• Home
  • About
    • Our Contributors
    • Our Beliefs
  • Blog
  • Bible Studies
    • Scripture Dig
  • Archives
  • Shop
  • Advertise
  • Contact
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter

Do Not Depart

Encouragement and Tools to Abide in God's Word

You are here: Home / The Beautiful Beatitudes / Beautiful Beatitudes: Blessed are the Peacemakers

Beautiful Beatitudes: Blessed are the Peacemakers

April 10, 2018 by Jaime Hilton Leave a Comment

Welcome to Do Not Depart! Be sure to subscribe to the Do Not Depart RSS feed or email updates to receive regular encouragement and tools to abide in God's Word.

Welcome back to Do Not Depart! If you haven't already, subscribe to the Do Not Depart RSS feed or email updates to receive regular encouragement and tools to abide in God's Word. This post may include affiliate links. To read our full disclosure policy, click here. Thank you for supporting this site!

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?

Share
Pin4
Tweet
4 Shares

P.S. Don’t forget to check out our current memorization challenge, Teach Us Jesus!

Share
Pin4
Tweet
4 Shares

Related

About Jaime Hilton

Jaime Hilton is 1/6 of the Hilton Family in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. She is the household manager and wife to Ray, the actor. Together they are in the trenches of parenting three children, ages 3-15. Thanks to homeschooling and her voracious reading habits she has her library card number memorized. In her (rare!) spare time she likes to write and work with local theater companies, directing and encouraging fellow artists to glorify God in every aspect of their work. Her favorite mornings start with a quiet cup of coffee and an inspiring book or blog. Her most passionate pursuit is studying the Word and discovering the stories within The Story. She blogs from time to time about life, faith, and theatre at www.alltheworldastage.org.

  • Bloglovin
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
Are You Poor? – Matthew 5:2-3 {Scripture Memory Challenge}
How Is Your Mourning Blessed? {Beautiful Beatitudes Series}

Join the DiscussionCancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

This Month’s Theme

  • Jesus is the Way
  • And He Shall Be Called Series Intro

Enter your email address to have new posts emailed to you:

We’ll come to you

Enter your email address to have new posts emailed to you

Categories

Bible Memory – Lent 2021

Memorizing Isaiah 12

Let the Children Come

Let the Children Come

Want more #HideHisWord resources?

Memorizing Psalm 1

Find Us on Facebook


Search

Recent Posts

  • Series Wrap-Up: The Lord Is My Light
  • His Marvelous Light
  • When the Darkness Deepens
  • Though I Sit in Darkness…
  • Let Your Light Shine
  • Life-Giving Light

Archives

© 2025 · Pretty Creative WordPress Theme by, Pretty Darn Cute Design