Up to this point, Brother Wesley says, the sermon on the mount has dealt with internal issues, but now it moves to how internal formation yields fruit.
The peacemakers are, indeed, those who seek peace. But Wesley notes that in the Scriptures, peace has a deeper meaning, such that a peacemaker is one who does good to all people, because peace means "all manner of good and every blessing."
The peacemaker seeks the bodily good of all people-- feeding the hungry, clothing the naked...
But the peacemaker especially rejoices when he can do spiritual good in the life of anyone. I find this description of the highest form of peacemaking:
"according to the grace he has received, he uses all diligence, either to reprove the gross sinner, to reclaim those who run headlong in the broad way of destruction; or to give light to them that sit in darkness and are ready to perish for lack of knowledge; or to support the weak; to bring back and heal that which was lame and turned out of the way. Nor is he less zealous to confirm those who are already striving to enter in at the narrow gate; to strengthen those that stand, that they may run with perseverance the race that is set before them...
I suspect that this sounds new to folks-- rarely do we consider Wesley's sermons. But I think here he really challenges us. First in not reducing peacemaking to a kind of generalized sense that we avoid conflict. And second, that peacemaking is really about evangelism and training others to lead godly lives.
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