MT 5:9 - Magnifying Peacemaking

Introduction

It is natural for 2 image bearers to disagree on the way a situation is perceived. Disagreement when internalized can become frustration. Frustration when it festers becomes conflict. Conflict can either escalate into struggle or de-escalate into peace. This work of deescalating struggles into peace is called reconciliation, literally a putting together of what was once severed.

Conflict in itself is not always negative, sometimes it can prompt positive movement. much like chlorine in your water. It can make a pool safer, or it can ruin your favorite shirt.

Years ago, I was introduced to a ministry founded by some mature believers who wanted Christians to have an option rather than running straight to a court of law when feelings get hurt. Peacemaker Ministries has identified 12 common responses to conflict. On the aggressive extreme we find the...

Peacebreakers - These are those desire to have their way without any concern for what it means to the other party.

TRANSITION: on the other extreme we find what many would call allowing yourself to be a doormat.

Peacefakers - These are the ones who recognize a tension but they only blame themselves. By turning the blame on themselves others may not realize there is a conflict, but it continues within like poison within the one party.

TRANSITION: Between breaking and faking is a range of 6 responses that both admit the tension and move toward a more healthy relationship.

Peacemakers - These are those who are mature enough to admit their own contribution to the conflict and are willing to have the difficult conversations that value both parties and move both parties toward the peace that God intends. The picture behind me is a screenshot of the free App from Peacemaker Ministries so that you can have resources in your hand to assist your own peacemaking processes.

TRANSITION: I believe God prefers peace over tension, because Jesus himself connects peace with God as its source.

Disagreement gone WRONG (unresolved tension)

Have you heard the phrase “boy, that escalated fast!”? Escalating too quickly usually happens when we assume a motive when we encounter an action.

V is for Vendetta

1. I don’t need to illustrate much because we all have heard of road rage or workplace violence that “triggers” an emotionally unstable person.

3 weeks ago, Ann and I were driving up to Hesston where our eye doctor’s office is located. The speed limit goes up and down frequently between I-235 and Newton. In Park City I almost caused an accident which easily could have been interpreted as me be inattentive or trying to be a jerk, when I was just trying to be courteous. I noticed a vehicle coming up on my tail quickly, so I checked my mirrors and began to merge out of the left lane to let him through. As I continued to check my mirrors while merging right, I find there was a car in my blind spot who probably thought I was trying to cut him off.

2. It was the type of lane change that could have led to a shooting if the other driver did not know that I couldn’t see him and was just trying to get out of the way.

3. I’m just thankful that the other driver did not handle that tension or conflict by seeking vengeance without knowing my intention.

4. You may have noticed the first peacemaking response to the right of denialis overlook. Denial is to pretend as if an offense never happened which fakes peace, overlook is to admit that an offense occurred but makes peace by considering if there were extenuating circumstances (e.g. the motive of the other driver).

TRANSITION: We cannot jump to Vendetta or Vengeance too quickly. After all Paul wrote in Romans 12 that doing good to an enemy will heap burning coals on his head.

“burning coals” biblically and culturally understood

Walt Kaiser, a long-time professor and Dean at the EFCA seminary in Chicago writes,“A burning coal is taken from the altar and applied to his mouth, with the assurance that “your guilt is taken away, and your sin forgiven” (Is 6:7). This connection between burning coals and repentance and cleansing is also present (though not as directly) in Malachi’s picture of God as one who is “like a refiner’s fire” (Mal 3:2). As fire refines silver and gold to purify it, so God will “purify the sons of Levi … till they present right offerings to the Lord” (Mal 3:3). The point of this passage is that Israel’s sin and disobedience shall be separated out through the refining process of God’s judgment.

A possible cultural background, outside the Bible, for the connection between burning coals/fire and the purging of sin/evil is to be seen in the ancient Egyptian custom in which a penitent demonstrated his repentance of a wrong committed by carrying a dish of burning coals on his head.[i]

1. I thought I had made sense out of how coals on a head could be considered doing good to an enemy…

I have heard people talk about a custom in Bible times of going to your neighbor when your fire goes out and borrowing glowing coals and carrying them in a basket on your head back to start your fire. Commenting on this possibility, Dr. John Piper burst my bubble when he wrote, “I can find no evidence of such a practice in Bible times at all”. [ii]

2. All of the peacemaking responses in the center of the chart make room for God to settle accounts so it is NOT up to me individually to make the other person pay for their offense.

TRANSITION: To avoid the attack and avoidance responses, being a Peacemaker according to this beatitude requires that our...

Disagreement make RIGHT (reconciliation)

Romans 12:18 ESV:2016

If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.

Our Assignment

Whenever something is said or done that causes feelings to be hurt, your assignment, should you choose to accept is, is to repair broken relationships.

1. You’ve probably heard of someone being a little obstinate as “being salty” Being salty, rather than bland and passive is commanded in Scripture, but did you consider that it is possible to be both salty AND peacable?

Mark 9:50 ESV:2016

Salt is good, but if the salt has lost its saltiness, how will you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.”

