“Blessed are the peacemakers.” Matthew 5:9
This seventh beatitude is the top rung of the ladder, the last ring to which all the others have been leading. God is calling you to peace. We must plan for peace and work toward peace. “Strive for peace with everyone” (Heb. 12:14).
Peacemakers bring peace to others because they have it themselves. You cannot give what you do not possess. A person who lives with unresolved conflict in his or her own heart cannot bring peace to others. Conflict seems to follow some people around, because it lives in them.
Where does peace come from? Notice the order in the Beatitudes. “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” (Matt. 5:8). This leads to: “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God” (Matt. 5:9). There’s a connection. James 3:17 puts the two together, “The wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable.” Again, notice the order: peace of heart flows from purity of life.
It was Soren Kierkegaard who said, “Purity of heart is to will one thing.” The person who wills one thing is a person who can be at peace. The impure person has a heart that is fundamentally divided. He or she wants two contradictory things at the same time. As long as that unresolved conflict rages, there is no peace. The more you give way to impurity, the more conflicted, disturbed, and restless you will become. But the more you pursue purity, the more peace you will enjoy.
Does this connection between your purity/impurity and your peace ring true?
