Peacemaking: Our Highest Calling

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

War is one of the great constants of history and has not diminished with either civilization or democracy [we have seen the truth of this statement unfolding again with the events of this past week in Egypt and with the threat of a major conflagration continuing to grow in the Middle East as the conditions become increasingly more unsettled]. In fact, in the last 3,463 years of recorded history only 268 have seen no war. That is a chilling statistic and would, no doubt, be even worse if the facts of unrecorded history could be known. Sadly, war is the constant reality of this life.

There have been myriad solutions proposed for this dilemma over the millennia but the outcomes have been sadly wanting. Many felt that if one nation could emerge from the Cold War as the supreme superpower, which the United States did when the Berlin Wall was dismantled in 1989 and the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, that war would be outlawed and a Pax Romana of sorts would be revived. Of course, the Pax part has certainly failed to materialize and the United States was almost immediately challenged by Iraq's invasion of Kuwait provoking the first Gulf War. Bill Clinton was subsequently elected president and almost immediately chose to drastically reduce our military in both size and scope as a result of what has subsequently proven to be a fraudulent "peace dividend." This was quickly followed by 9/11 and we've known nothing but war ever since.

The more naive progressives among us, however, have proffered the belief that the world must merely come to the conclusion that war is simply not profitable and thus refuse to fight. They offer not much more than simple slogans such as the bumper sticker, "What if they had a war and nobody came?" Still others suggest that nations must challenge the evil precedents of history and live by the Golden Rule. This idea at least touches on the solution, but it does not go far enough as the answer to war is not simply a matter of bootstrap ethics; it is profoundly theological. What is needed is a radical change in the human race if there is to be peace. No one can live by the Golden Rule by mere human will. No one can master even one of the Beatitudes in his own strength.

Thus the grand relevance of the seventh Beatitude: "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God." This divine pronouncement if understood, taken to heart, and applied by the Holy Spirit, can not only bring inner peace to our troubled hearts but also make us instruments of peace -- peacemakers. It has the potential to give us peace within and to make us mediators of peace in the lives of those around us and in society at large.

Fundamental to understanding what Christ is saying is the precise meaning of the exquisite word "peacemakers." Taking the first half of the word, peace, we understand it to mean much the same as the Hebrew word shalom, which bears the idea of wholeness and overall well-being. When a Jew said, "Shalom," he was wishing another more than the absence of trouble, but all that made for a complete, whole life. God's peace is not narrowly defined. It is much more than the absence of strife; it encompasses all of the person -- it is positive.

The second half of the word, makers, demands that we understand that the person is not passive but is a source of peace. It is a dynamic, active word bursting with energy. Both parts of the word "peacemakers," taken together, describe one who actively pursues peace in its fullest sense. He pursues much more than the absence of conflicts; he pursues wholeness and well-being.

Bearing this in mind, we can then understand what a peacemaker is not. A peacemaker is not, as is commonly supposed, the kind of person who is easygoing, goes along to get along, laissez-faire, who does not care what anyone else does so long as it does not directly affect him. Neither is the peacemaker always tolerant -- "you do your thing and I'll do mine." Nor is the peacemaker an appeaser -- the kind who wants "peace at any price." Appeasement does not make for peace; it just puts off the conflict. The history of Europe during the 1930s is the classic example of this. The true peacemaker, contrary to what most people think, is not afraid of making waves.

What then is a peacemaker? To begin with, he or she is characterized by honesty. It there is a problem, he or she admits it. The prophet Ezekiel warned those who act as if all is well when it is not, who say "'Peace,' when there is no peace" [13:10]. Such, according to Ezekiel, are merely plastering over cracked walls. The plaster obscures the cracks, but when the rain comes, the true state of the walls is revealed and the walls crumble [vv. 10, 11]. Jeremiah, employing similar phrasing, put it this way, "They dress the wound of my people as though it were not serious. 'Peace, peace,' they say, when there is no peace" [Jeremiah 6:14]. The peacemaker does not do this. He is painfully honest about the true status of relationships in the world, in the society in which he moves, and in his own personal dealings. He admits failed relationships. He admits that he is at odds with others if he is so. He does not pretend. He refuses to say, "Peace, peace!" when there is no peace.

Next, a peacemaker is willing to risk pain. Any time we attempt to bring peace personally or societally, we necessarily risk misunderstanding and failure. If we have been wrong, there is the pain of apologizing. On the other hand, we may have to shoulder the equally difficulty pain of rebuking another. In any case, the peacemaker has to be willing to take a risk. The temptation is to let things slide. It is altogether too easy to rationalize that trying to bring true peace will "only make things worse."

These two qualities of the peacemaker -- honesty about the true status of peace and a willingness to risk pain in pursuing peace -- beautifully anticipate the next quality, which is a paradox: the peacemaker is a fighter. He makes trouble to make peace. He wages peace.

