Message Recap - Blessed

Blessed are the peacemakers,for they will be called children of God.

Matthew 5:3-11

Everyone wants to be blessed, the translation in the Greek is “happy”. Everything we do is an attempt to feel happy, our efforts in school work, and personal relationships are all efforts on our parents to become happy.

In this scripture Jesus reveals that peacemakers will be blessed. This brings the question, what is peace, and how can we find it? Many people believe peace is the end of war, or for their lives to be less busy, for some to be alone. They seek it in all the wrong places, in relationships, drugs and alcohol, in lifestyles that will never truly bring peace. We life life thinking the next thing will bring us peace, graduation, a job, relationships, kids. All of these things carry the promise of peace, but none of them have it.

Peace, is not any of these things, peace is a gift, it's not something you can attain by effort, or purchase, you can't reach it by “achieving a zen like state, occupying wall street, by having tea, or protesting war.” You cannot attain peace in any earthly way. Peace comes from Christ, to your mind and heart so that you do not have to be afraid, or worried. Jesus had peace of mind in the midst of his crucifixion. This same peace that Christ left he also left for us. In John 14:27 Jesus said “I am leaving you with a gift-peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So do not be troubled or afraid.”

Once we have accepted the peace of Christ into their own heart, and willing give it to others, you are a peacemaker. We cannot give what we do not have, just as someone who does not know how to play an instrument cannot teach someone else how to lay that instrument. In the same way, if you do not have peace, you cannot bring peace to others. A peacemaker realizes that the world cannot give peace, and they turn to Christ and ask for his peace, and then follow up by giving it out to other people.

Those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness. The words we say, and the prayers we pray, are seeds being planted in peoples lives. It's not a peace that comes from the world but from Christ. They are seeds of Salvation, and that needs to be our ultimate goal. Salvation is the only way to true peace, and the world cannot know that until we plan the seeds.

Matthew 5:9 in the NLT says “God blesses those who seek for peace, for they will be called children of God. This is an important distinction, because our efforts at being peacemakers might not always succeed. Just because we pray for someone, or talk with them, it does not mean their issues will be cleared up. Our being blessed is not dependent on our success. If we work to spread peace, whether we succeed or fail, we are children of God. If we are working for peace, we are a peacemakers, and we will be blessed.