The Peacemakers and the Persecuted

· Vs 9 - Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

o Do you think there might be anybody you know this morning that may like a little peace?

o Let me let you in on a little secret….the devil is a troublemaker.

o God, on the other hand, loves reconciliation…he has pursued it all the way from Heaven. And he expects his children to be peacemakers too…both in the community and in the church.

o So Jesus goes from living openly, honestly, and transparently before people to seeking peace when there is division, which makes sense, right?

o But Jesus tells us in other passages of scripture that if we follow him and live according to his teaching, that will cause friction…it will cause division.

o Matthew 10:34 (NKJV) 34 "Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword.

o These two statements seem to be in complete contrast with each other. But what Jesus is saying in the call to be peacemakers is that we are not to SEEK OUT division. However, it’s a natural by-product of a life that honors Jesus.

o On the other hand, we don’t shy away from it, but rather seek to bring peace and reconciliation when and where we can.

o IMPORTANT DISTINCTION….PEACE AND APPEASEMENT ARE NOT THE SAME. The peace that Jesus speaks of here is not peace at any price. It’s not “go along to get along”.

o Making peace should NEVER involve sacrificing character, integrity or principle that is based on scripture.

o Romans 12:18 – If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.

o We need to remember that God INITIATED peace with us through the effort of his Son Jesus. And Jesus provided the means for having peace with God without ever compromising. And so can we. And when we do, we show the person and the character of our Father.

o However hard we may try to make peace, there are some people who simply refuse to live at peace with us. This may surprise you, but not every effort at reconciliation will succeed. In fact, some take the initiative to OPPOSE us in our efforts at peace…not because of us, per se, but because of Jesus.

· Vs 10-12 - Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

o So Jesus moves from peacemaking to persecution as the final topic in the BE(Attitudes).

o Jesus tells his followers that we’re blessed when we endure this. In other words, he doesn’t expect us to retaliate, to sulk, or to lick our wounds in self-pity. He says that we are to rejoice and be glad.

o Since all the other BE(Attitudes) describe what every Christian disciple is intended to be…we have to conclude that the experience of being despised and rejected, slandered and persecuted, is as much a normal mark of Christian discipleship as being pure in heart or merciful.

o Every Christian is to be a peacemaker….and….. every Christian is to expect opposition. In other words, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, those who want what is right and seek to live that way, will be ridiculed and opposed.

o Does that sound more and more like what we are experiencing in this very country?. We should not be surprised if anti-Christian hostility increases….we should be surprised if it doesn’t.

o Jesus tells us to rejoice because it is a mark of genuineness….it’s like a Certificate of Authenticity. Who would sign up for abuse if we didn’t have to? But more than anything else, we rejoice because it helps us identify more and more with our Lord and Leader, Jesus Christ.

o Isaiah 53:3 (NKJV) - 3 He is despised and rejected by men,

o The world considers “blessed” to mean being secure and popular and living at ease,

o It does NOT consider blessed to mean those who have to suffer persecution. The Christian cannot expect to be thanked for being merciful or sincere or a peacemaker, instead we are opposed, slandered, insulted and persecuted on account of the righteousness for which we stand and the Christ with whom we are identified.

o But as with every other BE(Attitude), living this way brings an inner peace and contentment that cannot be measured and cannot be duplicated by ANYTHING the world has to offer. This is what it truly means to be blessed!