In Matthew 5, Yahusha tells us that blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, those who are meek and merciful, persecuted for righteousness’ sake, those who are the peacemakers, those who are reproached by others and who say evil things against us falsely.
We are told that we are to be the light of this world and the salt of the earth.
“I, therefore, the prisoner of the Master, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”
Ephesians 4:1-3
We are tasked to keep the “unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”
But how is it that we are also told that people will simultaneously hate us? Assumingly, it seems that this unity of the Spirit is something that won’t “look” like unity at all.
How is it that the things we are told to do to “make peace” are the very same things that cause division in the body?
It’s because we are to be the peacemakers, not peacekeepers.
We are told to “make” peace, not “keep” peace. There is a big difference because one is proactive and the other is passive. After all, our Messiah told us that He did not come to bring peace, but a sword.
This sword (which is the Word of Yahuah—Ephesians 6:17) is the weapon we use. In fact, it is the only part of our spiritual armor that we are to use as our offense. This is the same sword that separates and divides, which tells us that there is a deeper perspective we need to have if He also tells us that blessed are the “peacemakers.”
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of Elohim.”
Matthew 5:9
But what does that mean, to “make peace?”
Peacemakers:
First of all, making peace does not mean that there will be an absence of conflict or disagreement. It actually is more of a result of creating something (“making” peace) by going THROUGH conflict.
Peacemakers do not avoid conflict, because their goal is to call out sin and error and to bring the body to a state of repentance. They desire to bring unity of the Spirit of Yah by rightly dividing the word of truth, which requires a sword.
This WILL cause division and will often not look like “peace.”
There is a reason we are given instructions about having the right heart posture and the need to be gentle, humble and meek.
Peacemaking involves bearing with one another, as was mentioned in the verse quoted from Ephesians. There is an endurance and longsuffering needed for someone to be a peacemaker.
Peacekeepers:
Peacekeepers avoid or attempt to minimize conflict.
Peacekeepers are quick to label conflict as “discord.”
Peacekeeping, especially when sin is involved, enables the potential for more sin to be involved.
Peacekeeping only brings a sense of unity to those who agree with one another.
There is a “spirit” of unity attached to peacekeeping, that actually brings more damage to the body because thoughts, feelings and concerns tend to stay suppressed and lips tend to stay closed when there are critical questions and crucial conversations that need to be had in order to rightly divide the Word of Yah so that sin can be eradicated, in which is the goal of reconciliation.
Peacemaking is difficult, ugly and divisive, but it leads to solutions. It leads to truth. It leads to repentance, and ultimately, it leads to righteousness because it REQUIRES a willing engagement IN conflict and tension in order for peace to be something that is “made” rather than something that is “kept.”
The greatest peacemaker of all is Yahuah.
Yahuah has endured the conflict in the hearts of people through the power of His Spirit, the gift of grace and the sanctification of His Word, to “make peace” with us by eradicating sin from our lives and reconciling us to Him.
But it is something our flesh must wrestle with first, right?
The truth has to hurt us before it can help us.
Reality has to check us before it can correct us.
It’s okay to have hard conversations. It’s also okay to disagree. But we must be careful to not equate disagreement as being synonymous as “discord,” especially when there is to be an understanding of what a peacemaker is called to do.
The goal must always be unity OF the Spirit, NOT a “spirit” of unity. Understanding the difference between being a peacemaker and a peacekeeper will help us to discern the difference.
“And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.”
James 3:18
With love,
Stephanie