A quiet house. A rainy afternoon with a good book. A moonlit sky full of stars. A sleeping baby. Watching a bird flutter outside my window while I sip a still warm cup of coffee and my children play together quietly. These images make my heart smile and sigh contentedly. Pictures of peace.
Ah, peace. I long for it, and very often strive to bring it to my life.
The Jewish people listening to Jesus teach on the mountainside in Galilee wanted peace too. They were waiting expectantly for a Messiah, a warrior-king like David, who would lead them on a military campaign out from under the oppression of Rome. I imagine the people listening to all these world-rocking statements – blessed are the poor? The hungry? Those who mourn? Material blessings are supposed to be a mark of God’s favor, but Jesus is teaching outright neediness! How is a peacemaker going to save us from Rome?
An Upside-down Understanding
I love Oswald Chamber’s perspective in Studies in the Sermon on the Mount. He says,
“The first time we read the Beatitudes they appear to be simple and beautiful and unstartling statements, … sweet and pious and wonderfully simple, but they are in reality like spiritual torpedoes that burst and explode in the subconscious mind…”
That is certainly what happens in my mind when I think about peace! What I want in my little corner of the world is only a feeling, as fleeting as the moments themselves. The peace the Jews wanted was the security of a self-governed, national identity. Physical, temporal, and easy to lose. The peace Jesus speaks about is Matthew 5:9 is so much more. More than a single moment void of conflict or the autonomy of a kingdom. More than harmony based on tolerance, diplomacy, or compromise. It is a peace that passes all understanding (Philippians 4:7), flowing from the character of God (Hebrews 13:20, 1 Corinthians 14:33), that defines both his kingdom and his children (Romans 10:15, 14:17).
That’s the peace I really want. More than a clean, quiet house or life without conflict, I want the peace that comes from belonging to God as only a beloved child can belong to a parent.
A Call to Arms…in a manner of speaking
“Therefore being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” – Romans 5:1
The peace brought to the world by the sons of God (first the nation of Israel, now those who trust in Jesus Christ, Galatians 3:23-29) is reconciliation. To reconcile is to a) restore to friendship or harmony; b) to settle or resolve differences; c) to make consistent; d) to cause to submit or accept something unpleasant; e) to check against another for accuracy; to account for.
In other words, to bring peace.
2 Corinthians 5:18 tells us, “All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation.”
As sons and daughters of God we are to be peacemakers, actively bringing healing and restoration to the world. How do we do this? By sharing the Gospel, reuniting people with God through faith in Jesus Christ.
How might you bring peace to the world today?
P.S. Don’t forget to check out our current memorization challenge, Teach Us Jesus!
Join the Discussion