A Father's Day Message: Be a Peacemaker

Message by Pastor Richard Schlit

Image courtesy of christambassadors.com

Blessed are the peacemakers,
    for they will be called children of God. – Matthew 5:9(NIV)

The word “Blessed” comes from the Greek word “Makarios” which means happy. Blessed denotes a man singularly favoured by God and therefore in some sense of happiness.

Peacemaker on the other hand is a person or group who brings about peace especially by reconciling disputes. Perfect example of this is late Datu Makarampio, a Manobo peacemaker in the Philippines. Not like a usual Muslim Datu because of bloodline, Datu Makarampio earned his Datu rights because of his ability to settle cases to be a peacemaker. A good Manobo Datu is always poor because they usually give up their resources to settle cases.

The greatest peacemaker is Jesus Christ. Jesus’ role is to bring peace to humankind. Why? Because we were once God’s enemies because of our sins. Jesus paved the ways by reconciling us to God by giving up His life on the cross.

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor. Mighty God. Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. – Isaiah 9:6

But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. – Isaiah 53:5

Jesus is our Reconciler. Through Him we can now live in peace with God.

For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. – Colossians 1:19-20

When we confess our sins and ask God for forgiveness, we become family of God. We become a new creation and peacemakers ourselves, it is a ministry assigned by God to His children. As Christ ambassadors we are commissioned to share the message of reconciliation to others, that they too can be reconciled with God. The worst sin you can commit is when you know the message of hope, peace with God and you don’t share it.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!  All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation:  that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.  We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. – 2 Corinthians 5:17-20

As sons and daughters of God we are peacemakers by nature, that is in our DNA as a family of God. In line with the celebration of Father’s day, earthly fathers are peacemakers themselves. The Bible accounts two fathers and how they relate to their family. First is King David, although he is a great King, the man after God’s own heart, he failed to be a good father to his children. David did not engage well with his children, never interfered with the disputes and behavior of his sons (2 Samuel 13:1, 2 Samuel 13:21-22, 1 King 1:5-6). This is a call to all the fathers, to be fully engaged in raising the children entrusted to you by God.

On the other hand, there is another father in the Bible who demonstrated a positive father and a good peacemaker – the father of the prodigal son. The father who forgived, accepted his son who squandered his estates and reconciled with him (Luke 15:11-12, Luke 15:31-32).

In conclusion:

·       We are called to be peacemakers.

·       Peacemaking will always be costly.

·       Jesus is the supreme peacemaker. Our peace with God is because of Him. We were once His enemies because of our sin. (Ephesians 2:3, Colossians 1:21)

·       Peacemaking demonstrates the character of God.

·       Peacemaking is intentional, not passive.

·       If we are the sons/daughters of God, peacemaking should be by nature/natural.

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