perfect serenity, perfect happiness, and perfect welfare.” It is a statement of complete well-being. Second, “shalom” means right personal relationships and expresses the same for others. In other words, what Jesus is teaching us is that he wants his followers to minister to the well-being and welfare of others about us.

Peacemaking is the sowing of righteousness. In James 3:17 it is described this way: “But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and of good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness.” Psalm 85:10 says, “righteousness and peace have kissed each other.”

Peacemaking is also confrontational. It is not just the cessation of strife. Sometimes there has to be tension before there can be peace. It is true in families that sometimes there has to be confrontation before problems can be solved.

Jesus taught us this through his words in Matthew 10:34: “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in- law against her mother-in-law. A man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.”

What was Jesus saying? He was not saying, “I have come to break up the family.” He was saying, “I have come to confront issues. I have come to confront individual need and individual sin and without an eruption there can be no peace.” He was willing to confront the unbelievers in the home so that they could come to know his peace.

Remember that Jesus did not say “Blessed are the peace lovers,” but “Blessed are the peacemakers.” The peace lovers will sit idly by and let situations go on and on. Confrontation will bring strife, but if it is handled correctly in love, it will bring peace. Ignoring situations will not bring peace. The sin in our families must be confronted.

The same is true in our society. I read an interesting story from the early years of Christianity. “Telemachus was a monk who lived in the 4th century. He felt God saying to him, “Go to Rome.” He was in a cloistered monastery. He put his possessions in a sack and set out for Rome. When he arrived in the city, people were thronging in the streets. He asked why all the excitement and was told that this was the day that the gladiators would be fighting and killing each other in the coliseum, the day of the games, the circus. He thought to himself, “Four centuries after Christ and they are still killing each other, for enjoyment?” He ran to the coliseum and heard the gladiators saying, “Hail to Caesar, we die for Caesar” and he thought, “this isn’t right.” He jumped over the railing and went out into the middle of the field, got between two gladiators, held up his hands and said “In the name of Christ, forbear.” The crowd protested and began to shout, “Run him through, Run him through.” A gladiator came over and hit him in the stomach with the back of his sword. It sent him sprawling in the sand. He got up and ran back and again said, “In the name of Christ, forbear.” The crowd continued to chant, “Run him through.” One gladiator came over and plunged his sword through the little monk’s stomach and he fell into the sand, which began to turn crimson with his blood. One last time he gasped out, “In the name of Christ forbear.” A hush came over the 80,000 people in the coliseum. Soon a man stood and left, then another and more, and within minutes all 80,000 had emptied out of the arena. It was the last known gladiatorial contest in the history of Rome.” Source Unknown.

Finally, this Beatitude teaches us of:

III. THE WITNESS OF PEACE

Jesus expressed it like this: “O the bliss of those who are peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.”

The Hebrew language does not have the free ability of adjectives like in Greek or like we have in English. So they used phrases like “Son of.” Barnabas became the “Son of Consolation.” James and John became known as “Sons of Thunder.” Therefore a peacemaker became a “Son of God” which meant God-like in caring for those who have needs. Another way of understanding this beatitude is “Blessed are those who produce right relationships in every area of life, for they are doing God’s work.” In being a peacemaker we are manifesting the nature of the Father.

One of the great joys that comes to me is when people look at my son and daughter and say, “They look like you.”

Think of how our Heavenly Father feels when the world looks at us and says, “You manifest the nature of God by your love and godly works in the world.” Not only will the world call us children of God, but God will call us his own.

Do you remember when your children would be in programs at school or church and you would go see them perform? You would sit beside someone and point to your children and say, “That’s my boy!” or “That’s my girl!”

The Heavenly Father looks at us when we are peacemakers and says, “That my boy! That’s my girl!”

PRAISE BE TO HIS NAME!