Peacemaking

"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God."
                                                -Matthew 5:9

Calling someone a "son" of something means they are following the path of that person, or that they are like that person. "Son of a gun" does not mean that someone has a gun as a parent, it means that they are like a gun in that they are explosive or can cause damage. Jesus is the "Son of God" in a unique way. He is the "one and only" Son of God. Given that there is only one God, the title also affirms that he is God. In Matthew 5:9, Jesus says that we can be called "sons of God," meaning the usual sense. We can be like God in one of his key characteristics, peacemaking. God is the ultimate peacemaker and we can follow his path. Peacemaking is the single way identified in the Sermon on the Mount that can bring about the "son of God" description.

Jesus goes on to emphasize peacemaking in Matthew 5:23-24, "Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift."

I don't think Jesus is commenting about when you can and cannot make an offering. His real point is that peacemaking is a priority for Christians, and it needs to happen quickly.

Consider Ephesians 4:26-27,  "In your anger do not sin": Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.

Notice, "Do not give the devil a foothold." Paul is saying that when we don't urgently make peace with others, we are giving the devil an opportunity to accomplish his purposes. Peacemaking is a critical component of spiritual warfare!

These are just a few examples of how much the Bible emphasizes peacemaking in the Christian life.

Peacemaking is not about looking the other way when there is conflict. Ignoring conflict is one of the surest ways to "let the sun go down while you are still angry." Peacemaking means actively using biblical tools to resolve conflict.

Here is a quick summary of those tools, taken from Ken Sande's "The Peacemaker."
1. Examine yourself and identify where you are at fault in a conflict (Matthew 7:1-5)
2. In small conflicts, choose to overlook an offense. When you do this, you must decide to give up your desire or even right to use the conflict against that person in the future. For example, telling a joke about someone for spilling water on your pants. Overlooking is not ignoring conflict, but dealing with it actively in a simple way.
3. Make an effective apology for your role in conflict. Remember to: Address everyone involved, Avoid "if," "but,"" and "maybe," Admit specifically what you did, Acknowledge the hurt you caused, Accept the consequences of your behavior, commit to changing your behavior, and Ask for forgiveness.
4. Be ready to offer forgiveness. Forgiving a person is to promise not to dwell on what happened, not to use it against them in the future, not to talk to others about it, and not to allow it to interfere with your relationship.
5. Seek help from others with godly counsel on handling conflict.

This is a brief overview of an area we all need to work on. Always ask God for help. His act of forgiving us at the cost of sending his Son is what can give us the power to forgive and be peacemakers ourselves.


Trust the Bible is a weekday radio program that begins at about 8:10 each morning on WDOG 93.5 in Allendale, SC. You can listen to previous programs online here: http://www.fairfaxfbc.org/trust-the-bible.html