Peacemakers

 

And he [Jesus] opened his mouth and taught them, saying: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.” (Matthew 5:2-8 ESV).

 

One of the best and worst parts of having kids is seeing different parts of yourself in them as they grow up. I can look at my children and see some of my facial features. Each of them have mimicked other things from my life, activities and skills, hobbies and habits. Unfortunately, they have also developed some of the less desirable characteristics from my modeling as well. As the saying goes, “The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.”

 

As Christians, we are not only forgiven but also adopted into a new spiritual family. And our next teaching, Jesus reminds us that an essential part of being God’s child is to act as a peacemaker wherever we go. We are called to model the generous and undeserved love of the Father in our relationships with everyone. Just as Jesus came with a ministry of reconciliation (cf. 2 Corinthians 5), we are called to be reconcilers in our workplaces, families, neighborhoods, and marketplaces.

 

In the face of fragmented cultures and political divisions, this is no easy calling. Peacemaking is hard, tedious, often thankless work. And yet Jesus assures us that when we make the effort, we are living as children of God.