The prophet Jeremiah tells us that it’s the work of a false prophet to proclaim an easy and painless message of “Peace, peace!” when there is no peace (see Jeremiah 6.14; 8.11).  Peace is not easy.  Nor is it painless.

In fact, true peace is actually quite difficult and hard won.  Consider the words of theologian John Stott, as he reflects on the pain that is frequently involved in the work of peacemaking…

“When we are ourselves involved in a quarrel, there will be either the pain of apologizing to the person we have injured or the pain of rebuking the person who has injured us.  Sometimes there is a nagging pain of having to refuse to forgive the guilty party until he repents.  Of course a cheap peace can be bought by cheap forgiveness.  But true peace and true forgiveness are costly treasures.  God forgives us only when we repent.  Jesus told us to do the same: ‘If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him.’ How can we forgive an injury when it is neither admitted nor regretted? 

“Or again, we may not be personally involved in a dispute, but may find ourselves struggling to reconcile to each other two people or groups who are estranged and at variance with each other.  In this case there will be the pain of listening, of ridding ourselves of prejudice, of striving sympathetically to understand both the opposing points of view, and of risking misunderstanding, ingratitude or failure.”

But regardless of the pains or inconveniences, all Christians are called to be peacemakers.  “Blessed are the peacemakers,” the King said, “for they shall be called sons of God” (Matthew 5.9).

The Bible speaks about this often — see 1 Corinthians 7.15; 1 Peter 3.11; Hebrews 12.14; Romans 12.18.  In the family, in the workplace, in the community, and in the church Christians are to be bent on peacemaking.  Note that this is not just a call to passively be in favor of peace, in which we refrain from being responsible for any strife or conflict.  It’s more than that.  It’s a call to peaceMAKING.

Think of the work of Christ in the gospel.  He was not just passively in favor of peace between God and man.  He actively, self-sacrificially sought “to reconcile”… “making peace by the blood of his cross” (Colossians 1.20; see also Ephesians 2.15).

Jesus is the Ultimate Peacemaker. 

Indeed, consider again the particular blessing that is commanded over peacemakers in the beatitudes:  “they shall be called sons of God.”