THE BEATITUDES
BLESSED ARE THE PEACEMAKERS
DR. JIM DIXON
MATTHEW 5:9, JAMES 3:18–4:2
NOVEMBER 25, 1990
Alfred Bernhard Nobel was a Swedish chemist and industrialist who invented dynamite while experimenting with liquid nitroglycerin. Nobel marketed dynamite all over the world, and by this he made millions of dollars, gaining great wealth and great power. But in 1888, Nobel had a visionary dream wherein he saw his own obituary describing the death of the dynamite king, describing the death of the merchant of death. For the first time, Nobel saw himself as the rest of the world saw him, a man who had made great wealth by selling destruction. Nobel decided he did not want to be remembered in this way. At the conclusion of his life, he gave millions of dollars to establish the Nobel Prizes, prizes awarded to individuals who had accomplished great things for the good of humanity in the field of physics, chemistry, literature, or peace. In 1969 the category of economics was added to the Nobel Prizes.
Perhaps the most coveted of all the Nobel Prizes is the Nobel Peace Prize. Through the years, the Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded to various and diverse people including Mother Teresa and Mikhail Gorbachev. We live in a world that wants to honor peacemakers. The Bible tells us that God no less wants to honor peacemakers, those who truly work for peace. “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God” (Matthew 5:9).
Biblically, what does it mean to be a peacemaker? In the sight of God, what does it mean for us to be peacemakers? There are three views to peacemaking, and these comprise our three teachings for today.
First of all, peacemakers are those who strive for international peace. Peacemakers are those who strive for peace between nations. The Apollo 11 space flight to the moon had as its motto, “We come in peace for all mankind.” This motto, “We come in peace for all mankind,” was inscribed on a plaque and placed on the surface of the moon by Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin at the lunar landing site called the Sea of Tranquility as a proclamation of peace on the moon.
That seems kind of ironic to me that we should declare peace on the moon when we have done such a horrible job of attaining peace here on earth. In 4,000 years of recorded earth history, we are told there have been over 8,000 peace treaties. Over 50% of those 8,000 peace treaties have been broken in less than two-years’ time. In 4,000 years of recorded earth history, only 286 years are said to have been free of international war. This 20th century has seen more death by war than any other century. Our nation, the United States of America, has been involved in its share of wars with World War I, World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. Now with the invasion of Kuwait by Iraq and Saddam Hussein and the deployment of American troops to Saudi Arabia, it appears that perhaps this nation is once again on the brink of war.
What is to be the Christian’s perspective, attitude, and behavior with respect to all of this? Certainly as Christians, we know that there will never be international peace until Jesus Christ comes again. At His second coming, the close of this age, He will save the world from Armageddon. He will save the world from self-annihilation. He will beat our swords into plowshares and our spears into pruning hooks. Because of Him, “nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more” (Isaiah 2:4). But until He comes, until that day comes, as Christians, believers in Jesus Christ, we are called to work for peace. This does not mean that we must be pacifists, but certainly we need to oppose any war that does not serve the ultimate cause of a just peace in this world.
There is a statue on the border of Argentina and Chile, high up in the Andes, a world famous statue called “Christ the Redeemer of the Andes.” This statue of Jesus Christ, majestic and beautiful, was erected by the people of Argentina and Chile in the year 1903. They had gone through years of war, heated strife, and disputes over their common borders. There was a woman in Argentina named Señora de Costa, a committed Christian, who loved Jesus Christ. She prayed for peace every day. More than two hours a day, she was on her knees praying for peace between these two nations. She went to government officials in both nations and pleaded with them that they might seek a just peace. Ultimately, both nations, largely because of her, sent for King Edward VII of England. He came and mediated a peace between Argentina and Chile. To commemorate this peace and this declaration of peace, these two nations erected this great magnificent statue of Jesus Christ up in the Andes Mountains on the border of their two nations where there is perpetual snow. The plaque accompanying this great statue of Christ says, “Sooner shall these mountains crumble to dust than these two nations break the peace sworn at the feet of Christ the Redeemer.”
