MEDITATION:
In this beatitude, the blessedness of the peacemakers is that they will be identified as sons of God. One unnoticed culture of the Filipino people is their fondness to be identified with someone in higher status. “Kumpare ako ni mayor, pinsan ako ni Judge, apo ko yung manager dun” are phrases that you will hear from a Filipino after you asked for his/her name because we treat such association with honor and dignity. How much more if we are identified as sons of
God although in Filipino to be called “anak ng diyos” is sometimes sarcastic because it conveys the idea that the person called always gains favors though undeserving. But here, Jesus word is not sarcasm, rather a true honor that will result in a life of blessedness and favor from men and God.
What then is a “peacemaker”? A peacemaker is a person who delights in peace and will do all the possible good to create or maintain such atmosphere. The peacemaker keeps the peace that it be not broken, and recovers it when it is broken. But we must be cautious not to become a “peacekeeper”. A “peacekeeper” is a person whom in his desire to keep the peace avoids confrontation with those who create disorder. He also loves to “sweep an issue under the carpet” rather than dealing with it. The perfect example of a peacemaker is Jesus Christ. Jesus fully understands what will bring peace to mankind; it is by dealing the root of all problems, the sin of man. He knows that in the process of bringing peace to mankind the trade-off is His life yet He didn’t hesitate to give it. In His earthly ministry, He courageously confronted the hypocrisy of religious leaders who love to sweep under the rug their misdeeds. Jesus is a peacemaker and not a peacekeeper and in so doing He was often treated with contempt, stoned, hurled to a cliff and later on was arrested and hanged on a cross. Jesus gladly gave His life because His eyes were focused on that great day where true peace will reign forever to mankind.
The third kind of person I will associate with the word “peace” is the “peace-breaker”. Peace-breakers are self-centered persons.
Proverbs 4:1What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from your desires that battle within you? 2You want something but don't get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God. 3When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.
4You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.
If the peace-makers are blessed, woe to the peace-breakers!
PEACE IS RELATIONAL IN NATURE WHICH MEANS YOU CANNOT HAVE IT IF YOU SIMPLY FOCUS ON YOUR LIFE. EVEN IF YOU HAVE EVERYTHING IN LIFE YOU CAN’T BE AT PEACE IF PEOPLE AROUND YOU HAVE MESSED LIFE. WOULD YOU MIND HELPING THEM? THE GREATEST ACCOMPLISHMENT A PERSON CAN HAVE IN THE EYES OF GOD IS WHEN HE HELPS OTHERS TO LIVE RIGHT. GOD IS NOT LOOKING FOR A PROFOUND SPEAKER; HE SIMPLY LOOKS FOR A PERSON WHO WANTS OTHERS TO LIVE PEACEFULLY. BRING THEM TO GOD. SHARE TO THEM WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE TO MAKE THEIR LIVES WORTH LIVING. CONFRONT THEM OF SIN IF NECESSARY BUT DOES IT LOVINGLY. PERHAPS YOU WERE ONCE A PEACE-BREAKER, ARE YOU NOW A PEACE-KEEPER? BLESSED ARE YOU IF YOU ARE NOW A PEACEMAKER FOR PEOPLE WILL RECOGNIZE, YOU ARE ONE OF GOD’S SON.
Peace!
