Peacemakers
Image by Sunguk Kim, Unsplash
Another month has passed and further efforts at peace-making at the international level have come to nothing. My mind returns to a beautiful verse in the New Testament letter of James:
Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness. [James 3:18]
Peacemakers continue to attempt to bring the sides together to negotiate solutions. Prayers for peace continue unabated in churches and other places of worship throughout the world. Does God hear these prayers? Why does he not answer?
Personally, I believe God gave us free will. Imposing his will on people against their will is not his usual way of working. He calls, invites, implores us to align our will with his and when we do, he empowers us to act.
The verse in James forms the culmination of a passage contrasting wisdom from above with wisdom from below. The latter is concerned with self-interest, or as the Bible puts it – selfish ambition. This so-called wisdom is all about self. Whereas the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. [James 3:17] This wisdom is concerned with others’ welfare. Its beautiful qualities are aspirational – most of us do not have them in spades. Wisdom is described as coming down from heaven. The question is - how can we obtain it? James provides the answer.
If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. James 1:5
Simples, as the TV meerkats would say! But asking for it implies the humility to recognise that we need divine help; we can’t solve our problems ourselves. Do you see much evidence of humility on the world stage? I certainly don’t.
Blessed are the peacemakers, Jesus said, for they will be called children of God. [Matthew 5:9] Peacemakers will be called children of God in a special sense because they are chips off the old block. And the ultimate chip of the old block is Christ.
For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups [Jews and Gentiles] one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. He came and preached peace to you who were far away [Gentiles] and peace to those who were near[Jews]. For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit. [Ephesians 2: 14-18]
I’m so grateful to Christ for being our peacemaker.
