truly happy—”theirs is the kingdom of
heaven.” Note the seventh: “Blessed
are the peacemakers, for they shall be
called sons of God” (Matt. 5:9). Jesus
is saying that to act like a peacemaker
is to demonstrate the family character.
It gives evidence that you belong to a
Father called “the God of peace” (Heb.
13:20) who revealed himself in the Christ
who came “reconciling the world to
himself, not counting their trespasses
against them, and entrusting to us the
message of reconciliation” (2 Cor. 5:19).
The payoff will come at the final
judgment. Because of their faithful
commitment to reconciling ways, God
will reward peacemakers with that
identity. He will bestow on them the
treasured label of “sons of God”—those
worthy of enjoying his presence and
privileges in glory forever. Pastors,
peacemaking ways are not negotiable
for disciples of Jesus. We must not
duck our assignments as servants of
the one mediator between God and
men, the man Christ Jesus (1 Tim. 2:5),
if we want to be called sons of God.
. Pastors are waiters serving the Lamb
to sworn enemies. Pastors are busboys
washing the dirty dishes of our hatreds,
anger, lusts, deceits, malice, and filthy
words in the purifying stream of Christ’s
blood. It is tiring work. It is battle work. It
is Messiah work. But we are compelled
to persevere, because serving this way
is at the heart of our calling as pastors”
(188).
Used by permission from The Peacemaking Church
by Curtis Heffelfinger. Copyright 2019, Baker Books,
a division of Baker Publishing Group (http://www.
bakerpublishinggroup.com).
Alfred Poirier, in his excellent book The
Peacemaking Pastor (Baker Books, 2006),
nailed it: “Pastoring is peacemaking. . .
Curtis Heffelfinger
Curtis Heffelfinger (DMin, Reformed Theological
Seminary Orlando) has served in pastoral ministry
for more than thirty years. He has written for
Tabletalk magazine and served on the steering
committee for the Orlando chapter of the Gospel
Coalition. He and his wife, Jan, are the parents of six
children and have nine grandchildren.
42 • Solutions