Seek the Peacemaker, Not the Peace

Peace isn't something Jesus creates around Him.
He is the Peacemaker (Ephesians 2:14).

Because of this,
we don't find peace by chasing peace.
We find it by chasing Him.
In Him we find peace with God
and each other.
And we who live in Him
carry the Spirit of the Peacemaker.
Through us Jesus reconciles people
to God and one another.

He brought Matthew the tax collector
and Simon the Zealot together-
enemies made brothers.

He crossed into Samaria
and reconciled His disciples
with a despised people.

This is the work of the Peacemaker.
And in Him, it becomes ours.

Peacemakers shall be called children of God,
because their peacemaking shows who they belong to.
They do what Jesus, the Son of God, does,
and those who see it recognize the family likeness-
this is the blessing: "You act like Jesus.
You must be His Father's child."

The Peacemaker refuses peace without truth.
He holds purity and peace together.
He will not sacrifice truth to keep peace.

Jesus lived this way.
Nicodemus sought truth,
so Jesus lived at peace with him.

But most Pharisees held to lies.
There will never be real peace
between truth and untruth.
Jesus refused to compromise truth
for a feigned peace.
Purity has no tolerance for lies,
and since Jesus is Pure,
lies have no place in Him.

The Peacemaker lives at peace
with those who seek truth,
but refuses peace
with those who oppose it.

So the Peacemaker brings peace
to those who hear His command
to forgive others
and obey it.
But you may say,
"I can't forgive them
for what they did."
Or,
"I forgave them,
but they keep doing
the same thing.
How can I forgive that?"

The answer is this-
we don't pursue peace.
We pursue Jesus,
the Peacemaker.
He enables us to forgive
repeatedly
as He forgives.

And Jesus, the Peacemaker,
brings His peace through us
as the Father prompts us through the Spirit.