2. Being both does not happen by accident, it requires an intentional pursuit.

Romans 14:19 ESV:2016

So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding.

3. There are some people who push our buttons easier than others, but we cannot be selective in those with whom we pursue peace.

Hebrews 12:14 ESV:2016

Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.

4. Finally, Peter (the disciple with the foot shaped mouth) who was known to speak before thinking, realized by the time he wrote his first epistle that pursuing peace FIRST requires a turning from.

1 Peter 3:11 ESV:2016

let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it.

Boundaries can be loving

I’ve often encountered people who use portions of verses like “the greatest of these is love” (1 Cor 13:13) or “do good to those who hate you” (Lk 6:27) as a sentimental notion that we all become so “nice” that we never have any enemies.

In my daily devotions this week I encountered this quote by D.A. Carson, “Even Jesus’ teaching that his followers love their enemies presupposes that they have enemies”.[i]

Carson goes on to write “New Testament believers may have enemies who must at some level be opposed. The apostle Paul, for instance, says that he has handed Hymenaeus and Alexander over to Satan to teach them not to blaspheme (1 Tim. 1:20). Both 2 Peter 2 and Jude deploy pretty colorful language to denounce fundamental enemies of the Gospel. Even if his language belongs to hyperbole, Paul can wish that the agitators in Galatia would emasculate themselves (Gal. 5:12)… It is difficult to avoid the conclusion that, unless we are to accuse the apostles and Jesus of hypocritical inconsistency, the demand that we love our enemies must not be reduced to the sentimental twaddle that merely smooths enemies out of existence”.[ii]

If good fences make for good neighbors, then firm boundaries can make for good relationships.

1. Boundaries are NOT meant to penalize, but to bring the repentance we talked about in the Egyptian picture of walking with coals to demonstrate that repentance had taken place.

Matthew 18:17 ESV:2016

If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.

2. The purity of Christ’s Bride and reputation of our witness is too important to ignore sin if that is what is insinuated by “love everyone.”

1 Corinthians 5:7–11 ESV:2016

Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump... I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler—not even to eat with such a one.

3. We can’t expect unsaved people to live like those indwelt by God’s Spirt, but we also can’t pretend that ongoing sin has no consequences.

4. Church discipline always moves from individual, to witness, to body before any separation, because it is not up to the individual to determine the offense, the BODY makes this determination as united in the Holy Spirit.

TRANSITION: When personal offense is handed over to God and Christ’s bride, then...

Disagreements Dissolved (reflecting Jesus)

Notice the “sons of God” language

Those who proceed from God and accomplish His purpose.

Choose to assume the best intent by others

Peacemaking is consistent with God’s intent

Ever since the Garden of Eden man was created to live in harmony with God and since it was not good for him to be alone, God’s intent was for his compliment to be unified (bone of my bone, flesh of my flesh)

Matthew 5:24 will say that making things right with a brother is more important than paying tithes and offerings.

Peacemaking reflects the priority of Jesus

2 Corinthians 5:18 ESV:2016

All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation;

Jesus reconciled us –

Jesus gives us the task of seeing reconciliation (making peace)

Since we have peace, we can make peace

Conclusion

The entire earthly ministry of Christ can be called reconciliation or peace-making.

Through Christ we have peace with God

Romans 5:1 ESV:2016

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

From before the foundation of the earth, before the fruit was eaten in the Garden, God determined to send His son to reattach what would become broken in that act of rebellion.

Jesus is THE Son of God and He is the example of how we can become sons of God by accomplishing a similar purpose.

Light for my Path

True followers of Christ are called to be peacemakers, demonstrating God’s heart for reconciliation and embodying the peace of Christ in a fractured world.

Lamps for my Steps

When tensions arise – Ask yourself 3 questions:

o Is this a “table that needs to be turned over”?

o Has God assigned me to “turn this table over”?

o After the table has been turned, how can I reset the table?

Response Song #363..........................................”Leaning on the Everlasting Armsed)”

Benediction:

1 Timothy 1:17 ESV:2016

To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

For the Love of God, Volume Two August 19

(1) Even Jesus’ teaching that his followers love their enemies presupposes that they have enemies. Jesus’ requirement that we love our enemies must not be reduced to the sentimental notion that we all become so “nice” that we never have any enemies.

(2) New Testament believers may have enemies who must at some level be opposed. The apostle Paul, for instance, says that he has handed Hymenaeus and Alexander over to Satan to teach them not to blaspheme (

Hard Sayings of the Bible 12:20 Burning Coals?

A burning coal is taken from the altar and applied to his mouth, with the assurance that “your guilt is taken away, and your sin forgiven” (

[i] Kaiser, Walter C., Jr., Peter H. Davids, F. F. Bruce, and Manfred T. Brauch. 1996. Hard Sayings of the Bible. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity.

[ii] Piper, John. 2014. Sermons from John Piper (2000–2014). Minneapolis, MN: Desiring God.

[iii]Carson, D. A. 1998. For the Love of God: A Daily Companion for Discovering the Riches of God’s Word.Vol. 2. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books

[iv]Ibid..