St Theodore's Sermon

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Sermon of the Week
Look up the passage

30/4/00

A Bridge over Troubled Waters- Peacemakers
James 3:13-18
John 14:23-37

There's no doubt that peace is one of the big issues of our time. Hardly a week goes by without another war, or tribal dispute, or outbreak of violence on some scale appearing on our TV screens or in our newspapers. Not that there's anything new about that. People have been concerned about the violence in the world for centuries. That's why, following the horrors of the First World War, the larger nations of the world banded together to form the league of nations, in an attempt to bring about peace in our time. That first attempt at global peacemaking failed with the onset of World War 2, but then the United Nations was formed with a far greater number of nations involved. It's been working now for more than 50 years trying to bring peace to our troubled world, though, we'd have to say, with limited success. Despite their efforts, wars continue to break out. Terrorism is still a reality of life for many parts of the world. Those who are involved in policing these situations always seem to have more to do than they can manage.

If you're old enough to remember back to the 60's and 70's you'll remember Henry Kissinger, the US Secretary of State who worked hard in numbers of areas in the world to bring about peace and reconciliation. He was the classic peacemaker wasn't he? A great diplomat always seeking a compromise that would save face for both sides and avert hostilities. If there was a threat of war somewhere the Americans would send in Henry Kissinger to pour oil on troubled waters.

I guess when we read something like this: "Blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called children of God" we immediately think of someone like Henry Kissinger, or perhaps, these days, Kofi Anan. Someone who works to bring about world peace. But let me suggest that Jesus is talking on a much less grand scale than the diplomatic efforts of Henry Kissinger or Kofi Anan when he talks about peacemaking. You see while it's true that never before in the field of global human conflict has there been such a need for godly peacemakers, the reality is that the source of that conflict is the human heart, and wherever we find human beings we find conflict. Conflict exists at every level of human society.

So what we need is people at every level whose aim is to bring about God's peace wherever they are in this divided world in which we live. People who are willing to take the risk of being actively involved as a third person in situations where conflict exists, to restore God's peace in the place of the turmoil caused by that conflict. People who are willing to expend the energy and time, to experience the emotional strain, that peacemaking sometimes entails.

Why is there conflict in our world? James says it comes from our desires that are at war within us. If we go back to Gen 3 we discover it's because of relationships being broken down by humanity's refusal to live in obedience to God. This occurred on 3 levels: between people and God, between individuals or groups of people, and between people and the earth.

But what's happened with the coming of Christ is that he's broken down the dividing walls of hostility. He's reconciled us to the Father. He's brought all believers into the household, the family, of God. He's made it possible for the conflict to be taken away. Christ has put his Spirit in our hearts, the Spirit of love, which now enables us to love our neighbours, even our enemies, the way we love ourselves. We come to know not just the God of peace, but the peace of God, to come to peace within ourselves. Equipped with God's love and peace we're then enabled to be peacemakers ourselves.

So I guess the first question to ask is 'are you at peace within yourself?' If not, do you desire to be at peace? Well let's think about what that might mean.

Let's begin with the question, "What is peace?" Our modern view is that peace has to do with a cessation of hostility or a freedom from conflict. So if you want peace, the best way to get it is to go far away from any source of conflict, preferably to somewhere quiet and restful. We have friends with a house in Anglesea which fits that description beautifully. It can be very peaceful to sit in their living room looking out on the garden, with quiet music playing, reading a book.

But let me suggest that that definition of peace, the absence of conflict, is a poor cousin to the Hebrew concept of peace that I think Jesus was talking about. You see in Hebrew thinking peace was a positive word containing the ideas of health and wealth and general well-being. It included an inner tranquility that reached to every part of the believer's life. It pointed to a life of fullness and contentment, to a sense of completeness, both physically, materially and emotionally. Those who were at peace lived in harmony with those around them, with the earth and with God. Peace, Shalom, was God's reward for the faithful.

