Matthew 5:9 – Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
Jesus said, “Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword” (Matthew 10:34). This statement seems to be in direct contrast to what Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount. Is He contradicting himself? Jesus is the Prince of Peace. At His birth, the angels announced, “peace on earth, good will to men” (Luke 2:14). In Matthew 10:34, Jesus is describing the separation of those who belong to His Father from those belonging to this world’s systems. Many families and nations have divided over Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Jesus made it possible to have peace inside oneself, with one’s neighbors, and even among the nations. The hardness of men’s hearts keeps peace from being a reality. Many today pray for the peace of Jerusalem, not understanding the answer to that prayer was a person and not a city. The Prince of peace entered the city, but they received Him not.
Jesus reconciled us to God through His sacrificial death on the cross. “Therefore having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1). He made peace possible for all those who would believe on Him. This has enraged the world’s systems against those who are the sons of God. We are peace carriers as Jesus was, but many reject the peace we carry and in doing so, reject becoming a son of God. Peace is in the Father’s DNA. That same peace is in every true son and daughter of God. Those who will not harden their hearts can become peacemakers. To those whose hearts are hardened in unbelief, Christ’s peacemakers will be a problem. This is what the sons of God do. On one hand they offer peace, on the other, they cause division. There have been many times when the Lord sent me to stir the pot. In doing so, I found out who really wanted the peace of God.
Ask our Father to make you a peacemaker, while realizing there will be some that will reject you as “a son of God.” Ask the Holy Spirit for His strength to help you be faithful in your role as a peacemaker. The world still rejects the “Prince of Peace,” but those who receive Him have peace beyond comprehension.