Wednesday, August 27, 2025

Blessed Are The Peacemakers

A verse that might be fairly popular in some modern pseudo-Christian circles, which tend to be full of people who know neither logical necessity nor the Old Testament (or the New, for that matter!), is Matthew 5:9, where Jesus exclaims that those who are peacemakers are blessed.  Assuming that there is some disparity between the moral philosophy of the Old Testament and that of the New, such people might have never even considered that the Old Testament prescribes peacemaking and that the New Testament actively teaches both that peace is not supreme and that the more conflict-oriented parts of Mosaic Law are not unjust.  The idea verbalized by Jesus does not conflict with any of this:


Matthew 5:9—"'Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.'"


One of the Torah verses connected with this is not something many might initially think of despite making peace being the literally stated goal.  Warfare is not to be the first inclination of political powers, and even when there is an increasing risk of armed conflict, peace should be pursued before any blood has to be shed.  This is a central part of Deuteronomy's prescriptions for how to handle impending warfare when there is already a hostile situation between nations:


Deuteronomy 20:10—"When you march up to attack a city, make its people an offer of peace."


See here for detailed elaboration on the surrounding verses and why they are not sexist [1] against either men or women, despite how in isolation some of them might appear so.  Even then, Deuteronomy 20:10's prescription of making peace with wartime enemies instead of rushing into sieges is not unrelated to what Jesus says about peacemakers.  In fact, because he says he does not abolish the obligations written in Mosaic Law (Matthew 5:17-19), in no way would be oppose sincerely seeking peace ahead of battles and then killing all combatants if this offer is refused.

Specifically treating one's enemies in accordance with their full human rights, which do include the right of each person to have their lost or stolen property returned (Deuteronomy 22:1-3), is also addressed in the book of Exodus.  Peace is still not the primary focus, as the passage is about particular obligations towards people and animals regardless of whether eliminating conflict is the intention, but peace is not irrelevant to the actions:


Exodus 23:4-5—"'If you come across your enemy's ox or donkey wandering off, be sure to return it.  If you see the donkey of someone who hates you fallen down under its load, do not leave it there; be sure you help them with it.'"


Other parts of the Bible, including words of Jesus himself, acknowledge directly or indirectly (but still by logical extension) that pursuing or maintaining peace is not always obligatory.  While attempting to be a peacemaker before military sieges is universally mandatory according to Yahweh's laws, peace is not the only or most important thing to prioritize.  For instance, people are not required to make peace with a kidnapper, but they are obligated to put them to death (Exodus 21:16).  Ecclesiastes and Matthew are more explicit in saying that not every situation morally calls for being a peacemaker:


Ecclesiastes 3:1, 8—"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: . . . a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace."

Matthew 10:34-37—"'Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth.  I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.  For I have come to turn "a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—a man's enemies will be the members of his own household."  Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.'"


Peace for the sake of peace is an illogical and unbiblical goal.  The only reason why someone would try to bring this about is for emotionalistic/subjectivist or societally conditioned reasons.  In the very same book of the New Testament where he is presented as calling peacemakers blessed, Jesus clarifies that he is not against all forms of conflict, or else people could not legitimately oppose their family members for the sake of philosophical truths, such as (according to Christianity, at least) the obligation to follow Christ.  He also says in Matthew 5 after uttering "Blessed are the peacemakers" that there is nothing morally deficient or mutable about the Torah laws that correspond to God's nature, which clearly allow some instances of warfare and mandate some instances of capital punishment.  Peace truly should be sought in select circumstances and also cannot matter most.


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