Peacemakers for the Prince of Peace!

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus teaches about the values that characterizes His Kingdom through the Beatitudes found in Matthew 5. One of the beatitudes that identifies Christ- followers as God’s children who make peace says: "Blessed are the peace-makers, for they will be called the children of God” (Matthew 5:9, NIV).

Peace-making is finding and fostering ways that promote peaceful-coexistence and a Christ-like identify through the practice of peace. “This commitment to peace is based on the belief that the real presence of Christ [the Prince of peace] is with all people [who believe in Him], resulting in a way of living which actively demonstrates the teachings of Christ” (Hockett, 2012, p. 8).  A commitment to peace-making results in a way of life that seeks to please God in a radically different way than the world exemplifies or expects. It is, therefore, sweeping in the sense that it is a positive and praiseworthy way of impacting the world around us.

Peacemakers for the Prince of Peace will say no to favoritism, tribalism, and other -isms of our day. Hockett who has done some research on peacemaking emphasizes that it “supports religious and political freedom, speaks truth in all occasions, commits to honesty in personal and public lives, and advocates for the humane treatment of all people” (Hockett, 2012, p. 8). The most important peace we can have is peace with God which makes it possible for us to pursue peace with all people. "Pursue peace with all people, and holiness without which no one will see the Lord" (Hebrews 12:14, NKJV).

Personal Application Questions (PAQs):

1.      How is the peace that Jesus gives you as the “Prince of Peace” different from world peace?

2.      In what ways can you be a peace-maker and avoid being a trouble-maker?

Reference:

Hockett, E. (2012). Developing a Peace and Conflict Resolution Curriculum for Quaker Secondary Schools in Kenya. Journal of Research on Christian Education, 21(1), 6-23.