God's Word enjoins such peacemaking, telling us to "make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace" [Ephesians 4:3] and to "make every effort to do what leads to peace and mutual edification" [Romans 14:19]. "If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone" [Romans 12:18]. That the peacemaker is a fighter in no way justifies a verbal "license to kill." He should never be thoughtless or pugnacious. Rather his personality must be permeated with the shalom of God. He is gentle. James wrote, "But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness" [3:17, 18]. The peacemaker is positive. He is tolerant in the best sense of the word. He realizes that we are all of fallen stock and so does not demand perfection of others. He is humble. His ego is in check. But most of all, he is loving.

How beautiful true peacemakers are. Filled with peace themselves, they are honest about the state of relationships around them, whether personal or in the church or in the world. They are honest about what is in their own hearts and sensitive to where others are. They refuse to be satisfied with cheap peace, to say "peace, peace" when there is none. They are willing to risk pain and misunderstanding to make things right. Peacemakers will even fight for peace.

Our Lord Himself is, of course, the supreme peacemaker. He is the glorious "Prince of Peace" prophesized by Isaiah, the messianic fulfillment of the new covenant of peace [see Isaiah 9:6; 52:7-10; Ezekial 37:24-28]. At his birth the angels celebrated this fulfillment, singing, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom His favor rests" [Luke 2:14]. What we must see is that there was nothing cheap about His peacemaking. The Apostle Paul wrote, "For God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether things on earth or things in Heaven, by making peace through His blood, shed on the cross" [Colossians 1:19, 20]. Jesus saw the gravity of our problem, and He refused to sweep it under the rug. Only a drastic solution would suffice, and so He "made peace" [the root word being the same as in Matthew 5:9 for "peacemakers"] "through His blood." Christ is thus our supreme example of sacrificial aggression in bringing peace.

He also became the source of peace among all men. "But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who made the two one and has destroyed the barrier; the dividing wall of hostility, by abolishing in His flesh the Law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in Himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which He put to death their hostility. He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near" [Ephesians 2:13-17].

By becoming "our peace," He thus dispenses His shalom in our hearts. "Peace I leave with you," said Jesus, "my peace I give you" [John 14:27]. This, in turn, enables us to promote in each other everything that makes for well-being. The cost of this enabling power is beyond computation! It was attained for us "with the precious blood of Christ, a Lamb without blemish or defect" [1 Peter 1:19]. Jesus not only made possible peace with God and peace among men -- He gave us the example of how a peacemaker goes about his work. "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death -- even death of a cross!" [Philippians 2: 3-8]. In obtaining our peace, our Lord didn't grasp His glory and dignity, but instead He humbled Himself. His example stands for us who are called to peacemaking. This is incredibly expensive! It costs greatly to make peace. Peacemakers are willing to lower themselves, to even lose their dignity in order to bring shalom to life. This is the way peacemakers have always been.

I don't think we can overemphasize the radical nature of the call to be peacemakers. Peacemaking, as commended by Jesus, is not a natural human quality. It is above human nature. In fact, in the flesh, it is virtually impossible. As such, it is a wonder that this Beatitude has been a favorite text of those who know very little about Christianity. Secular pacifists love to quote Matthew 5:9 along with Isaiah 2:4, "They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore." They argue that the Beatitudes, and especially the seventh, are the "real gospel;" if only men would practice them, the world would be renewed. Of course, they are correct, as far as they go. For if the Beautiful Attitudes were really practiced, war would be no more. However, peacemaking cannot occur without a radical change in the human heart and the enabling of the Holy Spirit.

The radical nature of Christ's call to peacemaking demands a remaking of human personality. One must first have a profound experience of the shalom of God. No one can become a true peacemaker until he has found peace himself. The tragedy is that so few people actually go to the heart of the matter. Without grace, we are not only natural enemies of God but also of each other. Our hearts must be fundamentally changed. We cannot give to others what we do not possess ourselves. This inner change, coupled with a complete dependence on the Spirit, is what makes a peacemaker. The Holy Spirit molds the character of peacemakers' lives so that their ethos becomes increasingly gentle, humble, and loving. He elevates their integrity so that they can honestly evaluate the development of peace in their personal lives and society. He steels them not to say there is peace when there is no peace. The Spirit leads them to risk pain and misunderstanding in the pursuit of peace. He also leads them in developing the divinely aggressive spirit that wages peace.

So what is the benefit of becoming a peacemaker? "They will be called sons of God." They, in fact have a divine paternity, an inheritance from above. The meaning here is absolutely breathtaking. Again, as in the previous six Beatitudes, the pronoun is emphatic. In the Greek the word order is, "for they sons of God shall be called." The idea is that they, and no others, shall be called God's sons. Moreover, the passive voice indicates that it is God, not man, who assigns the title "sons." The sublimity of this promise comes from the fact that the title "sons of God" refers to character [see Luke 6:35]. The peacemaker partakes of the character of God. He is like God in the way he lives. No wonder God says, "Blessed are the peacemakers."