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Putting Humpty Dumpty Together Again

Daily Reflection / Produced by The High Calling
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Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

Matthew 5:

There is so little peace in the world. Sometimes it seems so full of simmering hostility and rage. It’s even deadly for God to visit this world that he has made.

Perhaps that’s why peace is so deeply important to Jesus. He begins his Sermon on the Mount by blessing peacemakers. He even calls them members of his own family. Think about that! Peace is so personal to Jesus that those who make peace bear a family resemblance to him—they become “children of God.”

Jesus’ word for “peace” means “wholeness.” Peacemaking means making broken things whole again. To make peace is to strive for wholeness, to reconcile adversaries, and to turn enemies into friends. There are two issues here (1) peacemaking and (2) peacekeeping. Neither of these are easy.

When Humpty Dumpty fell off that wall and shattered into a million pieces, we are told that “all the king’s horses and all the king’s men couldn’t put Humpty together again.” Humpty Dumpty’s dilemma reminds us that the king’s horses and men can keep the peace, but they can’t make peace. Jesus offers a peace that surpasses human understanding and guards our hearts and minds (Phil. 4:7).

Peacemaking is the unique work of Jesus in bringing wholeness to shattered lives.

Notice how Jesus connects peace, with troubled, fearful hearts. I’ve heard it said that the opposite of faith is not doubt, but fear. Scratch away at hostility and you’ll find a menacing fear. Fear shatters people internally, it splinters people relationally, and it divides nations politically.

But the children of God will inherit peace. Jesus ends his life and ministry by declaring,

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. (John 14:27)

And as if that weren’t enough, three days later, on resurrection evening when the disciples were holed up in a locked room trembling with fear, Jesus breathed on them and said, “Peace be with you” (John 20:19).

The more closely we know Jesus, the more fully we understand peacemaking. And the more we love him, the more life comes together. There can be no peace among nations until there is peace within the hearts of its citizens. Peace is made by Jesus, one heart, one mind and one will at a time.

QUESTIONS FOR FURTHER REFLECTION: Where do you most wish there was peace in the world? In your life? Make a list of the things that you fear. How do your fears disrupt the peace in your life? In what ways does spending time with Jesus bring peace in your life?

PRAYER: Lord of all mercy and compassion, I offer to you all the shattered pieces of my life. Breathe your healing peace on my brokenness. Let your peace form in me so I might be an agent of your peace in every arena of my life. Amen.

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Dave Peterson is an ordained pastor who is the Director of Community Outreach for The Robert and Janice McNair Foundation and Scholarly Advisor for the H. E. Butt Family Foundation. He is the author of Receiving and Giving, Unleashing the Bless Challenge in Your Life. Dave and his wife, Terri, have four adult children and four grandchildren. Send a note to Dave.

Paying Well

After we published a week of content with the theme heading Making Money, we received a message encouraging us to consider the flip side, as well. What about Christians who fail to pay well, who complain about leaving a tip or who balk at paying an honest rate, especially when doing business with other Christians? What does the Bible have to say about this, and what is fair to expect when doing business with Christians and non-Christians alike? Is there a difference? Should there be? What has been your experience? Join us for the series, Paying Well, as we consider personal stories and biblical instruction for leading well as Christians in the world, especially when it comes to determining what to pay.

Featured image by Marty Hadding. Used with Permission. Source via Flickr.