So to be at peace is to know that God is with you, is blessing you. Do you want to be at peace? Then ask God to give you his peace. Trust him to do what he says. Jesus said: "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid." What was he talking about? He was talking about the gift of his Holy Spirit who would come as the Counsellor, the Comforter, to teach us all things and to remind us of all that Jesus said. Part of the Holy Spirit's role is to assure us of God's presence with us; to assure us that God is looking after us. Paul said "Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. ⁷And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." (Phil 4:6-7 NRSV) If you want to be at peace, don't try to get there by running away from the world. Get there by asking God to supply your needs. If your need is for quiet, ask him to help you find it in your busy schedule. If your need is for your conflicts to cease, ask him to help you be reconciled to whoever you're in conflict with. If your need is for strength to stand up under pressure or to stand strong against opposition, ask him for the power to persevere.

But then, realise that as a beneficiary of God's reconciling work through Jesus Christ we too have been given the task of reconciliation. "All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation; ¹⁹that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us. ²⁰So we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God." (2 Cor 5:18-20 NRSV)

As citizens of God's kingdom we've been given the task of making peace. How? By being vehicles through whom the message of the gospel is spread. We're a royal priesthood acting as go-betweens, as peacemakers, standing between God and those who don't yet know him, offering the reconciliation that Christ's death and resurrection make possible. So when you invite that friend to the Alpha dinner next Sunday, you'll be acting as a peacemaker, bringing them to the point where they can learn about the peace that God offers us in Jesus Christ.

Next, look at what James tells us about peacemakers in that passage we read from James 3. He likens peacemaking to being wise. He says it's the opposite of worldly wisdom which ends up in self-seeking conflict. He says:

it's pure, that is it works from right motives;

it's peaceable, that is it sets a good example in the way it relates or negotiates;

it's gentle, it handles people with sensitivity, it doesn't ride roughshod over people's feelings;

it's willing to yield, that is it allows for compromise, it sees things from the other's point of view as well as its own;

it's full of mercy and good fruits, that is, it's able to empathise, it's able to extend forgiveness, it's able to do acts of kindness that help to ease the situation;

it has no trace of partiality, it doesn't take sides;

It has no hypocrisy, there's never any doubt about the genuineness of the efforts at peacemaking.

Isn't that a great picture of one who acts as a peacemaker, who sows in peace in order to raise a harvest of righteousness?

So how can you be a peacemaker? That depends on the situations you find yourself in doesn't it? If you're in a family situation as a parent or as a child, it'll involve bringing godly peace to family conflicts. That'll mean bringing not just peace and quiet, but God's peace, God's rule, to bear on your family life. It'll mean learning to exercise mutual submission in the various relationships within the family, husband to wife, wife to husband, parent to child, child to parent.

As a citizen, peacemaking will involve issues of justice and equity, of fighting corruption and unrighteousness in government of working for peace and equality in the wider world scene. It might include action over environmental issues that affect the global welfare of people.

In one to one situations it might mean being a calming influence on others, showing by example that there are better ways to behave.

Being a peacemaker will be different to being a trucemaker. There are some people who hate conflict and will do anything to avoid it. They'll put up with anything to avoid confrontation. Their motto is 'anything for a quiet life.' So their approach is to appease, to compromise, to evade the issue or to pacify in some way. They bite their tongue rather than saying what they really think. They want peace at any price. That of course was what Mr Chamberlain tried to do before the Second World War. But it doesn't work. Sometimes to be a peacemaker you have to be an aggressive arbitrator, laying your life on the line to bring about a righteous solution. One of the roles of a peacemaker is to be actively involved as a third person who steps between conflicting parties to bring about a godly settlement. It's the role of a bridge builder, a go-between, a mediator. It's a role that involves risk. Remember that our model is Jesus Christ who gave up his life in order to reconcile us to the Father.

In fact there are two ways of being a peacemaker. The first is to be a third person who mediates in a conflict situation. That's what I've just been talking about.

