PBJ

Happiness and flourishing are terms becoming somewhat familiar in the Church. What’s interesting is the one word that connects these two terms with the often stated term, blessed. I’m thinking here of the beatitudes in Matthew 5. Jesus is preaching on the mountain to a group of onlookers, skeptics, and initial followers. Jesus is sitting down while preaching so he’s incredibly comfortable. And this crowd got more than they bargained for.

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.

Israelites heard this phrase in the midst of other statements probably unaware of what to do with it. I’ve often tried to place myself in their shoes hearing this man who’s gaining popularity and a following. How would I respond to this? What is he trying to teach me and us?

I would want justice as Israel has succumbed to the rule and reign of Rome. I would want my cultural ways appreciated and levitated inside of, not alongside of, the Greco-Roman new way of life. I would feel oppression and despair. Ultimately, I don’t want peace. I want control. I don’t want someone to call me to make peace especially with those people. It’s easy to play the game so as to give someone the perception that we have peace. Ironically, that’s the crust of people that transcends cultures and geography. You might read that and think, wow, that’s so American and it is. We love to keep the peace as long as someone else is responsible to make it happen and own it once things go awry.

And yet here’s Jesus calling this crowd to be blessed and happy. Here’s Jesus telling this crowd how to flourish. And he’s saying this with full knowledge of what’s going on.

Almost all Israelites considered themselves to be sons of God because of their heritage. So maybe that last part sat well with them, maybe it didn’t. Maybe it hadn’t initially crossed their minds that Jesus was saying a group of people doing ‘this’ shall be called ‘that’ by God.

But I still want justice. I still want freedom. I still want my way. Jesus knew that for them and for us. I do believe Jesus was then and is now offering the crowd a PBJ.

Some of you readers know that there was no peanut butter or jelly at the time of this sermon in Matthew 5. How astute of you. So what Jesus offered was something more radical. PBJ = peacemaking before justice.

This is such a hard word to hear, consider, process, believe, and then live out. Do know that way before America decided to finally pursue justice for multiple types of people, God was calling his people to pursue it. But so many chose the culture over the scriptures, and still do. However, Jesus is wanting the crowd, then and now, to be blessed and happy and flourish.

You see, peacemaking is a process just like justice is a process. It’s not overnight. It’s not always easy. And it’s fraught with pain and agony because we live in a sinful world with tons of sinful ideologies percolating throughout gaining popularity and a following here and there. Justice is all over the Bible.

“Justice executed is a joy to the righteous but a terror to evildoers.”

“Therefore the Lord is waiting to show you mercy, and is rising up to show you compassion, for the Lord is a just God. All who wait patiently for him are happy.”

“How happy are those who uphold justice, who practice righteousness at all times.”

“Pursue justice and justice alone, so that you will live and possess the land the Lord your God is giving you.”

From Moses to David to Isaiah to Jeremiah (and more) you will see that the Old Testament is replete with examples of God’s will for his people. And that continues in the New Testament through the words of Jesus and his disciples. The baton is still being passed to us as we shall pass it onto others.

We must not forget the importance of peacemaking especially in these times. It’s easy to swing our mental and emotional pendulum to the side of justice without remembering the joy that comes from that because we’re acting like the sons of God.