Blessed Are the Peacemakers

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God.” – Matthew 5:9 (KJV).

“Salom!” is a Hebrew greeting that has several meanings, the most important of which is to wish personal well-being, prosperity, bodily health and peace to the one greeted.  Jesus taught us that peacemakers are blessed and are called the children of God, for God is the Master Peacemaker.  And peacemaking was exemplified in the life and ministry of Jesus.  Where there was hatred and strife, He taught how to pursue a better way.  A peacemaker is not static, hoping that peace will come.  Instead he is actively working to bring reconciliation where there is hatred and enmity.

Those who work for peace are sharing in Christ’s ministry of bringing reconciliation out of trouble.  2 Corinthians 5:18-19 teaches us that being a peacemaker is part of our Christian way of life:  “All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to Himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.”  Paul’s teaching on Jesus and the Christian as peacemakers is further clarified in Ephesians 2:14:  “For He Himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in His flesh the dividing wall of hostility.”  And in Colossians 1:19-20 the importance of peace and how it was generated is expressed thusly:  “For in Him (Jesus) all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through Him to reconcile to Himslef all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of His cross.”

Saint Francis lived and worked in the 13^th century.  He left behind an often-quoted prayer that has been set to lofty music.  The words of his prayer formulate the idea in the seventh Beatitude:

“Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace.

Where there is hatred, let me sow love:

Where there is injury, pardon;

Where there is doubt, faith;

Where there is despair, hope;

Where there is darkness, light;

And where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek

To be consoled as to console;

To be understood as to understand;

To be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive;

It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;

And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.”