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Living by these beatitude principles is a revolutionary way to live—just as much now as it was when Jesus preached the sermon. But this is the way we find that supreme blessedness that Jesus came to give us. Here are two more:
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God (Matthew 5:9).
Peacemakers are those who make peace between people, even in touchy situations. Romans 14:19 says, “Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.”
There’s a difference between peacemakers and peacekeepers. Peacekeepers will do anything to avoid conflict—put a Bandaid on a cancer, so to speak just to get some temporary peace. But a peacemaker is one who is willing to get into the fray, if necessary, address the issues and try to find permanent resolutions to unpeaceful situations. Jesus admonishes us to be peacemakers.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 5:10).
There aren’t a lot of people in our country who are being or have been persecuted because they are living a righteous life. But certainly the persecuted church is very much experiencing this kind of persecution, in fact more today than ever. A friend of mine is from China, and she keeps me updated on what’s happening to her mother and their underground church in China. On Easter they were invaded by Communist authorities who took all their Bibles and other materials and threatened them if they ever met again. And yet her mother remains peaceful and joyful, and truly counts it a blessing to suffer for the sake of Jesus.
I often ask myself how I would respond if that ever happens in our country. And for sure it could come to that. If we are persecuted for our faith, we will be blessed.
Jesus said: “‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also” (John 15:20).
I encourage you to read these beatitudes again in Matthew 5, and pray them into your life. Jesus said that living this way is extreme blessedness!