None of you here have the political clout of King Edward VII. You are not likely to be able to negotiate international peace in that sense. Perhaps by the grace of God and in His sovereignty, there may be someone here who will rise to great political power. Hopefully, if you do, you will use it to the glory of Christ and will be a peacemaker in the truest sense. Yet all of us can do what Señora de Costa did. We can all, in our love for Christ, pray for peace in this world. Pray for our leaders. Pray for the leaders of other nations that there might be just peace on the earth. We need to pray fervently. Many times, as Christians, we almost take this flippantly. Looking forward to the day of Christ, we ignore the day in which we live. We are called to pray and work for peace.
Yet, probably, when our Lord Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers,” He was not thinking of international peace, at least not primarily. There is a second view. There are those who say that this reference is primarily to interpersonal peace, not so much peace between nations as peace between people. Blessed are those who work for peace between people. They shall be called children of God. Over 1900 years ago, the Apostle Paul wrote a letter to the Christians at Philippi. That letter in the Bible is called Philippians. In the fourth chapter of that letter, the Apostle Paul speaks of two women named Euodia and Syntyche. These women were prominent in the church at Philippi. They had labored side by side with the Apostle Paul and the gospel. They were precious to him, but he was concerned for them because they were in conflict with each other. These two women were fighting. The Apostle Paul asked a third party at the church at Philippi to mediate in this dispute.
Paul called this person, “true yokefellow.” We do not know the person’s name. We do not know whether the word “yokefellow” was a title or a nickname or, in the Greek, the actual name of this person. We do not know whether this person succeeded in bringing peace between Euodia and Syntyche, but we do know that all of us as Christians are called to be yokefellows. Each and every one of you. If you really believe in Jesus Christ, you are called to be a yokefellow, a peacemaker, someone who seeks to bring other people you know and love together in Christ.
As peacemakers, we are to seek reconciliation in all of our relationships. If we have enmity with anybody, if there is hostility that we have towards someone or they towards us, we are to be a peacemaker; and in whatever way possible, we are to seek reconciliation with them.
Some years ago, there lived a king whose name was Humboldt II. He was the king of Italy. When he came to power, when he ascended the throne, he was embraced by most of the cities of Italy including Rome. But there was one city in Italy that did not recognize this new monarchy; they did not recognize the authority of Humboldt II, and that was the city of Naples. The Neapolitans, because Naples was once called Neapolis, rejected the throne of Humboldt II and would not submit to him. He had great power and had a vast army. He could have taken his army and swept over the city of Naples. He could have forced those people into submission, but he did not do it. Historians tell us that Humboldt II was a devout Christian. He really believed in Christ and loved Christ. He did a strange thing. He left the city of Naples alone. He did not hassle them. He left them alone and waited. He prayed for an opportunity, we are told, to approach them in peace.
The years passed, and there was an epidemic in Naples, a tragic cholera epidemic. People were dying by the thousands. It was in this situation that Humboldt II came to the city of Naples in love and compassion and peace. Risking his own life, he began to go from hospital to hospital and home to home. He knelt and prayed for dying people. He held the hands of people as they were sick and dying all over the city. Word spread all over the city of Naples that this is a king like no king we have ever heard of. Ultimately, the city of Naples, the people of the city of Naples, became more loyal to Humboldt II than any other city in Italy. He won them. He reconciled with them by serving them in love.
If you are a Christian and you really believe in Jesus Christ, you are called to be like that. You are called to be like Humboldt II. If there is somebody in your life who is angry with you or who rejects you or is displeased with you, you are to serve and love that person all the more.
The Apostle Paul said to the church at Rome, “Bless those who persecute you. Bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty but associate with the lowly. Never be conceited. Repay no man evil for evil but take thought for what is noble in the sight of all. If possible, insofar as it depends upon you, live peaceably with all. And beloved, never avenge yourselves. Leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written ‘Vengeance is mine and I will repay,’ says the Lord. If your enemy is hungry, feed him. If he is thirsty, give him to drink. In so doing you will heap burning coals upon his head. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:14-21). That is our call as Christians.
