06.15.2025. Sunday Sermon by Pastor Jeungbok Lee
Scripture: Matthew 5:9, 2 Corinthians 5:18-20
Title: Blessed Are the Peacemakers
**Matthew 5:9**
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.”
**2 Corinthians 5:18-20**
“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.”
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### 1. The Context of Jesus’ Teaching and the Pursuit of Peace
In Jesus’ time, the Jewish people expected the Messiah to be a political and military leader who would liberate them from Roman oppression and establish a new kingdom of Israel. Even Jesus’ disciples, witnessing His miraculous works, hoped He would establish God’s kingdom through political and military means. However, Jesus taught His disciples, who held such expectations, that “peacemakers” are the ones called children of God. This teaching was meant to transform their fundamental mindset.
In contrast, the modern era pursues a peace free from war. Having experienced the horrors of two world wars in the 20th century, people have sought to prevent conflicts and maintain peace. This led to the establishment of organizations like the United Nations, which mediates conflicts through peacekeeping forces. Treaties have also been made to prevent nations from adopting war as a policy. Various groups work tirelessly for peace, and this influence has reached the church as well. Some Christians emphasize Jesus’ teaching in the Sermon on the Mount about peacemakers being called children of God, focusing on actions that promote peace.
Yet, despite these efforts, the world continues to experience small and large wars. Genocides have occurred in Africa, and religious massacres have taken place in Southeast Asia. Even Nobel Peace Prize recipient Aung San Suu Kyi stood by during the mass persecution of the Rohingya people and defended Myanmar’s military, the perpetrators, at the International Court of Justice. What is the problem? It is clear that human efforts alone cannot achieve true peace.
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### 2. Addressing the Root Problem
As emphasized last week, addressing superficial issues without tackling the root problem solves nothing. The fundamental issue is that, due to Adam’s fall, all people are born sinners. Merely preventing wars cannot bring true peace between individuals or races.
God created humanity to serve Him, but as a result of the fall, people became self-centered, loving themselves above God. Such individuals prioritize their own interests and act accordingly. Imagine a society filled with countless self-centered people—what would happen? There would be endless conflicts and disputes. Groups of self-interested individuals would band together to take from others, perpetuating strife. How can there be peace in a society of self-centered people? Even a Nobel Peace Prize winner supported the massacre of another ethnic group to secure her leadership position.
Thus, true peace cannot be achieved through external human efforts. The root problem—sin—must first be resolved. Only then can we be reconciled to God and live in true peace with our neighbors.
**2 Corinthians 5:18-20**
“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.”
The order is always the same: through Jesus Christ, the problem of sin is resolved, leading to reconciliation with God. Only those reconciled to God can live as peacemakers in the world.
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### 3. Why Did God Send Jesus Christ to Reconcile Us?
**1 Thessalonians 5:23**
“May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
**3.1) God Is the God of Peace**
God is the God of peace, and Jesus Christ is the Prince of Peace. Christmas hymns proclaim that the Prince of Peace has come to earth. The God of peace was pleased to send the Prince of Peace to reconcile sinners to Himself. Thus, we are called to follow Jesus, the Prince of Peace, and become peacemakers.
**3.2) Peacemakers Reflect God’s Nature**
Peacemakers become children who resemble the God of peace. Living as peacemakers means living a holy life, set apart from the world for God. The heart of a peacemaker is centered on God and considers others. In contrast, those who do not believe in Jesus remain self-centered due to sin. Thus, believers and unbelievers are distinct. Peacemakers prioritize others, living as God’s children, and will be kept blameless when Christ returns.
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### 4. The Meaning of Being a Peacemaker
**4.1) The Biblical Concept of Peace**
The term “peacemaker” in English refers to someone who creates peace, often understood today as someone who stops wars or conflicts. However, the peace taught in Scripture differs from the world’s concept. Biblically, a peacemaker creates “shalom,” which means harmony—harmony with God’s will and in relationships with others. Those whose sin is unresolved act self-centeredly, causing conflict rather than harmony. Fortunately, the God of peace sent the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ, to resolve the problem of sin. Those reconciled to God through Christ can live in harmony with others and are entrusted with the mission of reconciling others to God. However, even believers often fail to experience or foster this shalom in the world. Living as a peacemaker is challenging, often accompanied by tears and uncertainty.
