Personal Relationships: How Jesus Teaches Us About Peacemaking (the Peacemaker)

San Juan, Robert Adrian, “Ade”, 133638, Section R

Contact: 09175101295/radriansj@gmail.com

Subject: Personal Relationships: How Jesus Teaches Us About Peacemaking (The Peacemaker)

Introduction

Peace has often been taught to us at a very young age by our parents in the hope that an inclination to avoid conflict develops within us and molds our character in that direction. This was the kind of upbringing I was accustomed to and raised in. As much as I wanted to get even with those kids who would bully me by stealing my food during recess or lunch or teasing me or calling me names, I knew that the best possible thing to do was to do nothing and to avoid further conflict. As I pondered about this, I realized the paradox of bringing about and propagating peace by using the means of violence and force. I suppose this is more relevant than ever especially in the Philippine context with regards to all the extrajudicial killings that have been occurring. It simply does not make any sense as violent behavior only promotes more violent behavior. Another thing I realized was that morality plays a big role in the peacemaking process. However, people’s morality could differ from one another depending on their environment and how they were brought up and educated. The only answer, then, to having an aligned perspective of morality would have to be through Christianity and its teachings. With the aid of Christianity, we are able to develop a universal sense of morality through the promotion of unity as followers and believers of Jesus Christ. It is written in Phil 2:5, “Have among yourselves the same attitude that is also yours in Christ Jesus.” This only further supports the fact that Jesus Christ is the ultimate role model in the aspect of morality. He teaches us that as Jesus treated us with the same sacrifice and service, we too must treat each other in the same way. With that, I have decided to look at 4 main sources that provide insights that are in line with the Christian worldview namely: 1) Scriptures (from the New American Bible), specifically the Sermon on the Mount found in the Gospel of Matthew, 2) An encyclical by Pope John XXIII, Pacem In Terris or Peace on Earth, 3) A book entitled The Peacemaker by author, Ken Sande, 4) Catholic Social Teachings about peace and reconciliation, and some additional supplementary sources for substantiate the claims and assertions made about peacemaking.

Sermon on the Mount

Let’s first take a look at the Sermon on the Mount found in the Gospel of Matthew. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus teaches us the most accurate, authentic, and genuine meaning of righteousness. This righteousness allows our beliefs and our actions to be in sync and in line with the will of God. Through this righteousness,