Peacemakers

As police officers well know, the most dangerous place to be in a fight is in the middle. Peacemakers put themselves in the middle of everything, trying to create shalom that is forever unreachable in this world. Good news to the peacemakers - they are going to finally be family: God's family. You don't have to "earn" or "perform" when you're family, you can just "be." Jesus purchased peace forever with God... and he made forever peace with one another, possibly here, certainly in eternity. Live, relax into, peace with God and others.

Punched her in the Face

In my defense, she came after me with a knife. I don’t remember what I did to offend her, but I remember that part quite clearly.

But I punched her in the face. And… maybe kind of broke her tooth. I was 12 or so? My sister was 15? Good times.

Then there was the time by brother found a giant spoon, hurled it across the yard, I took it right in the face. Then he ran away, all the way down the street, and hid for an hour because he was afraid I was going to murder him. I’d calmed down a bit by the time he came back, smart move.

To be honest, my kids never fought the way we fought growing up… so maybe I was the problem. The middle child, always in the middle of things, picking on my little brother and disrespecting my big sister.

I remember the frustration of my parents at the time… but I feel it so much more now as a parent. I love this kid, and that kids… and they’re just AWFUL to each other. The need to fix it.

The need to make peace.

Here comes Jesus

Summary

Jesus brings the good news of the Kingdom. To the lost and lowly, the poor and forgotten, the hungry and desperate, the try-hards and perfectionists… good news, the Kingdom of heaven is yours. If the King says you’re in, you’re in.

Blessed are the Peacemakers

Matthew 5:9 ESV

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

The peacemakers.

Nothing tricky here.

We’ve talked before about what an AWESOME word “peace” is. Everyone loves it, everyone wants it. The Greek scholars write of eirene, peace, Hebrew or Aramaic would talk of “shalom.” Not just lack of conflict, but everything right where it should be, right as it should be. It is wholeness and well-being. Everything set right.

And makers? The people who made it happen.

… and I think of my parents, desperately wanting peace in the family. There’s so much to that. My sister has to act and think and be different, I have to act and think and be different, my brother have to act and think and be different. And they are in a position of authority… but how do they make peace?

That isn’t rhetorical. They came up with punishments for all us kids in proportion to our offenses. They came up with reward systems, the carrot and the stick. My parents were fantastic and wonderful parents, I am blessed.

Did they make peace? Well, they achieved absence of conflict at times. And my sister left for college, that helped. Then we added a sister. Then I left for college, that maybe helped even more. Then Jono left for college, and for awhile no one was there at all, so… peace made!

But is that shalom?

What else is a peacemaker?

How does one “make peace?”

How does this guy make peace? This is… truly crass and awful show. I like John Cena… but it’s about as HBO as it gets.

This guy “makes peace” by effectively murdering anyone who disturbs the peace.

Hopefully, maybe, we have slightly better associations with these folks, Thornton PD in particular. As we all know, police have not always famously been “peacekeepers” or “peacemakers...” but that is the idea. Colorado statute calls them “police officers.”

Do they truly make peace? They don’t. They halfway kind of “keep” the peace… and all that they aim for is an absence of conflict.

And their job is dangerous. You know 10% of police deaths are stepping into domestic disputes. Trying to make peace. Stepping into a fight they know nothing about… and many times no one asked or wanted them there and there are no one’s side and so everyone’s against ‘em.

The police showed up and then there was “shalom.” Nope. We call them peacemakers full of hope, and then we give them guns and mace and cuffs and bullet proof vests because we live in a broken world… and we give them body cams because we and they are all sinners, every one.

Our world is full of conflict. The best we can hope for is short seasons of apparent “peace.”

And here come the peacemakers. Trying one way or another to make peace.

What’s the motive for that?

Lots of reasons to want to make peace.

Love and care for those others, desire for them to experience peace. That’s a good motive. Noble.

Like a parent wanting children they love to love each other. That’s noble.

It might be futile, but it’s noble. But there’s a lot more possible reasons.

How about fatigue. Oh, my goodness, the drama of you two! I can’t even!!!

How about pride? I’ll solve the problem and I’ll be the hero! Everyone will be so impressed. Every politician trying to bring “peace in the Middle East.” Is that humanitarian? It’s for points.

How about fear? Maybe this above all.

Fear that their fight will spill over into separation. Fear that you’ll have to choose between, lose relationship with one or the other.

