PRIMARY SCRIPTURE Matthew 5:9 SECONDARY SCRIPTURE Proverbs 9:10; Romans 14:19; Ephesians 4:3; Hebrews 12:14; 2 Corinthians 5; 1 Corinthians 7:15 OBJECTIVES 1. Examine Scriptures highlighting the priority peace should have amongst God s people. 2. Strategize how to intervene where we are called to make peace. 3. Challenge the group to act in peace. OVERVIEW The Bible calls us to go against the fl ow and to diminish confl ict rather than escalate it. It calls us to make peace. GETTING THINGS STARTED For years I had a too-casual attitude toward the seventh beatitude. Peace came easy. I got along well with my coworkers, didn t have any backyard feuds with my neighbors, and hadn t been in a fi stfi ght since sixth grade. Despite my Irish love for a good argument, I thought I had peace-making under control. Then I looked a little more closely at peacemaking and realized I had only been looking at the thin tail of what was a big, hairy, elephant-sized concept. First I observed that peacemaking is the last character quality described in the beatitudes. We ve been ascending a staircase of traits, beginning with poverty of spirit, that reaches its climax in peacemaking. Only the eighth beatitude remains persecution which isn t a character quality, just the natural result of having the previous seven. So it seems the pinnacle of the Christian life is captured in peacemaking.
Second. I ran across several other texts highlighting the priority of peace in a Christian s life: Make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification (Romans 14:19). Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace (Ephesians 4:3). Make every effort to live in peace with all men (Hebrews 12:14). Third, I recognized that theologically speaking, peacemaking is as apt a description of a believer s mission in the world as anything else. 2 Corinthians 5 speaks of God appointing us as ambassadors, giving us the ministry of reconciliation. That s peacemaking! In fact, all ministry contains an element of peacemaking: Evangelism is making peace between God and sinners. Serving the poor is restoring peace to a disordered economic condition. Building racial unity is forging peace between former enemies. Counseling is bringing peace to troubled minds. Our thinking is fl awed when we believe that peacemaking is nothing more than solving our own confl icts in a peaceable way. It s much more. Discord, strife, and brokenness are all around us. Nationally, 60% of homes experience domestic violence. Each year, over 2 million cases of child abuse are reported. Over 2 million wives are battered. Over 1 million people die in our country without Christ. Peacemakers insert themselves into such situations, waging peace in the name of Jesus. When confl icts arise at your school, what do you observe to be people s fi rst responses? What effect do anger, violence, harsh words and gossip have on confl ict?
TEACHING GUIDE Read and discuss Matthew 5:9 and 1 Samuel 25. Peacemakers often enter into very intense, time-consuming, and risky ventures. They do more than wear tie-dye shirts and protest war, as peace lovers do. They do more than wear badges and carry guns, as peacekeepers do. Peacemakers repair breeches where brokenness exists, mainly by inserting themselves and their resources into the gap. We might illustrate it this way: Peace is an unbroken chain Brokenness is a missing link Peacemaking is filling the gap A prime biblical peacemaker was Abigail from 1 Samuel 25. Her husband, Nabal, was a rich rancher, but a surly, selfi sh man. While Nabal s herdsmen brought their cattle to graze near David s army, David made sure the herd was well protected. At harvest time, David asked Nabal to return the favor by giving his men some provisions. But Nabal insulted David and refused to help him. In response, David had 400 men strap swords to their sides and march toward Nabal s ranch. A breech of peace had occurred and violence was the all-too-natural first solution. But just in time, Abigail inserted herself and her resources into the gap and made peace. Waging Peace 1. The Priority of Peace The passages cited earlier remind us of how strenuously we should pursue peace. We should make every effort to live at peace, not merely give peace a chance. 1 Corinthians 7:15 says that God has called us to live in peace. One theologian, Cornelius Plantinga, in a well-known book, Not the Way Its Supposed to Be, says that all sin is shalom breaking. In other words, all sin disrupts peace of one kind or another. Our top priority should be to restore it. When a servant told Abigail of the
confl ict between Nabal and David, he challenged her to think it over and see what you can do (25:17). Her response? Abigail lost no time (25:18). She immediately took action. 2. The Price of Peace Peace isn t cheap. To forge peace between God and humanity, Jesus had to die. To win peace between Nabal and David, Abigail had to risk her life. She packed all sorts of provisions for David s men, against her husband s wishes. Given the kind of man he was, who knows what he might have done if he had found out. Then, as Abigail approached David s angry army, there were David and his men descending toward her (25:20). What would they do? Abigail bows before them and says, My lord, let the blame be on me alone (25:24). Wow! In a time not unlike ours, when violence is the fi rst response to confl ict, Abigail s life hung in the balance. But that is often the price of peace. 3. The Payoff of Peace Peace is its own prize. If you make peace, you get to enjoy it. Not only does Abigail avert a disastrous slaughter, but she spawns praise and blessing from David s lips: Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, who has sent you today to meet me. May you be blessed for your good judgment and for keeping me from bloodshed (25:32-33). And she was blessed. After Nabal s death, Abigail was freed from her unloving husband and became David s wife! DISCUSSION What do you think it means to be a peacemaker? How does being a peacemaker differ from merely being a peace lover? What does it take to make peace? Think about some of the confl icts in your life and what s required to pursue peace. Talk about Abigail s story in 1 Samuel 25. What did peacemaking cost her? What was the payoff for Abigail s efforts? Matthew 5:9 says that peacemakers will be called sons of God. Why? Was Abigail a son? (In the Bible, son of... doesn t always refer to male offspring. It means one who is characterized by something. James and John were sons of thunder. Barnabas was a son of encouragement. And all God s people, male or female, who emulate Him as peacemakers are His sons.)
APPLICATION Who does God want you to make peace with right now? What is the fi rst peacemaking step you should take? Sometimes a third party only makes things worse, so when making peace between others, how do you know when you should get involved and when you shouldn t? Remind your group of James 3:18, Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of Righteousness. This is what we should hunger for (beatitude #4).