Verse: Matthew 5:9-11
9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. 10 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.
Devotion:
First off, how sweet is it that as we move through the sermon on the mount series at church we also get to dig into it in our devotions? I’m excited to see what the Lord has to say to us.
Let’s go through the groups of people Jesus acknowledges in this section of His sermon. They all follow the structure of blessed are those who ____. This section of text is called the beatitudes, and there are 9 of them. We’re going through the last 3 of them today.
First up are the peacemakers. If you didn’t catch Christian’s message this past weekend, he did a phenomenal job explaining this one, so I would encourage you to go back and watch it. Enduring Word explains the term peacemaker like this- “This does not describe those who live in peace, but those who actually bring about peace, overcoming evil with good.” This can look like helping others attain reconciliation, working through our own conflict, or by sharing Truth and helping others find peace in Him. Those who work to make peace are sons of God because God is the ultimate peacemaker. He loves peace and reconciliation, He loves breaking down barriers so that we might feel His peace. When we delight in what He delights in, we draw nearer to Him as His children.
The last two go hand in hand, stating “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.” Maybe if you’re a little like me, this one is a tad hard to hear. Those who are persecuted for righteousness sake?? No thank you. These last beatitudes feel different than the previous ones. The others honor meekness, humility, peacemaking, purity, etc. this feels more negative than the previous, but Jesus didn’t include it on accident. Unfortunately, both when Jesus gave this sermon and now, the world and darkness that oppose Him are strong. We live in a broken world that does reject Him and His followers, in some places even unto the point of death. Jesus is very clear here. He is specifically speaking about when we are persecuted, reviled, and have evil brought upon us for HIS names sake, for righteousness sake. When we choose Him, no matter the consequences, He sees us and affirms us that the kingdom of heaven is waiting. He affirms that when we choose Him above all else, it will be hard and uncomfortable, but it will be worth it. In some places in our world, it still means that people can be persecuted and put to death for choosing Him. Thankfully, here, we do not face that kind of persecution. However, it can still feel so hard. Have you ever found yourself in one of these situations-
- A coworker tells an inappropriate joke that everyone laughs at, and you have to choose whether to laugh or remove yourself from the situation or stand out?
- All of your friends want to go see a movie that has sexually explicit scenes. You know it crosses some serious lines, but if you speak up your friends will laugh at you or it’ll ruin what everyone else wants to do?
- Everyone at work is gossiping about your boss and bashing them. You’ve also been frustrated with your boss and want to join in, but have to decide if you shut down the conversation and look weird or if you join in and air out your frustration?
Our persecution looks like a million little decisions around us everyday. we have many opportunities to stand up for what we know He’s told us is right, but at the risk of looking different and possibly being outcast from the groups we belong to. Do we do it anyway, for His names sake?
These are hard, heavy topics. Remember friend, we are not supposed to be perfect. Only Jesus is and that’s why we need to rely on Him to help guide our steps. Just take some time to sit with this today. What does it look like for you to be a peacemaker? Do you shy away from conflict? Do you engage with anger? What situations do you find yourself in that are hard to stand up for what you know is right. Are there consequences that just feel too hard to face?
Prayer:
Lord, be with me today as I process through these questions. Please show me opportunities you’ve place around me that I may draw nearer to You and show Your character to the world. Help me to be still and hear Your voice as I think through these questions. We love you Lord, amen.
Author: Becca Artymenko
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