Matthew 5:9

Blessed are the peace makers,.... Not between God and man, for no man can make his own peace with God; nor can any mere creature, angels, or men, make it for him; Christ, in this sense, is the only

Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.

The world blesseth the boisterous, unquiet party of it, that can never be still, but are continually thinking of more worlds to conquer, and blowing up the coals of war, division, and sedition: but they are blessed indeed, who study to be quiet, seeking peace, and pursuing it; and are so far from sowing the seeds of discord, or blowing those coals, that their great study is to make peace between God and man, and between a man and his neighbour, doing this in obedience to God, and out of a principle of love to God and men; for those that do so shall approve themselves like unto God, to be his children, and so they shall be called. To be called and to be is much the same: so what Moses said, , is interpreted by Paul; ,8; so what is said by Matthew, , is interpreted by Luke, ; what was said by St. John, , is interpreted ; for God is the God of peace, .

9 Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. Ver. 9. Blessed are the peacemakers] There are those who, like salamanders, live always in the fire, and, like trouts, love to swim against the stream; that, with Phocion, think it a goodly thing to dissent from others; and, like Samson’ s foxes, or Solomon’ s fool, carry about and cast abroad firebrands, as if the world were made of nothing but discords, as Democritus imagined. But as St. John speaks in another case, these are "not of the Father, but of the world," 1 John 2:16. He maketh great reckoning of a meek and quiet mind, 1 Peter 3:4, because it is like to his own mind, which is never stirred nor moved, but remaineth still the same to all eternity. He loves those that keep the staff of binders unbroken, Zechariah 11:7; Zechariah 11:14; that hold the "unity of the Spirit," and advance the bond of peace among others as much as may be, Ephesians 4:3. The wicked are apt (as dogs) to intertear and worry one another: and although there be not a disagreement in hell (being but the place of retribution, and not of action), yet on earth there is no peace among the workers of iniquity, that are trotting apace towards hell by their contentions, Romans 2:8. But what pity is it that Abraham and Lot should fall out! that two Israelites should be at strife amid the Egyptians! that John’ s disciples should join with Pharisees against Jesus! Matthew 9:14; that Corinthians (for their contentions) should "be as carnal, and walk as men!" 1 Corinthians 3:3; that Lutherans and Calvinists should be at such deadly feud! Still Satan is thus busy, and Christians are thus malicious, that, as if they wanted enemies, they fly in one another’ s faces. There was no noise heard in setting up the temple: in Lebanon there was, but not in Zion. Whatever tumults there are abroad, it is fit there should be all quietness and concord in the Church. Now therefore, although it be, for the most part, a thankless office (with men) to interpose, and seek to take up strife, to piece those again that are gone aside and asunder, and to sound an irenicum; yet do it for God’ s sake, and that ye may (as ye shall be after awhile) be called and counted, not meddlers and busybodies, but the sons of God. Tell them that jar and jangle (upon mistakes for most part, or matters of no great moment) that it is the glory of a man to pass by an infirmity, and that in these ignoble quarrels every man should be a law to himself, as the Thracians were (αντονομοι), and not brother to go to law with brother because he treads upon his grass, or some such poor business, ubi et vincere inglorium est, el atteri sordidum.

(9) The peacemakers.—Our version rightly distinguishes between the temper which is simply “peaceable” in itself (James 3:17), and this, the higher form of the same grace, acting energetically upon others. To be able to say with power to those who are bitter foes, “Sirs, ye are brethren”.(Acts 7:26), is nobler even than to strive,” as much as lieth in us, to live peaceably with all men” (Romans 12:18). Rightly does this beatitude follow on that of the “pure in heart,” for it is the absence of all baseness and impurity that gives the power to make peace. The children of God.—Better, sons of God. The English version slightly obscures the connection between the promise and the character of Him who had been declared to be the Son of God in the truest and highest sense. Not in the ways which the Tempter had suggested, but in the work of “making peace” between God and man, between Jew and Gentile, even at the price of shedding His own blood (Colossians 1:20), was the witness of sonship to be found, and those who were sharers in that work should, according to their capacity, “be called”—i.e., be, and be recognised as, sharers in that sonship.

Verse 9. The peace-makers] ειρηνη, peace, is compounded of ειρειν (εις) εν, connecting into one: for as WAR distracts and divides nations, families, and individuals, from each other, inducing them to pursue different objects and different interests, so PEACE restores them to a state of unity, giving them one object, and one interest. A peace-maker is a man who, being endowed with a generous public spirit, labours for the public good, and feels his own interest promoted in promoting that of others: therefore, instead of fanning the fire of strife, he uses his influence and wisdom to reconcile the contending parties, adjust their differences, and restore them to a state of unity. As all men are represented to be in a state of hostility to God and each other, the Gospel is called the Gospel of peace, because it tends to reconcile men to God and to each other. Hence our Lord here terms peace-makers the children of God: for as he is the Father of peace, those who promote it are reputed his children. But whose children are they who foment divisions in the Church, the state, or among families? Surely they are not of that GOD, who is the Father of peace, and lover of concord; of that CHRIST, who is the sacrifice and mediator of it; of that SPIRIT, who is the nourisher and bond of peace; nor of that CHURCH of the Most High, which is the kingdom and family of peace. St. Clement, Strom. lib. iv. s. 6, in fin. says, that "Some who transpose the Gospels add this verse: Happy they who are persecuted by justice, for they shall be perfect: happy they who are persecuted on my account, for they shall have a place where they shall not be persecuted."

9. peacemakers] not only in the sense of those who heal dissension. Peace is used in a deeper sense, “the peace of God,” Philippians 4:7; “the peace of Christ,” Colossians 3:15. children of God] These are most akin to the divine nature, perfect as their Father which is in heaven is perfect, Matthew 5:48, cp. 1 John 3:1, “Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called the Sons of God.”

Blessed are the peacemakers - Those who strive to prevent contention, strife, and war; who use their influence to reconcile opposing parties, and to prevent lawsuits and hostilities in families and neighborhoods.

9. Peacemakers — A triad of benedictions will now be pronounced on Christian doings.