Blessed are the peacemakers (makers/doers of shalom), for they shall be called sons of God.
“In this verse, Jesus is not referring to mediators or political negotiators, but to those who carry an inward sense of the fullness and safety that is only available through son-ship with God. The meaning of shalom is connection to God.
In the biblical Hebrew understanding of shalom, there is a point at which you have so much shalom that it spills out from you, and is repaid or rendered to others. And so, as you make others peaceful and inwardly complete, that makes you a peacemaker.
Jesus said these peacemakers will be called sons of God. Jesus was called the Son of God. By sharing God’s uncontainable peace with others, we become just like Jesus.”
– From commentary by Doug Hershey (found at firmisrael.org)
What a beautiful picture this paints. To carry so much fullness and safety from God within ourselves that it spills out to others making us just like Jesus. Now I want that! Sure, it is everyone’s desire to see world peace finally achieved but I don’t have the strength, power or authority to pull that off. However, I do have the strength, power and authority to impact my community. That strength, power and authority has been given to me by the Lord Jesus Christ. Guess what, as a follower of Jesus He has given it to you as well. When you “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’”(Mark 12:30) and you “‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” (Mark 12:31), He absolutely empowers you to make a difference. I was recently part of a conversation discussing the power and authority to drive out evil and heal diseases which Jesus imparted to the twelve disciples as He sent them out to proclaim the Kingdom of God (see Luke 9:1-2). In Matthew 28:18-20, Jesus announces He has been given all authority in heaven and earth as He commands the disciples to go make disciples of all nations in what we call the Great Commission. These are examples of the shalom Jesus shared with His followers in order to carry it into a world in need. We are today’s recipients of that very same strength, power and authority. Not because of ourselves but because of our connection to God. So don’t look down feeling powerless to make a difference but instead, look up. Receive His shalom and let it spill out making others peaceful and inwardly complete amidst this world that so desperately needs it.