The other is to be a peacemaker in those situations where you are in conflict. Jesus said two things that are relevant here. First he said: "when you are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, {24} leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift." (Mat 5:23-24 NRSV) Then later he said it the other way around: "If another member of the church sins against you, go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone. If the member listens to you, you have regained that one. {16} But if you are not listened to, take one or two others along with you, so that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses." (Mat 18:15-16 NRSV) In other words whether you're in the wrong or the one who's been wronged, the onus is on you to take the first step in bringing peace and reconciliation

There are plenty of people in this world who are peace lovers. Most of us would prefer to live without tension and conflict in our lives. But peacemakers are more rare because it so often involves confrontation, conflict and tension. To be a peacemaker requires a willingness to make yourself vulnerable. To give up some of that superficial peace in order to bring about the shalom-peace of God. To allow yourself to be powerless, perhaps, unprotected, the focus of people's pent up frustrations. It might involve allowing others to speak their minds in a way that's uncomfortable. It might require you to admit that you were wrong, that you were at fault. It requires us to be willing to listen, to discuss without becoming defensive or threatened by ideas that are alien to our own experience. And it requires us to desire justice in relationships.

The first type of peacemaker is a go-between. They listen to both sides. They encourage them to meet and discuss on the basis of what's righteous and just.

The second type of peacemaker does all in their power to be on good terms with those around them. Again, they seek to live with others on the basis of what's righteous and just.

Notice, by the way this link between peace and justice or righteousness. Isaiah says "The fruit of righteousness will be peace; the effect of righteousness will be quietness and confidence forever." (Isa 32:17 NRSV) Psalm 85:10 says "Steadfast love and faithfulness will meet; righteousness and peace will kiss each other." (NRSV)

So the peacemaker is one who seeks righteousness in relationships. The peacemaker is one who imitates God in seeking reconciliation between themselves and others, between people they know, and between people and God. That's why they're called children of God. Because God is first and foremost a peacemaker. Let's make this our prayer:

Lord, make me a channel of your peace.
Where there is hatred let me bring your love;
Where there is injury, your pardon, Lord;
And where there's doubt, true faith in you.

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	Sermon of the Week	Look up the passage
	30/4/00
	A Bridge over Troubled Waters- Peacemakers	James 3:13-18 John 14:23-37

