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THE PEACEMAKERS
MATTHEW 5:9
Series:  The Beatitudes - Happiness is... - Part Four

Pastor Stephen Muncherian
November 29, 1998

This morning we are continuing our look at the Beatitudes - which are found in Matthew 5. We’ve been considering what Jesus said about what leads to real happiness in our lives. This morning we’re looking at Matthew 5:9. Our focus is on how we can experience real happiness through lasting inner peace.

In Matthew 5:9, Jesus says, “Blessed - or happy - are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.” Put another way - those who make peace are really happy.

During the last 4,000 years of human history there have been only 268 years of peace - less than 8% of recorded history. Over 8,000 peace treaties have been made - and broken. Since 650 B.C. there have been over 1,600 arms races - only 16 of which haven’t ended in war. There have been at least 14,000 plus wars in which over 3½ billion people have been killed. The value of the property destroyed would pay for a golden belt around the world 97 miles wide and 33 feet thick. In the last 3 centuries there have been 286 wars on the continent of Europe alone.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt - on the night he died - was planning a trip to San Francisco to attend the organization of the United Nations. During that time he was preparing his speech - the last words he ever wrote. These are his words: “We seek peace - enduring peace....We must cultivate the science of human relations - the ability of all peoples, of all kinds, to live together and work together in the same world, at peace.”

Above all things - peace was the desire of his heart - and its the desire of our hearts. We desire peace inside ourselves. If we have peace - then no matter what else we may not have - life is worth living. Without peace - even if we have everything else - its not enough.

During this time of the year we often hear the words of the angels, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.” (Luke 2:14) What leads to real lasting - true inner - peace?

Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers....” - These are the people who have the blessing of God’s peace in their hearts.

I invite you to turn with me to Romans 12:18,19. What the Apostle Paul writes here in Romans 12 - are two very practical truths about what it means to be a peace maker. What Paul writes, fits to what Jesus is talking about. Jesus is not talking about those who are peaceful - He’s talking about those who make peace - as those who obtain happiness. The action of being a maker of peace brings happiness.

And this Paul is writing about - how does one become a maker of peace?

Romans 12: (18) If possible, so far as it depends upon you, live peaceably with all. (19) Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God; for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”

Two practical truths:

1. WE ARE RESPONSIBLE ONLY FOR OUR OWN ACTIONS

Paul says, If possible, so far as it depends upon you, live peaceably with all.”

When Paul wrote these words peace for Christians didn’t exist. Christians were seen as a cult - a superstition - cannibals who performed all kinds of evil rituals.

Nero - the Roman Emperor - was depraved - insane. At night he lit up his garden parties with Christians burning alive on crosses. He burned Rome and blamed the Christians - had them arrested and sent to the coliseum to be torn apart by wild animals. The Apostle Paul was martyred in 64 AD - and beheaded at Nero’s command.

When Paul writes, “If possible, so far as it depends upon you, live peaceably with all.” These are not just spiritual platitudes - words written in a philosophical vacuum - they’re real words from a man who died living by them. Peace may not be possible - but that doesn’t eliminate our responsibility to be makers of peace.

Telemachus was a monk who lived in the 4th century. He felt God saying to him, "Go to Rome." At the time he was in a cloistered monastery. But he put his possessions in a sack and set out for Rome.

When he arrived in the city there was a huge crowd in the streets. He asked what all the excitement was about and was told that this was the day that the gladiators would be fighting and killing each other in the coliseum.

He thought to himself, "Four centuries after Christ and they’re still killing each other, for enjoyment?"

He ran to the coliseum and heard the gladiators saying, "Hail to Caesar! We die for Caesar!" And he thought, "This isn't right." So, he jumped over the railing and went out into the middle of the field, got between two gladiators, held up his hands and said, "In the name of Christ, stop!"

The crowd was enraged and began to shout, "Run him through, Run him through."

A gladiator came over and hit him in the stomach with the back of his sword. It sent him sprawling in the sand. He got up and ran back and again said, "In the name of Christ, stop!"

The crowd continued to chant, "Run him through." One gladiator came over and plunged his sword through the little monk's stomach and he fell into the sand - which began to turn red with his blood. One last time he gasped out, "In the name of Christ, stop!"

A hush came over the large crowd of people in the coliseum. Soon a man stood and left, then another and more, and within a short time all of the crowd had emptied out of the arena. Its said that this was the last known gladiatorial contest in the history of Rome.

There’s no way that we can force change on someone else. Its impossible to demand apologies - admissions of guilt - changed behavior. People don’t change - or recognize our rights - just because we force them to.

But being makers of peace our attitudes and actions are important.

There are times when we must apologize - sincerely and without reservation. Have you ever heard this - “If I’ve offended you in any way, I apologize.” “If for some reason that I don’t really understand - you might have taken offense to what I did - even though I really don’t understand how anyone could have - but, if I’ve offended you and your immature enough to be offended - then I apologize.”

How much of an apology is it if we’re blaming the other person for being offended. If we’re wrong - we’re wrong. We need to apologize.

