July 11, 2010
Matthew 5:9
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

Our initial discussions covered several topics at once this week.

Creating peace: Christians may not actually create peace, but we can lead others into peace. This can be done on a personal level as well as a social level. That is, individuals need peace within, and we can help them find it. Also, we can try to advance peace between neighbors, co-workers, and family members. James 3:18 says there are those who "sow in peace." This is from a passage that describes people who are at peace with themselves and the world.

Fallen world: This world is broken, so peace cannot be completely achieved. On an international scale, the peace that England achieved in 1938 came at the cost of Czech independence. We need to examine the consequences of any peaceful solutions we accept. As followers of Jesus, we cannot look only to our own happiness while ignoring the effects on other people.

Non-Christian peace: There are ways to create peace that are not truly peaceful. During much of the twentieth century, Mutually Assured Destruction was the key to such international peace as was achieved. The threat of atomic response does not appear to be a Christian method. Again, an apparent international peace can come as the result of conquest, but imposing our will on others by force doesn't appear to be Jesus' method of bringing peace.

Real peace: Peace is more than "absence of conflict." If we are still worried about a situation after conflict is removed, this may not be the peace that God intended. We don't believe Jesus meant, "Just find a way to get along." We are to have more than a facade of peace, more than just an appearance. Jesus constantly stresses how important it is to have our inner selves aligned with God's purposes. If the outer "peace" creates inner turmoil in ourselves or others, then we have not shared God's peace after all.

Peace, truth, justice: The Bible stresses the importance of truth and justice as much as it stresses peace. In this fallen world, these are not easy to balance. Real justice requires correcting those who are wrong, and not allowing them to hurt others. This is not necessarily peaceful. And truth includes honest recognition of our lives, which again is not peaceful for everyone. In our personal lives, God's peace includes forgiveness for our unjust actions and help with recognizing our true natures. This undeserved help is called "grace," and we need to include it in our own efforts to build God's Kingdom. With this larger goal in mind, that of building God's Kingdom, some conflict may be appropriate in order to build a lasting peace.

Last week, we mentioned that peacemakers have real respect for those around them. With our own inner peace, this respect for others gives us a foundation for building peace around us. Our conversations can lead to mutually helpful solutions, creating peace.

The phrase "Children of God" is similar to the phrase Jesus used for James and John, "Sons of Thunder." Those disciples didn't literally have thunder as a father, but there was an obvious connection between their own lives and the noisy, blustery nature of thunder. In the same way, we cannot be "children of God" in quite the same way Jesus is, but there should be a strong connection between our natures and that of God. We might even hope to be seen as "about our Father's business" in this world, as our lives become more like Jesus.

But Jesus says here not that we would BE children of God, though that is mentioned elsewhere (see John 1:12), but that we would be CALLED children of God. Apparently this peacemaking business helps others to recognize God at work in our lives.

There are certainly other ways to recognize God's work, but peacemaking is perhaps one of the surest. Maybe peacemaking is so rare in this world that its presence is a much clearer indication that God is working.

This led to a discussion of being recognized. Later in this sermon, Jesus criticizes those who do good just so that others will praise them. This makes Christ-followers reluctant to receive public recognition for what they do for God. However, in this same sermon Jesus says that others are to see our good works so that they can praise God.

Apparently, it is important that others know that God is present and is working through us. But the importance is for their benefit, not ours. They need to know that a transformed life of peace is possible in this world. We do not need their praise or admiration, but they need to see something worth praising or admiring.

Once again, Jesus brings us back to motives. Are we doing our good deeds for the sake of the Kingdom, so that God's will can be done here on earth? Then let the recognition come as He finds appropriate.

The class mentioned the following points that stood out to them this week:

• Anyone who is a peacemaker can be recognized by the world, whether they are Christ-followers or not.
• Truth and justice are sometimes not the priority of peacemaking. [We didn't have time to discuss this further. Maybe we need to watch out for "peace" that just hides problems.]
• Mercy may trump justice, when we are making peace.