Selwyn spends one more day on the seventh beatitude: ‘Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God’ (Matthew 5:9). He summarises what he has been talking about over the last few days, as follows: ‘ … when it comes to the matter of peace there are three types of people – peacebreakers, peacefakers and peacemakers. Peacebreakers are those who say the wrong things, do the wrong things, confront, disagree and cause divisions. … The Bible has strong words for such individuals: “Watch out for those who cause divisions … Keep away from them” (Romans 16:17-18).’
I think there are a number of steps that should be undertaken before the church community, in general, keeps away from this type of person. Often, those people in a church environment who confront and disagree with others, do so because of poor teaching in the past. Sometimes it is due to a legalistic approach to their faith and they feel it is an essential role they play, to tell everyone else when they perceive that the ‘law’ has been broken. Their pastor, minister or priest, I believe, has a role to minister to these people and address whatever they discern is the cause of their disruptive behaviour. I have found that people who have ‘built’ their faith on poor or incorrect teaching need to have their foundations replaced before they can become mature and peaceful members of a church community – do you agree? After they have been taken aside and ministered to in love, and they continue to confront and disagree with others then we should ‘keep away from them’. (Of course it is taken for granted in this discussion that the church community is following the true teaching of Jesus.)
In regard to the other two categories; this is the summary provided by Selwyn: “Peacefakers are those who prefer peace to truth. They regard peace simply as the absence of any kind of argument or discord. Although they give the impression they are for peace, in reality what they are for is avoiding troubled waters. Peacemakers, however, are those who are equally committed to peace and truth, and are prepared to be misjudged or hurt in their pursuit of bringing together those whose relationships need to be reconciled or re-established. ( I would guess that they would often work in bringing reconciliation to those church communities who have peacebreakers in their midst.)
In his summary on this beatitude, Selwyn writes that to be “called sons of God means that when we make peace between opposing parties we are most like our heavenly Father … for it’s heaven’s work to reconcile us.”
In thinking about what ‘sons of God’ means, I recall Galatians 3:26-29 and 4:4-7, as follows: “You are all sons (and daughters) of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male or female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise. … But when the time had fully come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, that we might receive the full rights of sons. Because you are sons (and daughters), God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, ‘Abba, Father.’ So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir.”
It is the Spirit of Jesus in our hearts that enables us to be peacemakers. As with all the beatitudes, no one can successfully do God’s work by their own strength – it is by His Spirit working in us – then, and only then, can we bring true peace to troubled people.
The verses from Isaiah, recommended in the Further Study section, are also worth reflecting on (Isaiah 48:17-18): “This is what the Lord says – your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: ‘I am the Lord your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go. If only you had paid attention to my commands, your peace would have been like a river, your righteousness like the waves of the sea.’”
If we bring the words in Galatians together with what’s written in Isaiah then we can trust the Spirit of Jesus in our hearts to teach us what is best for us and to direct us in the way we should go – our peace can be like a river – flowing from us to others. What do you think?
Three types of people
Selwyn spends one more day on the seventh beatitude: ‘Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God’ (Matthew 5:9). He summarises what he has been talking about over the last few days, as follows: ‘ … when it comes to the matter of peace there are three types of people – peacebreakers, peacefakers and peacemakers. Peacebreakers are those who say the wrong things, do the wrong things, confront, disagree and cause divisions. … The Bible has strong words for such individuals: “Watch out for those who cause divisions … Keep away from them” (Romans 16:17-18).’
I think there are a number of steps that should be undertaken before the church community, in general, keeps away from this type of person. Often, those people in a church environment who confront and disagree with others, do so because of poor teaching in the past. Sometimes it is due to a legalistic approach to their faith and they feel it is an essential role they play, to tell everyone else when they perceive that the ‘law’ has been broken. Their pastor, minister or priest, I believe, has a role to minister to these people and address whatever they discern is the cause of their disruptive behaviour. I have found that people who have ‘built’ their faith on poor or incorrect teaching need to have their foundations replaced before they can become mature and peaceful members of a church community – do you agree? After they have been taken aside and ministered to in love, and they continue to confront and disagree with others then we should ‘keep away from them’. (Of course it is taken for granted in this discussion that the church community is following the true teaching of Jesus.)
In regard to the other two categories; this is the summary provided by Selwyn: “Peacefakers are those who prefer peace to truth. They regard peace simply as the absence of any kind of argument or discord. Although they give the impression they are for peace, in reality what they are for is avoiding troubled waters. Peacemakers, however, are those who are equally committed to peace and truth, and are prepared to be misjudged or hurt in their pursuit of bringing together those whose relationships need to be reconciled or re-established. ( I would guess that they would often work in bringing reconciliation to those church communities who have peacebreakers in their midst.)
In his summary on this beatitude, Selwyn writes that to be “called sons of God means that when we make peace between opposing parties we are most like our heavenly Father … for it’s heaven’s work to reconcile us.”
In thinking about what ‘sons of God’ means, I recall Galatians 3:26-29 and 4:4-7, as follows: “You are all sons (and daughters) of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male or female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise. … But when the time had fully come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, that we might receive the full rights of sons. Because you are sons (and daughters), God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, ‘Abba, Father.’ So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir.”
It is the Spirit of Jesus in our hearts that enables us to be peacemakers. As with all the beatitudes, no one can successfully do God’s work by their own strength – it is by His Spirit working in us – then, and only then, can we bring true peace to troubled people.
The verses from Isaiah, recommended in the Further Study section, are also worth reflecting on (Isaiah 48:17-18): “This is what the Lord says – your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: ‘I am the Lord your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go. If only you had paid attention to my commands, your peace would have been like a river, your righteousness like the waves of the sea.’”
If we bring the words in Galatians together with what’s written in Isaiah then we can trust the Spirit of Jesus in our hearts to teach us what is best for us and to direct us in the way we should go – our peace can be like a river – flowing from us to others. What do you think?