In Romans 12 Paul writes (14) Bless those who persecute you; bless and curse not. Give the blessing of sincere apology - no strings or cursing attached.

And our apology should be without evil motives - selfish pride. Paul writes (17) Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all men.

Have you ever heard this - “I apologized - but they didn’t.” “I was magnanimous enough to lower myself to apologizing for what I did. But, they’ve never acknowledged what they did to me.” People who have been wronged - and though they’ve apologized - they make it their business to hold the other party accountable - and to make sure that everyone else knows how spiritual they are and how evil the other person is.

If we’re wrong - we need to be responsible only for our actions - and apologize in sincerity and without trying to make ourselves look good.

Paul also writes that we need to act to bring peace - to do what can bring restoration in our relationships. In Romans 12:20,21 he writes (20) But if your enemy is hungry, feed him, and if he’s thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing so you will heap burning coals upon his head - you’ll help him to feel regret and shame which leads to a turning in his behavior. (21) Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Make amends - restore property - give time - do everything we can to make things right and restore peace - without selfish motives.

First Paul says, if we want to be makers of peace - then we need to be responsible for our own actions. Second, Paul says:

2. GOD IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE RESULTS

In Acts chapters 6 and 7 there is the account of Stephen. Stephen was a faithful man - filled with the Holy Spirit - a gracious man - that God used powerfully to share His Gospel. We know this account.

Stephen is brought in front of the Jewish Council to give an account for his beliefs. And Stephen spoke the truth about Jesus - He sought peace in His words - but he was honest about his faith and how Israel had turned its back on God. And they stoned him. As they were stoning him, Stephen prays, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” He surrenders himself and the situation - his enemies and what will happen - surrenders it all to God - and dies.

And we think to ourselves - where was God - and how did God bring something good out of all that. Where is the peace of God?

Saul was there. When they stoned Stephen, Saul was holding the coats of the stone throwers. Saul was very happy to Stephen stoned. And he used the opportunity to ravage the church. Acts 8:1 says, “And on that day - the day Stephen was stoned - a great persecution arose against the church in Jerusalem.”

Saul - who would later become known as the Apostle Paul - Saul went from house to house dragging men and women out and throwing them into jail - for persecution, torture and death. The church was scattered all over the area of Judea and Samaria - to Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch. And wherever they went they preached the Gospel. And a tremendous number of people came to believe in Jesus as their Savior. Including Saul - who met Jesus on the road to Damascus as he was chasing Christians.

Paul writes (19) Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God; for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”

Paul is quoting Moses - from Deuteronomy 32 - the words Moses spoke to Israel for the last time - just as they were going to enter the Promised Land. The words of Moses are a prophecy - that Israel would experience persecution and oppression - even in the Promised Land. And yet, there is a promise that God will vindicate His people, He will grind the false gods of their enemies into the dust, and declare His power - His might and sovereignty in creation.

The point Moses makes - in this prophecy - and that Paul is referring to - is that we need to trust the sovereignty of God - to commit ourselves and our situations and enemies to God - and then let Him work to bring peace - even if we don’t see the immediate results.

What is peace? The absence of war is not peace. The Roman Empire had forced the world to its knees and people had lost the will to fight - Pax Romana. But there wasn’t peace. In World War II when Paris surrendered to the German army without a struggle, someone said, “London lost her buildings, but Paris lost her soul.”

The place where peace begins is within ourselves. The Bible - in the first chapters of Genesis - tells how Adam and Eve sinned and then hid themselves from God. Hiding from God is the most miserable experience we can have. Peace with God is the most blessed.

One of the greatest thinkers of all time was Copernicus. He changed the way we think about the universe. The epitaph on his grave says this: “I do not seek a kindness equal to that given to Paul; nor do I ask the grace granted to Peter; but that forgiveness which Thou didst give to the robber - that I earnestly pray.” This is the way to real peace and happiness. To make peace with God first.

Jim Walton was translating the New Testament for the Muinane people of La Sabana in the jungles of Colombia. But he was having trouble translating the word peace.

During this time the village chief Fernando was promised a 20-minute plane ride to a location that would have taken him 3 days to travel by walking. The plane was delayed in arriving at La Sabana - so Chief Fernando left on foot. When the plane finally came a runner took off to bring Fernando back. But by the time they returned the plane had left.

Chief Fernando was ticked - angry because of the mix-up. He went to Jim Walton and started yelling.

Fortunately - Jim Walton taped the chief's angry tirade. When Jim later translated it, he discovered that the chief kept repeating the phrase, "I don't have one heart." Jim asked other villagers what having "one heart" meant and he found that it was like saying, "There is nothing between you and the other person." That - Jim realized - was what he needed to translate the word peace.

Peace begins when there’s nothing between us and God - we have one heart with God - nothing is held back - nothing separates us - no pride - no sin - no guilt - no condemnation. When we can trust God with everything we’re freed to be responsible only for our own actions - freed by confidence in His sovereignty in all situations. Freed to act as His children with mercy and grace towards others.

Jesus said, “Blessed are the makers of peace, for they shall be called sons of God.”