I am confident that each of us here today probably have something we are not at peace with right now. Maybe it is your health or the health of a family member. Maybe it is your job or financial situation. And perhaps there are troubling family relationships where there is no real peace. We live in a world where there is a missing peace.
I. THE MISSING PEACE
I know that is a play on words. But it is interesting as we think about a puzzle with a missing piece. A beautiful picture or scene is not quite right, it is incomplete because there is a missing piece. I’m sure you have purchased products that you tried to put together only to find out there was a missing piece. Nothing will look right or work right while there is a missing piece. I find it interesting that I am talking about peace after the multiple protests in our country yesterday. We truly live in a world where there is a missing peace. Why is this?
We can trace the origin of our hostilities all the way back to Genesis 3 and what is theologically called the “Fall” of humanity. And then soon after, there is the story of Cain and Abel in Genesis 4. Tragically, Cain killed his brother. Our world has had a missing peace ever since. If you look at human history, it is too often a story of wars and conflicts. This is true right down our time. So we are:
Missing peace on a Global scale. While peace efforts are going forward fighting continues in the Middle East and Ukraine. I was reading an article that since 1945 there have been over 87 wars and over 105 nations have been involved in armed conflict. I mentioned the protests of yesterday which are an indication of unrest in our country. But it is not only unrest on a global and national scale. We also see it closer to home.
Missing Peace on a Personal Scale
In light of the pervasive acts of unrest in our world, from burning of Tesla’s to the tragic stabbing of the young high school student this past week…we see that there is a missing peace on a personal scale, and again it is like Cain and Abel all over again.
I recall a few years ago I was playing a game of “pick up” basketball with some men in the small community. As it goes, we would choose teams and play full court. As it happened there were brothers who were on opposite teams. The games became very physical and competitive. And one of the brothers started arguing and then the other brother made a hard foul which almost knocked him down. And before we knew it, they were going after each other, throwing punches and we tried to intervene and pull them apart, which lasted about 3 seconds…and then they went after each other again… wrestling on the gym floor! There was no stopping them! These brothers were simply going to fight each other! Finally, they had enough, and both stormed out of the gym. That day I realized that sometimes people are going to fight despite your best efforts to stop them.
John Calvin, in his commentary on this, says nothing is more desirable than peace. But while all imagine they desire it, everyone disturbs it by the madness of their own lust for pride, covetousness, and ambition which lead men to rise up in cruelty to each other.
Human depravity is on full display wherever you go. Paul quoted the Psalms in Romans 3 giving a stark and sobering view of fallen humanity: 13 “Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit.” “The poison of vipers is on their lips.” 14 “Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.” 15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood; 16 ruin and misery mark their ways, 17 and the way of peace they do not know.” (Romans 3) Notice he says…they way of peace they do not know…
Paul is clearly teaching that since the Fall, we are by nature children of turmoil and troublemaking, not peacemaking. That is the bad news that too often we see in the news headlines every day! This is a missing peace that often brings tragic consequences. So glad this is not the end of the story or the end of the sermon today!
Interestingly, if you also read through the gospels, you’ll find that even Jesus himself indicated that there would be no external peace in the world. Matthew and Mark’s Gospels relay the words of Jesus, especially in Mark 13:8, Jesus says, “Nation will rise against nation. There will be wars and rumors of wars, earthquakes, and famine, and these are only the beginning of sorrow.” And in Matthew’s gospel, he said, “I did not come to bring peace but a sword” (Matthew 10:34-36). On the surface this appears in conflict with the message of Jesus that we are reading here in Matthew 5 about being peacemakers and Jesus’ title as Prince of Peace. So, what is Jesus talking about here regarding not bringing peace? And wars and rumors of wars?
I think Jesus is talking about the spiritual battle that He was facing and that He knew we all face day by day. In our world, light is opposing darkness, flesh is fighting against the Spirit, righteousness and justice are posed against the powers of evil and oppression. Theologians often refer to us as the “church militant”. Paul writes in Ephesians and says, “that we indeed are in a spiritual warfare, a battle against forces of darkness,” and he instructs us to put on the full armor of God. Why? There is a missing peace in our external world. But there is glorious, good news! There is a certain peace that Jesus does give to us even as we await the ultimate peace He will bring when He comes again in final glory!
