Peacemakers

By Javan Shashaty

“Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God.”—Matthew 5:9

When I was a kid, I loved going to theme parks. The rides, the atmosphere, everything about them was fun. But one day, I had a scary experience at a theme park. I was standing with my family in line for one of the park’s popular attractions when suddenly, everyone started screaming and moving backward toward us. When the crowds of people cleared, I saw two men throwing punches at each other like two fighters in a cage match. I was stunned. I was frozen. It made me sad to see two people so angry in a place that was meant to be fun. I didn’t know what to do. 

But thankfully, my dad knew just what to do. He quickly hopped over the divider rope that separated us from the swinging fists and wrapped the larger of the two men in a giant bear hug. As my dad walked the man, backwards, away from the violence, he repeated one phrase over and over again in the man’s ear: “It’s not worth it.” Immediately, the fight was over and the chaos ended. Turns out, the two men who were pounding on each other were father and son. 

Through that experience, my dad taught me a very valuable lesson. It’s a lesson that I carry with me to this day. “Be a peacemaker.” My dad would be the first to tell you that he didn’t come up with that lesson all on his own. The idea of being a peacemaker comes straight from Jesus Himself. In Matthew 5:9, Jesus says that peacemakers are blessed and they will be called children of God! Why are peacemakers so important to Jesus? Because peacemakers reflect the heart of God. 

The Greek word for a peacemaker is eirēnopoioi, which means “pacific, loving peace; one who bravely declares the Word of God and the harmony of God, which makes someone whole.” So, it’s not just someone who is peaceable themselves, who has the wholeness of God in them, it’s also someone who lives in a way that promotes peace with others and invokes peace in others. It’s describing the believer as they transform from peace-receiver to peace-diffuser. And now, as one Bible commentary put it, “God is thus seen reflected in them; and by the family likeness these peacemakers are recognized as the children of God.”

Consider that in Isaiah 9 Jesus is called the Prince of Peace and that in John, Jesus said He’d leave His peace with us. He came to earth to bring us into peace with God, and now He’s left us here with the Holy Spirit and sent us out to bring that same peace to others. 

When God’s people bicker and argue over meaningless disagreements, it does not show the world what God is like. It actually displays confusion to the world about God’s character. Christians are supposed to love each other, not tear each other down! When we seek peace with others, we show the people around us that God is a God of peace. I have witnessed more than a few fistfights since that day in the theme park. And ever since then, my first instinct is to run right into the chaos and do my best to bring peace. My dad set that example for me, and Jesus sets that example for us. In our brokenness and chaos, Jesus ran in. He brought peace. Let’s go and do the same.

Questions for Reflection:

• Is there anyone in your life right now that you need to seek peace with?
• How can you help bring peace to others in their daily lives?