Sunday Service 8th September

Mathew 5:9

This verse is part of the famous sermon on the mountain and specifically one of the beatitudes

which Jesus taught to his disciple and the people who had gathered around him.

 It was called the sermon on the mountain because Jesus gave it on the hillside near Capernaum and

they are called the beatitude because they are the ones which set out the qualities which his disciples needed to have. This was against the background of the teachings of the religious leaders of the time that those who are blessed were the ones who were occupying higher positions, those with authority or with money.

To the centrally the sermon on the mountain called the people and the disciples of Jesus back to the

message of the OT prophet. The OT Prophet taught that to be children of God people needed to

reflect the life of God and not the legalistic keeping of the law of God.

And an important part of those who are blessed are the ones Jesus calls ‘Peacemakers’

Peace and peacemakers are rare in the world we live in today. There have been a lot of meetings called in search of peace but peacemakers are in short supply.  Conflicts are escalating and wars raging on instead of stopping or deescalating. 

Maybe we are looking at this as a big picture thing instead of a small picture thing. Actually we need to have peace makers at a family level if we are to deal with conflict in the society. This is because it is societies which make up nations and nations create the international community. 

From an African perspective, peace is understood as a whole and not from one angle. This can be seen from a greeting of an African.

When an African greets you, an African does not just ask about you an individual and how you are doing. The greeting is for everyone and for everything you own or live with from cattle, goats, chickens, children, the weather and whatever else.

For example, when my uncle is responding to my greeting he will first talk about how his animals are doing, how the harvest was, how the neighbours  are doing before telling me how his children and wife are. 

Most of the times my Uncle will tell you that they were physically doing fine but they were not okay because of mouth disease which was attacking cattle in nearby villages.

This would make my uncle and other members of the village busy searching for medication until they find it otherwise they will not even be able to eat. 

Peace to an African encompasses all aspects of life. There is no peace in isolation, hence the concept of ubunthu.

Each village has a headman/headwoman who acts as the eyes of the chief and in charge of making sure that there is peace in the chiefdom. When peace has been broken by a member of the villagers it is the duty of the headman or headwoman to restore that peace. Peace in villagesis broken when someone commits a wrong against their neighbor, the village or against tradition.

So what can break the peace of the village?

This can be done when someone steals another’s goat or chicken, or is causing fighting. When that happens it is the duty of the headman to make sure that those that breach the peace of the village are made to compensate for the wrongs they have committed. 

If they do not change the headman may report such people to the chief who may give stiffer

punishment and sometimes may order for their expulsion from the village.

Such people who cause the breach of peace in the villages are not just found in villages only but in

towns as well. Such people are not found only in communities back in Africa but they are also

found in Churches and in governments. 

Such people are the ones who do not care about the effects of their actions.

This may seem small to you, but it is the same heart in people that cause tribal and civil wars in

many countries. 

Despite the problems which such peacebreakers bring in villages, you will find a certain type of

people who are men/women of peace. Such people are usually not common in villages but

when they are there they will be the bridges of peace in communities.

These are the types of people villages or even churches are looking for. This is because where ever they are they speak words of peace and their judgments are even appreciated by those who cause problems in villages.

I remember going to a funeral at one of the congregations and the minister told me that it

was difficult for her to preach at that funeral. When I inquired she said that “the one who has

died was a peace loving woman and also a unify here at church” she further said that I don’t even

know what to do because I am feeling too attached to the funeral and the loss for the church.

Such people who promote peace are the ones in Mathew 5:9 Jesus says that they will be called children of God. They will be called children of God not because they go to church or because they preach in church but because they are peace loving.

The question is what does God require of us as his children? Here is something I found interesting while I was preparing for this talk.

“Peacemakers play a vital role in creating safe environments for people. As people who promote peace, peacemakers establish spaces where everyone is given a seat at the table. They create relationships with people who have different worldviews than they do. This is a tough space to navigate, but people who pursue peace know that to create peace means to include and understand the perspectives of others. This is hard work that requires both strength and gentleness”.

Gentleness addresses the way we stride into difficult situations. It’s a trait that helps breed peace and calm in the midst of high-stakes discussion. It’s a clear-headed way of dealing with others that creates safe spaces to address difficult topics.

To be peacemakers, we also have to be patient with one another. I know that there isn’t always a quick fix to relational brokenness. Sometimes you have to work through difficult stuff and it feels like you’re going backward before you make any real progress. Patience flows from our faith and hope that you’re doing real kingdom work in reconciliation, and the outcome will be worth the effort.

Being a peacemaker doesn’t just mean that you’re doing the work necessary to maintain your relationships. It also means that you’re willing to do what you can to improve other peoples relationships, too.

Let me bring it home, suppose you have two friends who are having a difficult time. There’s often a temptation to avoid the issue to stay above the dispute or to choose sides. But what you need to do as a wise peacemaker is to look for an opportunity to mediate a healthy interaction and create opportunities for peace.

The world is in need of those who can reflect the life of God in the community and the church would you mind to be one of the peace makers in the world today.

Prayer

Thank you for today, our fellowship, the word we have shared, the challenge we have received, Holy Spirit teach us to be peacemakers wherever we find ourselves, may we be that light which the community are in need of, in Jesus name we pray. Amen.