	There's no doubt that peace is one of the big issues of our time. Hardly a week goes by without another war, or tribal dispute, or outbreak of violence on some scale appearing on our TV screens or in our newspapers. Not that there's anything new about that. People have been concerned about the violence in the world for centuries. That's why, following the horrors of the First World War, the larger nations of the world banded together to form the league of nations, in an attempt to bring about peace in our time. That first attempt at global peacemaking failed with the onset of World War 2, but then the United Nations was formed with a far greater number of nations involved. It's been working now for more than 50 years trying to bring peace to our troubled world, though, we'd have to say, with limited success. Despite their efforts, wars continue to break out. Terrorism is still a reality of life for many parts of the world. Those who are involved in policing these situations always seem to have more to do than they can manage.
	If you're old enough to remember back to the 60's and 70's you'll remember Henry Kissinger, the US Secretary of State who worked hard in numbers of areas in the world to bring about peace and reconciliation. He was the classic peacemaker wasn't he? A great diplomat always seeking a compromise that would save face for both sides and avert hostilities. If there was a threat of war somewhere the Americans would send in Henry Kissinger to pour oil on troubled waters.
	I guess when we read something like this: "Blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called children of God" we immediately think of someone like Henry Kissinger, or perhaps, these days, Kofi Anan. Someone who works to bring about world peace. But let me suggest that Jesus is talking on a much less grand scale than the diplomatic efforts of Henry Kissinger or Kofi Anan when he talks about peacemaking. You see while it's true that never before in the field of global human conflict has there been such a need for godly peacemakers, the reality is that the source of that conflict is the human heart, and wherever we find human beings we find conflict. Conflict exists at every level of human society.
	So what we need is people at every level whose aim is to bring about God's peace wherever they are in this divided world in which we live. People who are willing to take the risk of being actively involved as a third person in situations where conflict exists, to restore God's peace in the place of the turmoil caused by that conflict. People who are willing to expend the energy and time, to experience the emotional strain, that peacemaking sometimes entails.
	Why is there conflict in our world? James says it comes from our desires that are at war within us. If we go back to Gen 3 we discover it's because of relationships being broken down by humanity's refusal to live in obedience to God. This occurred on 3 levels: between people and God, between individuals or groups of people, and between people and the earth.
	But what's happened with the coming of Christ is that he's broken down the dividing walls of hostility. He's reconciled us to the Father. He's brought all believers into the household, the family, of God. He's made it possible for the conflict to be taken away. Christ has put his Spirit in our hearts, the Spirit of love, which now enables us to love our neighbours, even our enemies, the way we love ourselves. We come to know not just the God of peace, but the peace of God, to come to peace within ourselves. Equipped with God's love and peace we're then enabled to be peacemakers ourselves.
	So I guess the first question to ask is 'are you at peace within yourself?' If not, do you desire to be at peace? Well let's think about what that might mean.
	Let's begin with the question, "What is peace?" Our modern view is that peace has to do with a cessation of hostility or a freedom from conflict. So if you want peace, the best way to get it is to go far away from any source of conflict, preferably to somewhere quiet and restful. We have friends with a house in Anglesea which fits that description beautifully. It can be very peaceful to sit in their living room looking out on the garden, with quiet music playing, reading a book.
	But let me suggest that that definition of peace, the absence of conflict, is a poor cousin to the Hebrew concept of peace that I think Jesus was talking about. You see in Hebrew thinking peace was a positive word containing the ideas of health and wealth and general well-being. It included an inner tranquility that reached to every part of the believer's life. It pointed to a life of fullness and contentment, to a sense of completeness, both physically, materially and emotionally. Those who were at peace lived in harmony with those around them, with the earth and with God. Peace, Shalom, was God's reward for the faithful.
	So to be at peace is to know that God is with you, is blessing you. Do you want to be at peace? Then ask God to give you his peace. Trust him to do what he says. Jesus said: "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid." What was he talking about? He was talking about the gift of his Holy Spirit who would come as the Counsellor, the Comforter, to teach us all things and to remind us of all that Jesus said. Part of the Holy Spirit's role is to assure us of God's presence with us; to assure us that God is looking after us. Paul said "Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. ⁷And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." (Phil 4:6-7 NRSV) If you want to be at peace, don't try to get there by running away from the world. Get there by asking God to supply your needs. If your need is for quiet, ask him to help you find it in your busy schedule. If your need is for your conflicts to cease, ask him to help you be reconciled to whoever you're in conflict with. If your need is for strength to stand up under pressure or to stand strong against opposition, ask him for the power to persevere.
	But then, realise that as a beneficiary of God's reconciling work through Jesus Christ we too have been given the task of reconciliation. "All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation; ¹⁹that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us. ²⁰So we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God." (2 Cor 5:18-20 NRSV)
