Wednesday 13th May

Matthew 5 vs 9
“Blessed are the peace makers for they will be called sons of God.”

Peace is something most of us long for but few are prepared to take risks for whether it is community, international, ethnic or personal conflict. We admire peacemakers and honour them with awards when the risk pays off, but label them as appeasers and blame them for not standing strongly for our side when things fall apart. Sometimes history proves the criticisms valid of course but peace also depends on the sincerity of the parties involved.

Peacemakers in the sense of this Beatitude are disciples of Jesus doing the Father’s work of reconciliation. That may be between feuding neighbours even nations but it is primarily the work of pointing people to God who in Jesus was reconciling the world to himself. That work in the Spirit’s power has real results in everyday life because those reconciled with God through faith in Christ are also reconciled with others through Jesus. Even those who have seriously disagreed, sometimes violently differed are united as Christ becomes the bond between them.

Paul writing to Christians in Ephesus described how both Jew and Gentile were united and reconciled in Christ. In chapter 2 he writes this from V15... “His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near.”  For that reason we must always strive to preserve the unity of Christ’s body the church. Paul writes in Romans 12:18 “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.”  As far as it depends on you makes peacemaking personal to us but it doesn’t make it an easy matter.

PRAYER
Heavenly Father I thank you today for Jesus through whom I have peace with you. Today make me a channel of your peace as I give myself to this work of peacemaking. Amen

LISTEN