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Matthew 5:9
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God.”
This verse comes from Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, an extended teaching given early in his public ministry. He is speaking to his disciples and a large crowd, outlining characteristics of those who are 'blessed' in God's kingdom.
How might seeking understanding and reconciliation across differences transform our own sense of belonging?
Then — the setting
This beatitude was delivered by Jesus in the 1st century CE in Galilee, likely to a diverse audience that included Jewish people living under Roman occupation. The term 'peacemakers' (eirenopoioi) would have resonated with an understanding of 'shalom' – a comprehensive peace encompassing well-being, justice, and wholeness, not just the absence of conflict. For a people experiencing foreign rule and internal factionalism, active peacemaking might have been seen as both a spiritual virtue and a challenging political act.
Across the Testaments
The Old Testament frequently uses the Hebrew word 'shalom,' which is much broader than the English 'peace,' implying wholeness, well-being, and right relationships with God, others, and creation. This Beatitude in the New Testament builds upon this rich tradition, identifying those who actively work for such comprehensive peace as embodying God's character and being recognized as God's 'children.' While the Old Testament often speaks of God bringing peace, Jesus' teaching empowers his followers to become agents of that peace in a fragmented world.
Keep thinking
Read alongside it
This passage links the fruit of righteousness with those who sow peace.
Paul encourages living peaceably with all people, as far as it depends on us.
The psalmist instructs to seek peace and pursue it.
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