“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.”
It was ugly. It was vicious. In a game marked by violence, it was “over the line.”
Last night, Cleveland Browns Pro Bowl defensive end Myles Garrett ripped the helmet off Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph and then used it to knock Rudolph in the head and out cold. You can watch the video by clicking here.
Anger and violence . . . sadly, it is nothing new:
Last week it was a Mormon massacre in Mexico
Yesterday another High School shooting, this time in California.
Daily we watch what seems to be a growing racial unrest.
We live with a divided Congress.
We experience office politics.
Some contend with Condo commandos.
Many put up with HOA hassles.
There is tension in the home.
Too often there is even tension in the church.
Unrest and animosity describe our days. I suspect they describe all days. And it’s in the midst of the tension that Jesus (who experienced his fair share of it), calls us to be peacemakers. Not just peace loving people; peace-making people! Billy Graham said,
“To have peace with God and to have the peace of God is not enough. This vertical relationship must have a horizontal outworking, or our faith is in vain. ”
What is a peacemaker?
Jerry Bridges described a peacemaker this way: A peacemaker takes the initiative to restore broken or damaged relationships, even when the major cause of the rupture lies with the other person. Peacemakers promote wholeness, they work to end hostilities, they step up to bring quarreling factions to an end.
Peacemaking is a theme that runs throughout Scripture. God’s passion for shalom (completeness, wholeness) appears some 250 times in the Old Testament. Turn the pages of the New Testament and you will find the theme of peace over and over again.
Peacemaking is the essence of the gospel:
“In Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. ”
It should not surprise us that God, the ultimate peace-maker, calls his children to promote peace: at work, in our marriages, in traffic, in politics, at the HOA meeting, at the office, in our churches, and in our world.
How can I become a peacemaker?
Talking “peacemaking” and working as a peacemaker are two different things. Let’s look at both. I love these words from the writer of Hebrews:
“Strive for peace with everyone.”
The word, “strive” is an aggressive word. It means to hunt, to aggressively pursue. Hunters are tenacious folks. They don’t stop. If we apply that idea to peacemaking, God is telling us to “be in the hunt,” to chase after peace, to be very earnest about bringing warring sides together.
Last Sunday I used the word, “STRIVE” as an acrostic to help us think about what a peacemaker looks like and how we practice it. You can watch or hear the full message by clicking here. For now, take a moment to read and reflect on these six ways God helps you bring peace where he has you.
S = See yourself, others, and the world through God’s eyes.
In his book, Studies in the Sermon on the Mount, Martyn Lloyd-Jones points out that when God opens our eyes to our need for Christ, we begin to see ourselves, others, and the world — differently.
Seeing myself as “poor in spirit” (Matthew 5:3), takes the bravado and swagger out of my step. I don’t stand on my rights because I don’t have any — I have responsibilities, including the way I interact with others to bring peace to our relationship.
Instead of seeing others as those who won’t seek peace, I see them as either believers who are battling the old self like I do (Romans 7, Colossians 3), or who have not yet tasted the grace of God. I am patient with the first group — because I am them! And when it comes to the second group, should I expect those who have not received grace, to give it? Of course not!
When it comes to the world, I remember that it’s not my story or glory that matters. What matters is God’s glory (Romans 11:36). So how can I refuse to settle the issue when I am “at war” with someone when that altercation is distracting me and others from seeing and experiencing the glory of God.
T = Take the peacemaking initiative
God took the initiative to come to us when we were at war with Him (Romans 5:8). He was and is The Peacemaker. Hence, he tells us to take the initiative to work toward peace to others — whether they are at fault (Matthew 18:15) or if you are at fault (Matthew 5:23-24).
R = Remember what God has done for you
In Europe they’re celebrating the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin wall. We celebrate the fall of our own “Berlin wall.” God broke down the wall of sin that separated us from him and others (Ephesians 2:13-14). Remembering what God did for us, we do it for others.
I = Intercede: Pray for the peace of others
In Romans 15:13, Paul writes, “May the God of peace of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” Paul is simply (or not so simply) praying for the peace of other people. That’s something anyone can do.
Who could you bless with a prayer for peace?
V = Victory: rest and work for peace from victory.
At times it looks like it’s no use being a peacemaker. The other person doesn’t care if we have peace or not. We are trying, but they are not budging. We think, “It’s just not worth it. It is too hard. I have tried and tried. It hasn’t worked. Why bother?”
Here’s why we bother: “The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.” Romans 16:20
Paul operated from the absolute certainty that God rules and ultimately will reign in peace. Although the world might be a very un-peaceable place, Paul knew, God will soon crush Satan — the author of all evil — under our feet.
When I live with that mindset, I start my peacemaking journey from a point of victory and rest — God’s got this! I can work toward peace. It is just a matter of time before God crushes Satan under our feet and His peace reigns. In the meantime, I will purse that which God will ultimately bring about.
E = Exceptions: if possible, as far as it depends on you.
We live in a fallen world. Yes, God will soon crush Satan under our feet. He is sovereign. This will happen.
But God has also granted his creation freedom. That means — at times — despite your prayers, despite your best efforts at being a peacemaker … because you live in a fallen world … you realize some people just don’t want peace. The evil one is strong. Sin is deeply rooted. At times you do everything you can and it’s not good enough. And for those moments Paul gives this word:
If possible, as far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.
Romans 12:18.
That is the peacemaker’s “exception clause.“ Sometimes it’s just not possible in this season or this side of heaven to experience peace in the relationship in question. Paul writes of this to the Corinthians as well (see 1 Corinthians 7:12-16).
Now, don’t be quick to throw up your hands and say, “EXCEPTION CLAUSE!” Wait. Persevere. Pursue Peace.
Peacemaking is the Christian’s distinguishing feature
I shared with our church this past Sunday that all families have their distinguishing features. One feature of the Kiedis clan is the Kiedis chin, a wonderful sharp chin that separates us, marks us a distinct, and makes us noticeable. God says the distinguishing feature, the unique mark of his children is this: They are peacemakers! As such, they are called, “the sons/children of God.”
So we STRIVE for peace with everyone.
I appreciate the words of Billy Graham,
“If we have peace with God and the peace of God we will become peacemakers. We will not only be at peace with our neighbors, but we will be leading them to discover the source of true peace in Christ.”
Where do you need to work to bring a little of God’s peace to your world?
Notes:
Jerry Bridges described . . . from The Blessing Of Humility, page 71.