II. The Making of Peace
We must remember that we are living between that First Coming and the Second Coming of Christ. It is the Second Coming when there will be ultimate peace in our world. Right now, we are still living in the middle of a broken world, still filled with a missing peace. We are waiting for Jesus’ Second Coming, when He will establish an ultimate and unbroken peace. The prophets of the OT even spoke about this ultimate peace.
One of my favorite scriptures is Isaiah 2:4. It is a beautiful picture of the future when God’s kingdom is fulfilled. Listen to what Isaiah foresees, And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore. (Isaiah 2:4).
As we look over the corridors of history there may be periods of time when we have seen these things happen but not in their ultimate fulfillment. More good news! God is a God of peace who desires that we experience peace even in the midst of troubling circumstances in our external world.
The gospel is the gospel of peace. And where the gospel is heard and where the gospel is responded to, it brings a message of peace. As the people of God, he calls us to be a people of peace. So, Jesus speaks these words, “Blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called the children of God.”
Despite the missing peace we see in our world. Christ makes peace possible because of the offering of himself for us and the shedding of his blood for us. This is the heart of Holy Communion that we experience today. Jesus came to make peace, particularly internal peace in our hearts. So how do Christ accomplish this peace?
It says in Colossians 3:19, “God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in Christ and through him to reconcile all things to himself by making peace through the blood of his cross.”
The purpose of Christ’s coming into our world was to be our sacrifice. This is why he lived. This is why he died and rose again, to make peace between God and humanity. His blood covers our sins and cleanses us from all unrighteousness. The guilt and punishment for our sins are covered at Calvary. And we now have this wonderful peace! Alleluia!
Pastor Vernon Grounds had a great insight by sharing the truthful reality that it’s impossible to function as an agent of reconciliation unless you and I have first been reconciled to God by faith in the atoning death of Jesus Christ… it’s impossible to be a peacemaker unless you and I have entered into God’s peace by coming to the cross and by claiming pardon through the sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ. When we have peace with God, his very peace in our own hearts, we can become effective as peacemakers. (Vernon Grounds)
The scriptures go on to say that God was in “in Christ reconciling the world unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them,” and then Paul appeals for everyone to be reconciled to God. (2Co 5:19, 20). Jesus as our High Priest is a bridge builder between God and us. He literally bridged heaven and earth through His sacrifice. And only Jesus can take away a heart of stone and give us a heart of flesh…a heart at peace with God. As we come to Communion today…we know we have peace with God, only through Jesus giving Himself for us.
But when this reconciliation takes place, and we have “peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ”—even “the peace of God which passeth all understanding”—the peace-receivers become transformed into peace-diffusers. God is thus seen reflected in us. So, this gets us back to the statement of Jesus, “Blessed are the peacemakers.”
How are the Peacemakers blessed? This should be obvious. What kind of world would you rather live in? Chaos or Peace? Trouble or Tranquility? Evil or Righteousness? Interestingly, Peace is tied to living righteously. I think this gets to the last and important part as we look at:
III. The Meaning of Peace
You are probably not as familiar with James 3:18 and how it relays what peace produces. James 3:18, “The harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.” Let’s truly reflect over this scripture again… “The harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.” We might think of the opposite of peace, being war. War compels men to perform acts that would horrify their hearts and consciences in civilian life. It brings death and destruction and displacement of people. Peace, on the other hand, produces, as James teaches us in this text, a harvest of righteousness. According to James, writing under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, peace is like a garden in which peacemakers sow acts of compassion and forgiveness and reconciliation. The fruit of those peaceful acts is righteousness. According to James, then, peace is the prerequisite for the establishment of God’s righteousness in the earth. In order to have righteousness, we must have peace. It’s as simple as that.
So the God of peace summons you and me as disciples of Jesus Christ, to be peacemakers in our friendships, in our marriages, in our homes, in our neighborhoods, in our churches, in our places of business and work, in our country, and in our world.
I remember the message on the sign of our neighbor church off Hy31. Faith makes all things possible, not necessarily easy. This is certainly true in the area of peacemaking.
The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported that firefighters in Genoa, Texas, were accused of deliberately setting more than forty destructive fires. When caught, they stated, “We had nothing to do. We just wanted to get the red lights flashing and the bells clanging.” Obviously, the job of firefighters is to put out fires, not start them. The job of Christians is to help resolve conflict (Matthew 5:9), not start more of it. But like the brothers who wanted to fight and the firefighters, we want to see the red lights flashing and the bells clanging. So where do we start in this peacemaking movement?
