Blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called sons of God (5.9)

++Blessed are the peacemakers are those who actually bring about peace, overcoming evil with good

+The Pharisees and Sadducee’s were not the Beatitudes!

+ Notice something: the attributes of Jesus’ kingdom fly in the face of the lifestyles of the Sadducees and Pharisees! As a matter of fact, these leaders were all about “doing.” They would have scoffed at the very idea that God is more pleased with the attitudes reflected in verses 2-10 rather than their “doings.” I’m certain that this passage was written as a stark contrast between fake righteousness and true righteousness. True righteousness is a heart relationship with God, not a compliance checklist. In other words, in this passage, let us observe all the things that the Sadducees and Pharisees are not. However, when a Believer is led by the Holy Spirit, the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) is manifested in his life (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, self-control). Therefore, a life directed by the Holy Spirit captures the qualities of what we know here as “the beatitudes.”

+The peacemakers are those children of God who not only have great love for God, but also have love for all of mankind and they attempt to do everything possible for the advancement of peace everywhere. The term “peacemakers” includes all who make peace between men, whether as individuals or as communities. It includes even those who endeavor to make peace even though they fail.

+The peacemakers realize that there is only one way that this world can have peace, and that is by trusting in Jesus Christ. What Jesus did on the cross was bring peace between not only God and man, but also between man and man. Christ’s death tore the barrier of the veil at the entrance of the Holy of Holies from top to bottom and opened a way for us to have access to God, so that we can now come into the very presence of God and have peace with our Father. And when we are at peace with God, we will be at peace with all men.

+By his death Jesus also destroyed another barrier, that dividing wall of hostility between man and his fellow man. Ephesians 2:14 says, “For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one, and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall”.

+The reason we can love other people and have peace with them, including our enemies, is because Christ destroyed the hostility between man and man when he died on the cross. Colossians1:20 says, “And through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross”.

B1+Name some people who are peacemakers.

B2+Does your list match up with Jesus’ definition of peacemakers?

B3+The reward of peacemakers is that they are recognized as true children of God. They share His passion for peace and reconciliation, the breaking down of walls between people. How are you living out this?

BB1+How is the people/organization you go see teaching you how to be the beatitudes?

AA1+The peace-makers are happy. They love, and desire, and delight in peace; and study to be quiet. They keep the peace that it be not broken, and recover it when it is broken. If the peace-makers are blessed, woe to the peace-breakers!

Respond.

Peacemaking Experience

I AM BLESSED BECAUSE I LONG FOR PEACE AMONG THOSE AROUND ME. I DESIRE TO ENTER INTO THE WORLD OF OTHERS TO BETTER UNDERSTAND AND COME ALONGSIDE THEM. I’M WILLING TO DO WHAT IS UNCOMFORTABLE FOR THE SAKE OF PEACE, FOLLOWING IN THE FOOT STEPS OF JESUS.