One of my favorite sermons I’ve ever heard is the one linked below; it’s from Eastlake Community Church in Moneta, Virginia. This older gentleman’s voice has been in my head for almost 3 years, just from this one sermon.
I know that my 15 years down south has bent my ear and heart toward older southern gentlemen delivering me some truth about Jesus. A lot of them know the Bible in a special, world-service-oriented way (as opposed to the self-help theology we often catch ourselves in).
This sermon, Are You Related To God?, put one of the Beatitudes in a such a perspective for me that it is etched into my brain and on my heart. He focuses on Matthew 5:9 — Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
Children of God.
We are rightly taught that we are all children of God, especially when we ask Jesus into our hearts and guide our life through the filter of a relationship with God. This sermon, though, talks about how when we are peacemakers - in our families, in our communities, in our everything, we are known as children of God.
Think about where you grew up. Did you ever hear, “Oh, you’re Karen’s sister?” or “I went to school with your dad.” or “I worked with your mom, how’s she doing?” Our communities often know us by our families. And in the Beatitudes, Jesus gives us the chance to be known as God’s son or daughter. To be known as God’s son or daughter, in the context of this scripture, is to be a peacemaker.
Let’s talk about the difference between peacekeeping and peacemaking (which the pastor also does in the sermon). To keep the peace means to make choices that don’t rile people up, to mediate across the aisle of a disagreement, and to walk through life trying to keep everything at a certain level. To make peace is an entirely different disposition. To make peace is to seek peace and pursue it (Psalm 34:14). Sometimes that’s starting an interaction with a smile; sometimes that’s setting a boundary, firm and fair, that protects someone or something. Sometimes seeking peace and pursuing it is easier at home, sometimes it’s easier beyond the home.
I think about this seek peace and pursue it a lot. I think about how I’m teaching my daughter convictions and peace; boundaries and inclusivity. I think about how when I get up to heaven, I want to hear good and faithful daughter like the rest of us. I want to know that I’ve stood for the entirety of the kingdom we’re supposed to be spreading here on earth.
The Gospel is not for me. I mean, it is for me and I’m grateful for it, but it’s more so that I can join the kingdom of God and then work to a) bring heaven to earth as often as possible, and b) spread God’s kingdom as far and wide as I can. As far as that first point is concerned: why wouldn’t I want to bring heaven to earth as often as possible? Doesn’t that sound lovely? I think so, especially as so many of us are losing our wits about us as we continue to wade through this COVID era. (I know; I don’t love naming it, either. But Emily P. Freeman talks about the power of naming all the things so that we can deal properly with all the things, and she is right.)
During Lent, we have the chance to meditate on what it means to be in relationship with God. Being a peacemaker is a great way to jump into that.
I am not perfect at this. Ask my husband, daughter, former and current friends, etc. But we try. That’s the difference. We take these things that we learn and we plant them in our hearts, we make them the person we are, and when we know better we do better. We seek peace, we pursue peace, and we make peace, whatever that looks like in our daily lives, and we do it under God’s fatherly wing.
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What about you? Do you find peacemaking difficult or easy? Have you heard a lesson on the Beatitudes that really touched you? If so, I’d love to hear about it! Email me here or find me on Instagram.
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