We live in a world where there is strife on every corner. Wars are constantly going on between different countries. Strife and contention when allowed to fester, brings hurt feelings. When this attitude is left unchecked, it leads to retaliation. Retaliation is simply vengeance. It is becoming someone’s judge for whatever the offense is we feel they have committed. Those who live this way tend to backbite and gossip which can lead to hatred. In Matthew 5:21-22, Jesus teaches that those who are angry to the point of hatred with their brother are guilty of murder. This puts those who are the opposite of being a peacemaker guilty of serious sin. It, therefore, shows the importance of being a peacemaker. In Matthew 5:9 Jesus tells us that blessed or fully satisfied, are those who are peacemakers. The world needs lots of peacemakers but with all the angry people in the world, it seems they are in short supply. However, God has a plan, He has given that responsibility to Christians. We are to strive to prevent strife, contention, and even war between those that are within our circle of life. We are to use our influence to reconcile those who oppose one another. It is not uncommon thing for brothers and sisters in Christ to become so angry with one another that churches split. Some even bring lawsuits against each other and the Bible is clear on this matter. In I Corinthians 6:5-8, Paul makes it clear in his teaching that it is wrong to bring a lawsuit against a brother or sister in Christ. It does damage to the church, and to the reputation of Jesus in the world. To the lost world, we are nothing but hypocrites when we behave this way.
Matthew 5:21-22 “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment. But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire.”
Matthew 5:9 “Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
I Corinthians 6:5-8 I say this to your shame. Can it be that there is no one among you wise enough to settle a dispute between the brothers, but brother goes to law against brother, and that before unbelievers? To have lawsuits at all with one another is already a defeat for you. Why not rather suffer wrong? Why not rather be defrauded? But you yourselves wrong and defraud—even your own brothers!
God intends for all Christians to be peacemakers. Too many times when someone is upset with another brother, we fuel the fire by adding comments that bring more strife. Instead, we should be bringing them to an understanding of preferring another brother above himself. We should pray with them about the situation and seek to bring peace with others. The ESV version gets directly to the point of this situation. In Proverbs 17:14, Solomon the wisest man on earth gave these words of wisdom “The beginning of strife is like letting out water, so quit before the quarrel breaks out.” The commentator Albert Barnes explains it like this: “The figure is taken from the great tank or reservoir upon which Eastern cities often depended for their supply of water. The beginning of strife is compared to the first crack in the mound of such a reservoir. At first, a few drops ooze out, but after a time the whole mass of waters pour themselves forth with fury, and it is hard to set limits to the destruction which they cause.“
Jesus never wasted any words He intended for us to do our part to keep peace in the church and in our life. He offers a beautiful promise to those who are peacemakers. They are called the children of God! When we have the peace of God that is promised when we place our faith in Him, we will desire to have peace with our fellow man. When we have peace with God, we will long to see those that are without the family of God to know this same peace we are enjoying. This is evidence we are children of God because children should want to please the Father. While those who are not Christians are not His children, He loves them and longs for them to be brought into the family. We are left here to teach them about Him and to demonstrate by our actions we are His.
Romans 5:1 “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
So how are you fulfilling this task that God has called us to? It is very easy to listen to someone, sympathize with them, and get caught up in the moment, but we must be careful to help the situation not fuel it and further damage the relationship.
Be a peacemaker and you will be fully satisfied with God and as His child.