**4.2) When Will True Shalom Be Realized?**
True shalom will be fulfilled when Jesus Christ returns as the Prince of Peace to judge God’s enemies. This peace is not merely the absence of war or conflict with adversaries still present. God’s shalom means the complete absence of enemies. At Christ’s return, all that harms God’s people will be removed. In this present age, however, peace is only a temporary truce, with enemies still present. Yet, we can pray as David did:
**Psalm 109:1-13**
“My God, whom I praise, do not remain silent, for people who are wicked and deceitful have opened their mouths against me; they have spoken against me with lying tongues. With words of hatred they surround me; they attack me without cause. In return for my friendship they accuse me, but I am a man of prayer. They repay me evil for good, and hatred for my friendship. Appoint someone evil to oppose my enemy; let an accuser stand at his right hand. When he is tried, let him be found guilty, and may his prayers condemn him. May his days be few; may another take his place of leadership. May his children be fatherless and his wife a widow. May his children be wandering beggars; may they be driven from their ruined homes. May a creditor seize all he has; may strangers plunder the fruits of his labor. May no one extend kindness to him or take pity on his fatherless children. May his descendants be cut off, their names blotted out from the next generation.”
This psalm, often called a psalm of cursing, is also a prayer for God to remove those who oppose His anointed king, ensuring peace. We must live for peace while awaiting the day when true shalom is fulfilled.
*(The command to forgive will be addressed in a future sermon for balance.)*
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### 5. How Can We Fulfill the Ministry of Reconciliation in This Sinful World? In a world full of sin and self-centered people, how can we live as peacemakers amidst those who harm us without cause?
**5.1) Acknowledge Your Pain and Preach to Yourself**
When hurt by others’ selfish actions, reflect on the fact that you were a sinner saved by God’s grace of reconciliation. Speak to yourself about your complaints rather than to others.
**5.2) Command Your Heart to Look to God**
When wounded or discouraged while pursuing peace, command your heart to focus on God. David did this:
“Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God” (Psalm 42:5, 11). By silencing the old self and turning to God, we find peace.
Believers have two natures: the old, sinful nature that tempts us to act selfishly, and the new nature in Christ that seeks to obey God’s will.
**5.3) Humble Yourself and Be Prepared for Suffering**
The first step to being a peacemaker is humbling yourself, embracing spiritual poverty, and preparing for suffering. Peacemakers, who live for God and others, will seem strange to self-centered people. Unbelievers or immature believers may hurt true saints, treating them as naive. Our efforts to make peace often come at a disadvantage, and we may instinctively become defensive, risking becoming fighters instead of peacemakers. However, we must fight as prayer warriors. Patience is essential for enduring the hardships of living as peacemakers.
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### 6. Not All Are to Be Reconciled With
**6.1) Peacemaking Does Not Mean Avoiding All Conflict**
Being a peacemaker does not mean living without conflict or always smiling. Scripture commands us to fight the good fight of faith against those who distort God’s truth or deliberately obscure His glory. Overlooking those who block truth or promote injustice is not peacemaking. We must fight for God’s truth, as David prayed in Psalm 109 and as instructed in Ephesians 6 to put on the armor of God. Jude, a servant of Christ, urged believers to contend for the faith:
**Jude 1:1-4**
“Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and a brother of James, to those who have been called, who are loved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ: Mercy, peace and love be yours in abundance. Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt compelled to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to God’s holy people. For certain individuals whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord.”
Unlike the world’s concept of peace, Scripture does not command peace with everyone in every situation. God’s people must firmly oppose those who distort His truth to protect it.
**6.2) Do Not Fight for Personal Gain**
Fighting for God’s glory and truth is necessary, but fighting for personal honor or benefit is not. In such cases, we must live as peacemakers:
**Galatians 2:20**
“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”
Our old self died with Christ, and we are new creations. Do not fight for your own benefit but for the Lord. If unsure whether to fight or endure, seek God’s wisdom:
**James 1:5**
“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.”
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### Summary
Through the grace of Jesus Christ’s cross, we have become children of the God of peace. The church, as a gathering of God’s children, must proclaim peace to the world. Through the church’s peacemaking role, the world will recognize it as the assembly of God’s children.
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.”
Let us pray. (End)