Why are peacemakers persecuted?

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says, "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God" (Matthew 5:9).

In his next breath, Jesus adds, "Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs" (Matthew 5:10).

As I've read through these verses repeatedly, I'm puzzled:

Why would peacemakers, blessed by God, be persecuted?

The answer comes when we understand what it means to be a peacemaker.

The problem?

We read these verses through modern eyes.

For instance, R.T. Kendall earned a D.Phil. at Oxford, pastored the same church for over twenty-five years, and wrote over fifty books. He’s an accomplished and popular Bible teacher.

Yet in his book The Sermon on the Mount, R.T. Kendall calls his chapter on Matthew 5:9 "Making Friends."

His main point is that when Jesus talked about “peacemakers” he wanted to help people get along with one another.

But resolving interpersonal conflict is something that lots of people do — Christian or not.

And it’s hardly the kind of thing that leads to persecution.

It’s also disheartening that he favorably quotes from Jonathan Edwards.

Edwards is so regularly honored that it might seem strange or even offensive to reconsider his legacy.

Yet Edwards hardly had relational peace with those he enslaved. He claimed ownership over at least six people, including Venus, Leah, Rose, Joseph, Sue, and Titus.

It should be obvious: if you enslave others, you’re not a good role model for making peace.

But somehow, we have popular books on the Sermon on the Mount that both discusses Jesus’ command to make peace and, at the same time, honors a slave owner.  

Clearly, we need to read Jesus’ words with new eyes.

But how can we do that?

First, let’s admit that this is hard.

I had to read through multiple commentaries to piece together the clues. To puzzle my way through how we read the Bible today to what Jesus meant in his culture, I spent hours digging through commentaries. Some sent me off on tangents.

But others helped me start to understand. As I researched this article, I read from D.A. Carson, Scot McKnight, Jonathan Pennington, Michael Gorman, and Alec Motyer. I kept flipping through the pages of my Bible, crisscrossing from the Old Testament to the New and back again.

The bottom line?

Jesus is not a guru or a philosopher.

He is the Messiah.

But that raises the question: what is a Messiah?

Do you know any Messiahs?

If someone has a “Messiah complex,” you probably want to keep your distance.

But that’s not what God had in mind:

The Messiah is God’s answer to the problem of sin and suffering.

Imagine what it was like to live in ancient Israel.  

We often imagine we’d be King David or King Solomon, eating grapes while we sit on golden thrones.

But it’s more likely we would have been a poor farmer with a small plot of scraggly land.

Or a wandering shepherd with a few hungry sheep that don’t stop bleating.

For centuries, most of the population suffered under wicked leaders.

Think about it.

In the ruthless fight for the few spots at the top, in a country constantly threatened by rival powers, how often was the king a nice guy?

Ancient Israel wasn’t a Christmas pageant at a megachurch.

The elite lived in luxury. They had power over the marketplace, the temple, and the army. And after climbing to the top, they used their positions to benefit themselves.

In doing so, they often took advantage of the poor.

So, the weak struggled with hunger, worry, and fear. The strong boasted of their health, wealth, and favor with God.

But repeatedly, God sent prophets who said:

One day, God will send a righteous King – or Messiah – who is filled with God’s Spirit.

Sounds good. But everyone claims to have God on their side.

So, what will a Messiah do to help God’s people?

The Messiah’s Job Description

God’s Messiah will:

1. Overthrow the wicked leaders – as well as evil and sin.

2. Appoint godly leaders to lead God’s kingdom.

3. Reconnect people with God.

4. Establish justice and righteousness.

5. Enable the well-being of every person.

6. Restore Creation to wholeness.

The prophets put it like this: the Messiah makes peace.

But instead of the word “peace,” they used a Hebrew word: shalom.

And what is shalom?

“Shalom” means God makes everything right in the world.

Putting it together…

Here’s a simpler, clearer translation. Jesus is saying:

Blessed are the shalom-makers because they work for the Messiah.

Blessed are those who are persecuted for doing what God says because they’re in God’s kingdom.

As the disciples sat near the Sea of Galilee, that’s roughly what they heard.

They recognized that Jesus the Messiah invited them to join him in establishing God’s kingdom.

And after the resurrection, when they came to realize that Jesus wasn’t just God’s representative, but God?

Empowered by God’s Spirit, they started a movement that changed the world.

So, what do these verses mean for us today?

The Sermon Today

First, we need to remember that Jesus had both male and female disciples (see Luke 8).

And we know that God wants both women and men to trust Jesus and participate in his kingdom.

So, review the Messiah’s job description above. The Messiah gathered leaders to join him in building God’s kingdom.

So under the leadership of Jesus and empowered by the Spirit, this is your job description too. You're part of the Messiah's royal court!

Of course, God is not establishing an earthly empire but a new community: the church.

This doesn’t mean that we’re supposed to just sing songs and memorize Bible verses.

Yes, we worship God and study his word. But that only fuels us to go and love our neighbors.

After all, Jesus says we are to be shalom-makers.

So if you trust Jesus with your life – even your eternal destiny – then Jesus asks you to… 

• Oppose wicked leaders and all injustice

• Imitate Jesus in our responsibilities

• Invite people to experience God’s love

• Advocate for justice and righteousness

• Serve our neighbors

• Restore Creation to wholeness

Jesus is inviting you to participate in God’s kingdom:

It’s collaborative — whatever our talents and resources, we contribute to shalom.

It’s revolutionary — we’ll challenge wicked political and spiritual leaders. 

It’s monumental — we’ll have to depend on God.

It’s dangerous — do you see why Jesus said that peacemakers would be persecuted?

But do you want God's blessing?

Blessed are the peacemakers.

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Photo by Andrew Winkler on Unsplash (I’ve cropped it)