Peacemakers

“Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division.” - Luke 12:51

Many people might be surprised to read these words spoken by Jesus Christ when He walked the earth. He is often portrayed as a pacifist, as someone who preached peace between men no matter what. His primary message, however, was peace between God and men, not between man and man. His call was allegiance to God above all else – even family.

This does not mean that God likes war or conflict. His original design was a world free from sin, thus also free from selfishness, conflict, war and death. But when man chose himself over God, this design was marred. From that time on, man would have to make a choice that God never intended him to have to make…a choice between God and other people.

Here is what I mean: If there were no sin, all people would always choose to glorify Christ in their daily decisions, thoughts and attitudes. And glorifying Christ always results in love and kindness towards others. If every person on the face of the earth lived this way, there would be no need for conflict. Peace would be all we knew. But this is not reality.

Christ made a way for peace to rule again…peace between God and man and peace between people. However, not everyone chooses to surrender to Him and accept His salvation. Therefore sadly, there will not always be peace between people. Jesus warned His disciples of this when He said, “Blessed are you when people hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man” (Luke 6:22). “Everyone will hate you because of Me” (Luke 21:17).

The fruit of the Spirit of peace does not mean that because we are Christians we will always have peace with other people. It does mean that we are to be peacemakers. After warning His disciples that they would be hated because of Him, Jesus went on to say, “But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you” (Luke 6:27). In his letter to the believers in Rome, Paul wrote, “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone” (Romans 12:18).

Our mission, despite the actions of others, is to bear the fruit of peace. Despite how we are treated, we must allow God’s Spirit to work in and through our lives so that others may be drawn to Christ. There is no other place more important for peace to reign on earth than in the Body of Christ. At the beginning of His public ministry Jesus said, “Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again? Have salt among yourselves, and be at peace with each other” (Mark 9:50). Then, during His final days of life on this earth He prayed to Father, “I have given them the glory that You gave Me, that they may be one as we are one – I in them and You in Me – so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that You sent Me and have loved them even as You have loved Me” (John 17:22-23).

Father, Thank You for making a way for me to cross from darkness into light…to go from slave to son, from enemy to friend. 

In Jesus’ Name, Amen.