Matthew 5:9, 2 Corinthians 5:11-21, Psalm 34:8-14
Some buffalo were grazing on the range when a tourist said, “Those are the mangiest, scroungiest beasts I have ever seen.”
One buffalo turned to the other and said, “You know…I think I just heard a discouraging word.”
Seeds of peace
Want to see a miracle? Try this.
Take a seed the size of a freckle. Put it under several millimetres of dirt. Give it enough water, light and fertiliser. And get ready. A mountain will be moved. It doesn’t matter that the ground is a zillion times the weight of the seed. The seed will push it out of the way.
Every spring, dreamers around the world plant tiny hopes in overturned soil. And every spring, their hopes press against impossible odds and blossom.
Never underestimate the power of a seed.
As far as I know, James, the epistle writer, wasn’t a farmer. But he knew the power of a seed sown in fertile soil. “Those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of goodness.” (James 3:18 LB)
The principle for peace is the same as the principle for crops: never underestimate the power of a seed.
‘Blessed are the peacemakers’ is a call for peace at three levels – inner peace, peace between people and peace with God.
How good are you at sowing seeds of peace? Look at how Jesus modelled this. We don’t see him settling disputes or negotiating conflicts. But we do see him cultivating inward harmony through acts of love:
washing the feet of men he knew would betray him,
having lunch with a corrupt tax official,
honouring the sinful woman whom society had scorned.
He built bridges by healing hurts. He prevented conflict by touching the interior. He cultivated harmony by sowing seeds of peace in fertile hearts.
Want to see a miracle? Plant a word of love heartdeep in a person’s life. Nurture it with a smile and a prayer, and watch what happens. An employee gets a compliment. A wife receives a bouquet of flowers. A cake is baked and carried next door. A widow is hugged. A shop assistant is honoured. A teacher is praised.
Sowing seeds of peace is like sowing beans. You don’t know why it works; you just know it does. Seeds are planted, and topsoils of hurt are shoved away. Don’t forget the principle. Never underestimate the power of a seed.
Jesus says that if we make a habit of making peace we will ‘be called sons of God‘. That is, we will bear the family likeness of our Heavenly Father because he is the ultimate peacemaker. We will be truly related to our brother, Jesus, who made peace through his death.
As peacemakers, we are called to reconcile people to God in our evangelism. We implore others to ‘be reconciled to God‘ (2 Corinthians 5:20). People are looking for peace these days. Their search is often frantic. Some never find it, others find peace of a sort in all kinds of places. However, we know that being reconciled to God is the only route to inner peace which is neither superficial nor deceptive, because it is inner and interpersonal peace based on the objective reality of peace with God.
As peacemakers we are also required to bring peace between human beings. That is quite different from ‘doing anything for a peaceful life‘. Sometimes we need to face up to difficult situations. we may even need to confront in order to make peace. But this is our calling as children of God.
Peacemaking teaches us to say, “I won’t let you go.” It’s that rare commitment to live out the Beatitudes in the context of a relationship gone sour. It’s the instinct to reconcile – and to trust that Beatitude living is the most powerful means of shaping life God’s way.
Living it out
No Beatitude more clearly shows the intimate connection between all the Beatitudes than the one about peacemaking. You can’t practice the seventh Beatitude without learning to practice those that precede it. In fact its the faithful practice of the first six Beatitudes that equips you to be a peacemaker.
Consider the following situation: You and a friend have a falling out. There are hurt feelings and hard words between you. Each of you feels wronged. You both retreat into wounded silence and consider whether this relationship is worth the pain.
Enter the peacemaker (that’s you). Notice how the intentional practice of the first six Beatitudes provides a step—by-step method for getting to peace. In the list on the screen, I’ve translated the Beatitudes into relationship language. Think about how a willingness to say these things to an estranged friend might lead to reconciliation and the restoration of a valued relationship.
Poverty of spirit makes it possible to confess, “I was wrong.“
Mourning teaches us to say, “I’m sorry; please forgive me.”
Meekness causes us to ask, “What is God’s will here?”
A hunger for righteousness leads us to affirm, “I want to do what’s right.”
The quality of mercy drives us to inquire: “What do you need?”
Purity allows us to promise, “I’ll be honest with you.”
In some ways, peacemaking is little more than the motivation to take what you already know as a disciple and apply it to a particular problem with a particular person. It’s a willingness to live out your commitments as a disciple within the context of a specific relationship. It’s where the rubber of pious principles meets the road of real life.
Can you think of a past friendship that went sour and stayed sour? How might an application of the Beatitudes to that broken relationship have helped resolve the conflict? What Beatitude rules did you ignore in dealing with that situation?
There’s a relationship in your life right now (perhaps a friend, a co-worker, or a fellow Christian) that is either unravelling or threatening to do so. It may be that a conflict is brewing or that simple neglect is about to exact its cost. Can you identify that relationship?
Work through the list, asking yourself, “How could I express these Beatitudes in this specific situation?” Peacemaking begins by imagining a different way of acting – an abnormal solution to a common problem.
Now for the hard question: Do you care enough about this relationship to step in with the Beatitudes and attempt a reconciliation? Can you act like a disciple, even when the issues are up close and personal?
Pick up the phone, call your friend, and set up a time to talk. Go on, do it now, or at least today. Don’t wait. Peacemaking is a present-tense activity. Procrastinating, putting off till tomorrow, hoping you’ll be a peacemaker in the future is only wishful thinking. So screw up your courage, approach your friend, and get it sorted. Your friend is worth it.
The following prayer might help you become a peacemaker.
Father, I confess that I love myself too much. My first instinct is to protect myself, to defend myself, to take care of myself. And when others threaten me? When they cause me pain or get in my way? Oh, Lord, how quick I am to cut people off and throw away relationships that have become inconvenient or difficult.
I know that’s not how you act. And how thankful I am. When I fail you, you draw closer. When I disappoint and hurt you, you’re quick to forgive and welcome me home. You always make peace with me. You never throw me away.
Lord, help me to be more like you in this. Teach me to be a peacemaker. Show me how to value others above myself, to care about relationships even when they become difiicult. Give me the courage to act like a disciple in the most intimate places of my life – with the people I claim to love.
Amen.