The Sermon on the Mount 4

In Matthew 5:9–10, Christ continues to describe the citizens of His kingdom, showing that they are both peacemakers and the persecuted. The peacemaker is not one who compromises truth for temporary quiet, but one who has been reconciled to God through Christ and now seeks true peace according to righteousness. Such a person bears the family likeness of the Father and shall be called a son of God. Yet Jesus immediately adds that those who pursue righteousness should not be surprised when the world responds with hostility. The same Christian who seeks peace may suffer persecution because he belongs to Christ and refuses to make peace with sin. This message calls us to examine whether we are pursuing peace by surrendering to the world or by faithfulness to Christ, and whether we are willing to bear reproach now because the kingdom of heaven is ours in Him.