Hubert Humphrey longed to be president of the United States. He served as vice president under Lyndon Johnson. Hubert Humphrey ran for president in 1968 and lost to Richard Nixon in a very close election. The defeat was bitter for Hubert Humphrey. Richard Nixon had said things that Humphrey thought to be unfair, unjust. He had bitterness in his heart towards Richard Nixon. The years passed, and Hubert Humphrey became ill with cancer, critically ill, terminally ill. Richard Nixon fell from the presidency through the Watergate scandal. Hubert Humphrey was meeting with his pastor. Hubert Humphrey was a professing Christian and was discussing with his minister the subject of heaven and the eternal life that he had through faith in Christ. They were discussing the peace that he had with God because he had been reconciled to God through his faith in Jesus Christ and how precious that peace was to him in an hour like that. His minister said to him, “You know, your responsibility as a Christian, having embraced the peace of God and reconciliation with God through His Son Jesus Christ, your responsibility is to seek reconciliation with other people in Christ’s name.”
Hubert Humphrey knew he had animosity towards Richard Nixon. He prayed about this. With his wife Muriel, he invited Richard and Pat Nixon to come to their home for dinner so that there might be reconciliation. When Hubert Humphrey died, people marveled that sitting next to Muriel Humphrey at the funeral was Richard Nixon. It was Hubert Humphrey who had requested that Richard Nixon be given that place of honor because he wanted to be a peacemaker. He wanted, in the name of Christ, reconciliation.
That is what you are called to as a Christian. That is what I am called to. “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God” (Matthew 5:9).
There is a third meaning of peacemaker. It does not have to do with international peace or interpersonal peace. It has to do with a kind of interspiritual peace, peace between people and God. The Greek word for peace is the word eiríni. The Hebrew word is the word shalom. These words in the Bible, above all else, refer to the kind of peace that people have when they have been reconciled to God through faith in Christ, spiritual peace. Peacemakers in the highest sense are those people who seek to help other people be reconciled to God. “Blessed are the peacemakers.”
Some of you have read the poetry of Elizabeth Barrett Browning. She was one of the most loved poets of Victorian England. She was married to Robert Browning. Today, Robert Browning’s poetry is more highly esteemed than the poetry of his wife, Elizabeth Barrett Browning; but in her lifetime, the people of England and the people of the world liked her poetry better than her husband’s poetry. She knew Greek and Latin and was fluent in many languages. She was brilliant and gifted. She had a hard life. Elizabeth Barrett had a stern father. She tried to win her father’s love and her father’s approval. She never did. She was very close to her brother, who died in a tragic drowning accident. Elizabeth fell and injured her spine. She was partially disabled. She cloistered herself for years in a room where she wrote poetry. During that time she exchanged poems with Robert Browning. They began to write letters and fell in love. In 1846 they were married and moved to Italy. She had a remarkable recovery of her physical illness.
But her parents never accepted her marriage. In anger, they rejected her and told her she was not their daughter anymore. From Italy, she wrote to her parents every single week for ten years. She wrote them letters that were kind of love letters, expressing her love for them and her longing to be reconciled with them. Every week for ten years she wrote, but her parents never wrote back. Finally, after ten years, she received a package from her mom and dad. She was so excited; and with great hope, she opened that package only to find that there was no message from her parents. The package contained all 500 letters that she had written to her parents. All were returned to her unopened. Not a single letter had been opened. Letters, messages of love and reconciliation, unopened. A horrible tragedy.
There is a greater tragedy in this world. God has sent a message of love and reconciliation to every person on the earth. This message is contained in the Bible. It is proclaimed in the gospel. This message is unheard over much of the earth and rejected by some. God loves you. He wants reconciliation. We wants peace with you through the sacrifice of His Son. This is a message, as Christians, you have been given to take to the world. The gospel in the Bible is called the gospel of peace. The Bible says, “How beautiful are the feet of those who carry the gospel of peace” (Romans 10:15). God wants us to be peacemakers, peacemakers in the sense of seeking peace between nations. He want us to be faithful to pray, peacemakers in the sense of interpersonal peace. He wants us to always seek reconciliation between people. Perhaps above all else, He wants us to be peacemakers in the sense of the gospel of peace that we might help people find reconciliation with God. Let us close with a word of prayer.