BLESSED ARE THE PEACEMAKERS

The Beatitudes

“God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.

God blesses those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

God blesses those who are humble, for they will inherit the whole earth.

God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they will be satisfied.

God blesses those who are merciful, for they will be shown mercy.

God blesses those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God.

God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God. 

God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.

God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you and say all sorts of evil things against you because you are my followers. Be happy about it! Be very glad! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember, the ancient prophets were persecuted in the same way."

Matthew 5:3-12

Jesus came to preach the good news to the poor, to set the captive free, to bind up the broken-hearted, to usher in the Kingdom. A new way of living. A life that would be as though heaven had come to earth.

Followers of Christ have a beautiful mission to join him on: to make God’s Kingdom known here on earth as it is in heaven.

To bring peace where there is chaos.

To bring justice into the areas where there is injustice.

May we, friends, live into the calling set before us, to be peacemakers.

To be the ones who seek after the justice rolling like a river, ones who thirst for a never ending stream of righteousness.

If our hunger and thirst for righteousness and truth means that we hunger to be the ones to say "I told you so," I don't think that has anything to do with Jesus. 

Jesus did not seek to cause panic and chaos. He didn't seek out to upset people with conspiracy theories. He upset people with the Truth. Capital T-truth. The Truth that he spoke about that he had come to upset the old and usher in the new, the new that had to do with the abundant life he sacrificed his life for.  That was the Truth he spoke. It wasn't for his own standing or his own ego.  It was to reflect the Father, His goodness and righteousness.  

Let us be the ones who usher in the Kingdom.

Let us be the peacemakers. 

Let us be thirsty and hungry for justice, not for "I told you so." 

Let us be the ones that seek the peace and prosperity of those in our neighborhoods, in our cities. 

Let us be the ones who are merciful for the tired and weary.

Let us collectively build the Kingdom instead of trying to build our own Kingdoms.