Fear that I’m not secure. I’m not safe. I’m not safe from the conflict, I’m not safe from losing them, I’m not secure in love. That’s a big one.

Kids feel that. Especially kids who have seen it happen. Those are deep wounds in my own family, and it so easily translates to fear… and that means everyone around me has to be okay because I don’t ever want to hurt like that again!

Too real?

Here are the peacemakers. Some of them noble and wonderful. Some of them meddlers, busybodies, getting all up in other peoples’ business. Some of them insecure, a scared child afraid that the family is falling apart.

Isn’t it odd, the blessing Jesus gives? Not “the peacemaker shall have peace...” though we see that elsewhere.

But here, Jesus doesn’t say the “peacemaker” shall have peace.

Good news to the peacemakers. Congratulations!

They shall be called sons of God.

Why does that speak to the “peacemaker?” The meddler? The “in the middle” and maybe even “in the way?”

Jesus sons “Son of God.” That’s different than “child of God” we see sometimes. This is a place where trying too hard with gender inclusive language can possibly obscure meaning. Teknatheou is “children of God,” gender neutral, all the kids. This is “huios”, son of God. Right to inherit, full privileges.

Maybe more specific with his Jewish audience who might make that distinction. You get all the rights of “sonship.”

Not to exclude females, I think, but to grab the best model of inheritance and privilege and family that the audience could understand. You get it all, son of God.

Because the blessing is not that the peacemakers would finally succeed in making peace. Someone else was going to do that for them.

Jesus the Peacemaker

Colossians 1:15–20 ESV

15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. 19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

How was peace made? Jesus. By the blood of his cross. Reconciling all things to himself.

The conflict and separation between you and God? Jesus made peace there. Forever peace. So that you are now family… and God will never abandon, never disown, never forget, never leave…

What about the conflict and separation between you and any other believer. It’s temporary. Fleeting.

That conflict with any non-believer. It’s temporary too.

I know you may think it’s a big deal, it may be the biggest thing in your life right now.

But it’s like the fight I had with my big sister. She came at me with a knife. I punched her in the face. That was a big deal then. Now measure it against decades of love… and we aren’t even in the same state now… now measure it against eternity in perfect love and harmony and peace in new perfect bodies, in new heaven on a new earth. What was that fight again?

And, I expect, with greater wisdom and knowledge to understand and forgive what happened way back when… and absolutely with Jesus the Prince of Peace right there to bring healing an wholeness to every aspect of our lives and relationships.

Is there still a ministry of peace, an invitation to be “peacemakers” in the footsteps of Jesus? Absolutely! But the blessing, the good news Jesus announces is NOT that you will make peace and if you do it well enough you will then be a child of God.

No!

Jesus made peace by the blood of his cross.

Because you’re sons of God. Co-heirs with Christ. Brothers and Sisters… FOREVER!

Son of God

Paul says it this way in Romans:

Romans 8:14–17 ESV

14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” 16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.

Son of God

You are a child of God. Be at peace.

Ultimately this is not something you must know.

This is true whether you know it or not. This is something you are…

The invitation, the blessing, is to be in it. To live in it.

Or, I love this phrase, to relax into it.

This is not something you do, this is who you are. Being before doing.

So, let’s practice some meditation together. Some divine imagination:

It’s been a journey, but you are finally Home. Home with a capital H.

Maybe that’s the house you grew up in, your Mom and Dad, maybe that’s your house now… but it’s welcoming, and its ready… and it’s beautifully clean...

Maybe family is a scary word for you, a broken world, because that’s your story. It’s hard to imagine, but this is family as it was Created to be. Whole. Perfect. Everything just as it should be.

And Dinner is ready. Dad has already taken care of it.. and there’s plenty and it smells amazing.

And the family is all together. And all the brokenness and drama that may make that sounds scary… it’s all been sorted. Healed and made whole. And everyone is together in love and joy… in peace.

You don’t have to try, you don’t have to earn, you don’t have to justify, you don’t have to clean, you don’t have to fix, you don’t have to make it right, you don’t have to pretend, you don’t have to put on a face.

You are Home. You are welcome. There is nothing for you to do but enjoy, but be, in the presence of family.

This is Home. This is Family. You are a Child of God.

God, speak this truth over us. Speak this truth into us.

We are family. Your sons and daughters. Your heirs. You made peace… and you gave it to us. Welcome and Home: now and forever, Amen.

We are family. Your sons and daughters. Your heirs. You made peace… and you gave it to us. Welcome and Home: now and forever, Amen.