Friday, February 26
Scripture: Matthew 5:9

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.”

THE RADICAL CALL OF PEACEMAKING

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus famously speaks of some of the ethical characteristics of the kingdom of God, calling his followers to be “salt” and “light” (Matt. 5:13-16) and describing what this looks like. Among the most challenging characteristics of the kingdom is that of peacemaking. In the midst of Roman oppression, when many thought the Jewish Messiah would be a rebellion leader, Jesus’ words were radical. And they are even more radical today.

What does it mean to be a peacemaker? There are illustrations of it elsewhere in the Sermon on the Mount. In verses 43-45 Jesus says “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven.”

Peacemaking is easy when we are only around people who are like us or are also interested in peacemaking. But we must make peace and show love even to those who are different or who oppose us. Jesus makes this clear in verses 46-47: “For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?”

It’s not easy to love enemies or to make peace with difficult people, but this is what Jesus calls us to do. And I believe it can be a tremendous witness for the gospel, especially as our world becomes more polarized and fractured. On cable news talk shows, on newspaper opinion pages and in our social media feeds, it may seem like no one is interested in peacemaking anymore. Friction, fighting and battles (physical and ideological) are ever present. Against this backdrop, what would it look like if Jesus-followers took seriously his call to be peacemakers?

One thing about peacemaking that is hard is that even if we earnestly seek peace and follow the heart of Jesus, sometimes our overtures are rejected. As John Piper has pointed out, peacemaking is not the same thing as peace-achieving. “A peacemaker longs for peace, and works for peace, and sacrifices for peace,” Piper writes, “But the attainment of peace may not come.”

Romans 12:18 says “If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.” So far as it depends on you. We can only control our side of the peacemaking equation. But we can and should do whatever we can to make our side amenable to the process of peace.                                                                           

Jesus never said we would be received. He simply said we need to make ourselves receivable (Matt. 10:40) — that is, to remove the obstacles or the distance that keep others from seeing Jesus within us. We can expect to be ignored, rejected, or even persecuted. But Jesus assures us of solidarity with him when we are snubbed, affirming in the Gospel of Luke that “whoever rejects you rejects me; but whoever rejects me rejects him who sent me” (10:16).

As we reflect this Lent on the rejection and scorn Jesus suffered, even as he advocated a kingdom of peace and reconciliation, may we be empowered to do the same: peacemaking at all costs; love no matter what.

Prayer
Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
Where there is sadness, joy.

O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
To be consoled as to console,
To be understood as to understand,
To be loved as to love;
For it is in giving that we receive;
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
It is in dying to self that we are born to eternal life.

- Prayer of St. Francis

Barry H. Corey, President of Biola University