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Matthew 5:9, Beatitude 7Tod Kennedy, November 10, 2004
The Beatitudes are part of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount recorded in Matthew 5-7. The topics of His sermon are blessed, the Law, anger, reconciliation, adultery, divorce, vows, revenge, love
Key Verse of Matthew 5. Matthew 5:20 “For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.”
1. Outline of Matthew 5 a. Characteristics of Kingdom people, the repentant people, or the righteous remnant (Matthew 5:1-16). b. Christ’s relationship to the Old Testament (Matthew 5:17-19). Christ fulfills the Law. c. Kingdom righteousness contrasted with the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees (Matthew 5:20). d. Illustrations of Kingdom righteousness contrasted with the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees (Matthew 5:21-48). i. Personal conflicts (Matthew 5:21-26). ii. Man and woman relationships (Matthew 5:27-32). iii. Vows (Matthew 5:33-37). iv. Retaliation (Matthew 5:38-42). v. Love your enemies (Matthew 5:43-48).
Matthew 5:9, Beatitude 7, Peacemaker
General help for understanding the beatitude: the first line of each beatitude gives the present qualification or desired attitude and activity. The second line gives the future blessing or reward that will be experienced in the future kingdom of heaven on earth. Jesus says that those who possess these characteristics are or shall be fortunate or happy or gain favor from God.
1. The basic meaning of Matthew 5:9. Peacemakers display God’s reconciling kind of action because they graciously and without being nosey or bossy work to prevent and repair strained relations between individuals in conflict. They will be honored in the kingdom of heaven by being called sons of God—a special recognition. 2. A peacemaker takes his cue from God, the God of peace. a. Romans 15:33; 16:20; Philippians 4:9; 1 Thessalonians 5:23; Hebrews 13:20. 3. Jesus was a peacemaker through his message and his death. a. Isaiah 9:7 predicts that the Messiah will rule and his government will bring peace. The Messiah is therefore characterized by peace. b. Isaiah 52:7 predicts that the Messiah will bring peace through his message of salvation. c. When he was on earth, his truth, not his personality, divided people (Matthew 10:34; Luke 12:51). d. In John 14:27 and 16:33, Jesus gives peace to his disciples and says that in him they have peace. e. His death on the cross made peace between God and man and between man and man a possibility (Romans 5:1; Ephesians 2:14-17; Colossians 1:20). 4. Who then is a peacemaker in Jesus’ sermon? a. The word peacemaker is εἰρηνοποιός, όν, (eirenopoios), an adjective. The verb form means to make peace. i. The basic meaning describes one who attempts to bring reconciliation and well being between people who are at odds. ii. A peace maker is the one who can bridge the gap and smooth out the trouble. He can quiet the waters of the “people storm.” This person brings peace between people. iii. Some wrongly emphasize that this means a peace lover. A peace lover simply tries to avoid conflict. b. In classical Greek a peacemaker was an ambassador sent with a peace treaty. c. In the Jewish mind, peace goes back to shalom. Shalom is not just the absence of hostility, but is the presence of good things; therefore peace is the idea of prosperity and well being. i. The Jewish Rabbis taught that making relationships right between people was a great virtue. This would be the most natural understanding of the word when Jesus spoke. d. In the time of Christ a peacemaker worked for harmonious relations between people. In every group of people there are those who are storms of conflict and bitterness. They are destructive. They upset the group. You find them in an office, in a church, in a school, and even in a family. The emphasis in this verse is on individual peacemaking, not nation to nation peacemaking. (1) To tell some how to have peace with God through faith in his son, Jesus Christ. (2) To make peace or reconciliation in the home, family, synagogue, and friends was a good thing. (3) A peacemaker tries to prevent hostile relationships. (4) A peacemaker tries to restore broken relationships. (5) To make peace or reconciliation between Gentile Christians and Jewish Christians was a good thing. 5. How does a peacemaker work? a. One makes peace by first being a son of God and then living God-like. First, a peacemaker is one who gives the message of peace to people who are separated from God. A peacemaker gives the gospel. He then gives basic doctrine so that the individuals can live in fellowship with God and experience God’s peace (spiritual prosperity and well being). b. In Jesus’ time a peacemaker was one who was a disciple of the King of Peace and reflected the King’s attitudes and abilities to relate to people who were friend or foe. c. A peacemaker applies doctrine to the conflict or to prevent the conflict; he never changes Bible doctrine. d. A peace maker seeks to find some ground between the parties of the conflict—just like a mediator. e. A peace maker knows what is essential and what is non-essential in the discussion or problem at hand. f. And especially, a peacemaker senses when non-essential differences or when bad attitudes or when misunderstandings or when sin can result in open conflict and attempts to head off the problems i. with a biblical principle, stated or paraphrased; ii. with an encouraging word, iii. with a glance, iv. with an understanding of the problem and the right thing to say. 6. What does it mean to be called sons of God? Are not all believers sons of God? a. Yes, all believers are sons of God because they are related to God by faith in God’s son, Jesus Christ, who made peace between God and man possible by his death on the cross and through the ministry of the Holy Spirit in believers’ lives. Furthermore, not only did God remove the sin barrier by the death of his son, he also removed the separation between Jews and Gentiles by the death of his son. b. Even though all believers are sons of God, not all believers act as sons of God by reflecting a primary God characteristic, which is reconciliation or peacemaking. God has given all believers the knowledge and supernatural ability to live the Christian life and so to be peacemakers. c. Those honored as sons of God in the kingdom receive that honor because they have reflected God’s peacemaking. 7. Summary Beatitude 7, Matthew 5.9. Peacemaker a. God was and is in the business of making peace between himself and mankind. Making peace is called reconciliation. It was accomplished by Jesus Christ’s death on the cross for our sins. b. Jesus taught that peacemaking between individuals, not nations, is highly valued. A peacemaker, without being nosey or bossy, tries to prevent or stop the wrong conflict and helps to resolve a conflict into which he is drawn. These conflicts are often brought on by self-centered people, bitter people, argumentative people, unhappy people, know it all people, and people with power lust and recognition lust. The peacemakers will be honored in the kingdom of heaven by a special title “sons of God.” 8. Lesson Beatitude 7. Matthew 5:9. Peacemaker a. Peace with God only comes through reconciliation to God, which one gains by personal faith in God’s son for eternal salvation. Once one possesses eternal salvation, he can have day to day peace with God. The question is, “have I gained the eternal life peace with God, and if so, do I enjoy the day to day peace with God?” b. While I await the Lord’s coming for me, do I strive to prevent and solve—without being nosey or bossy—the conflicts that arise around me in my family, church, job, and other personal relationships? The only way that I can do this and honor the Lord is through living by faith, applying God’s word, living by the Holy Spirit and in fellowship with God. |