“The beginning of strife,” says Solomon, “is like letting out of water.” It is like letting off steam before the boiler explodes! “An ounce of prevention,” says the English proverb, “is worth a pound of cure.” Commentator Albert Barnes gives a great insight, Long and most deadly quarrels might often be prevented by a little kind interference in the beginning. (Barnes) Or another Proverb, A soft answer turns away wrath… Keeping our cool and being self-controlled is a major part of peacemaking. As James teaches, the power of the tongue can set the world on fire. But words spoken at the right time can also put out the fire. Our words are vital in peacemaking. A final note on peacemaking.
One of the most pivotal New Testament pronouncements on the power and the purpose of prayer is found in I Timothy. What does Paul urge? “Pray for rulers and kings and those in authority that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty, for this is the will of God who desires that we create a society within which the gospel can be freely proclaimed and thus men and women be saved.” 1 Timothy 2:14.
Do you and I want quietness instead of turmoil? We must pray. Do we want peace instead of war? Then we must pray. Do we want godliness instead of corruption? Then we must pray. Do we want honesty instead of untruthfulness? Then we must pray; “Pray in order that we may lead quiet and peaceful lives in all godliness and honesty”. Friends, you make think this is naïve and too shallow. But there is not greater force in the universe that your prayers…This is the instruction we are given from the holy scripture in peacemaking.
There is a somewhat humorous story of two brothers who were fighting or quarreling. It was more a war of words and heated argument. The one brother was a Christian and really did not want to continue the quarrel. So, he said to his brother, “I’ll pray for you brother! I’ll pray for you!” His brother replied, “Well, good! I need the prayer, and you need the practice!” We all need the prayer and the practice…
Some time ago, I shared the Ephesians passage where it says for us to make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. (Ephesians 4:1). I superficially and somewhat jokingly said to the group that I would make a proposition for us to go through the month that we might take a break from social media for 30 days and we all watch the Hallmark channel or some other more family-oriented programs. But even Hallmark has been invaded by our more liberal culture. Some of the movie producers have argued that being gentler and more peaceable does not reflect the realism of our world. And that is true. But how in the world do we expect to change our world or make it different, if all we do is copy and propagate the chaos and violence of our culture? I like how actor Kirk Cameron responded by indicating that the way to change culture is to produce and propagate things that bring for peace and harmony. Romans 14 teaches us to pursue things that make for peace. There are things that bring division and discord among us. And there are things that promote peace and goodwill. There are things worthy of our concentration and our energy and our attention. And there are things that we could avoid and minimize in our life. Violence begets violence. Kindness begets kindness. I think our culture tends to pit sides against one another and debate over issues and there is no sense of reconciliation. It helps with ratings but does not help accomplish peace.
Jesus is coming again to bring ultimate peace, but I know he wants it to start right now with us where we are in calling us to be peacemakers. And another great question that we can ask, “In my life am I making every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit and the bond of peace?” Are my words and my actions seeking to bring reconciliation or are they stoking fires of greater discord and disharmony in my life, in my family, wherever I am?
Lord, turn our swords into plowshares and our spears into pruning hooks for Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers for they are the children of God”.
Christian Pastor Myron Augsburger said that we are good at piece-making…tearing down, analyzing, critical observation. He says we give people pieces of our time, pieces of our mind, and a slot on our calendar, but rarely do we give them our whole self…our total undivided attention. And then what are we passing on to others? Hurry, rush, giving slices of time maybe not our whole self… but that is exactly what is needed to foster healthy relationships with our family, our neighbors and our world. Jesus came as the Prince of Peace, so that we might pursue and come to know peace. Yes, as the angels spoke on the night of Jesus birth, on earth, peace and goodwill toward all people. Let us be peacemakers. Not peace takers.
I came across a very interesting article, a man by the name of Pedro Reyes. He is an artist in Mexico City. He transforms weapons discarded by the Mexican Army for his project called DISARM. So far, he has transformed almost 7,000 guns and turned them into musical instruments. What an amazing story! The guns came from Juarez, a city of about 1.3 million people. Juarez averaged almost 10 killings a day at the height of drug violence. Reyes said the guns used are just the tip of the iceberg of all the weapons that are seized every day, and that the army must destroy. Rather than succumb to despair, Reyes took the very instruments used for violence and created instruments for music. Isn’t it amazing to consider the partial fulfillment of Isaiah words of turning swords into plowshare and spears into pruning hooks.