	As citizens of God's kingdom we've been given the task of making peace. How? By being vehicles through whom the message of the gospel is spread. We're a royal priesthood acting as go-betweens, as peacemakers, standing between God and those who don't yet know him, offering the reconciliation that Christ's death and resurrection make possible. So when you invite that friend to the Alpha dinner next Sunday, you'll be acting as a peacemaker, bringing them to the point where they can learn about the peace that God offers us in Jesus Christ.
	Next, look at what James tells us about peacemakers in that passage we read from James 3. He likens peacemaking to being wise. He says it's the opposite of worldly wisdom which ends up in self-seeking conflict. He says:
	it's pure, that is it works from right motives;
	it's peaceable, that is it sets a good example in the way it relates or negotiates;
	it's gentle, it handles people with sensitivity, it doesn't ride roughshod over people's feelings;
	it's willing to yield, that is it allows for compromise, it sees things from the other's point of view as well as its own;
	it's full of mercy and good fruits, that is, it's able to empathise, it's able to extend forgiveness, it's able to do acts of kindness that help to ease the situation;
	it has no trace of partiality, it doesn't take sides;
	It has no hypocrisy, there's never any doubt about the genuineness of the efforts at peacemaking.
	Isn't that a great picture of one who acts as a peacemaker, who sows in peace in order to raise a harvest of righteousness?
	So how can you be a peacemaker? That depends on the situations you find yourself in doesn't it? If you're in a family situation as a parent or as a child, it'll involve bringing godly peace to family conflicts. That'll mean bringing not just peace and quiet, but God's peace, God's rule, to bear on your family life. It'll mean learning to exercise mutual submission in the various relationships within the family, husband to wife, wife to husband, parent to child, child to parent.
	As a citizen, peacemaking will involve issues of justice and equity, of fighting corruption and unrighteousness in government of working for peace and equality in the wider world scene. It might include action over environmental issues that affect the global welfare of people.
	In one to one situations it might mean being a calming influence on others, showing by example that there are better ways to behave.
	Being a peacemaker will be different to being a trucemaker. There are some people who hate conflict and will do anything to avoid it. They'll put up with anything to avoid confrontation. Their motto is 'anything for a quiet life.' So their approach is to appease, to compromise, to evade the issue or to pacify in some way. They bite their tongue rather than saying what they really think. They want peace at any price. That of course was what Mr Chamberlain tried to do before the Second World War. But it doesn't work. Sometimes to be a peacemaker you have to be an aggressive arbitrator, laying your life on the line to bring about a righteous solution. One of the roles of a peacemaker is to be actively involved as a third person who steps between conflicting parties to bring about a godly settlement. It's the role of a bridge builder, a go-between, a mediator. It's a role that involves risk. Remember that our model is Jesus Christ who gave up his life in order to reconcile us to the Father.
	In fact there are two ways of being a peacemaker. The first is to be a third person who mediates in a conflict situation. That's what I've just been talking about.
	The other is to be a peacemaker in those situations where you are in conflict. Jesus said two things that are relevant here. First he said: "when you are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, {24} leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift." (Mat 5:23-24 NRSV) Then later he said it the other way around: "If another member of the church sins against you, go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone. If the member listens to you, you have regained that one. {16} But if you are not listened to, take one or two others along with you, so that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses." (Mat 18:15-16 NRSV) In other words whether you're in the wrong or the one who's been wronged, the onus is on you to take the first step in bringing peace and reconciliation
	There are plenty of people in this world who are peace lovers. Most of us would prefer to live without tension and conflict in our lives. But peacemakers are more rare because it so often involves confrontation, conflict and tension. To be a peacemaker requires a willingness to make yourself vulnerable. To give up some of that superficial peace in order to bring about the shalom-peace of God. To allow yourself to be powerless, perhaps, unprotected, the focus of people's pent up frustrations. It might involve allowing others to speak their minds in a way that's uncomfortable. It might require you to admit that you were wrong, that you were at fault. It requires us to be willing to listen, to discuss without becoming defensive or threatened by ideas that are alien to our own experience. And it requires us to desire justice in relationships.
	The first type of peacemaker is a go-between. They listen to both sides. They encourage them to meet and discuss on the basis of what's righteous and just.
	The second type of peacemaker does all in their power to be on good terms with those around them. Again, they seek to live with others on the basis of what's righteous and just.
	Notice, by the way this link between peace and justice or righteousness. Isaiah says "The fruit of righteousness will be peace; the effect of righteousness will be quietness and confidence forever." (Isa 32:17 NRSV) Psalm 85:10 says "Steadfast love and faithfulness will meet; righteousness and peace will kiss each other." (NRSV)
	So the peacemaker is one who seeks righteousness in relationships. The peacemaker is one who imitates God in seeking reconciliation between themselves and others, between people they know, and between people and God. That's why they're called children of God. Because God is first and foremost a peacemaker. Let's make this our prayer:
	Lord, make me a channel of your peace. Where there is hatred let me bring your love; Where there is injury, your pardon, Lord; And where there's doubt, true faith in you.


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