The Apostle Matthew, in the fifth, sixth, and seventh chapters of his gospel, records that on a day early in his ministry, Jesus noticed a crowd was following him, so he went up on a mountainside and sat down so he could teach them. This time of Jesus' teaching is known as the Sermon On the Mount.

The Sermon On the Mount is a broad and comprehensive lesson on how to live a Christian life. It begins with what is known as the Beatitudes. The word beatitude is from the latin word Beatus, which means "blessed." The first 10 verses of chapter five all begin with "Blessed are..."

The Beatitudes describe the characteristics of a disciple of Christ and the rewards of discipleship - present and future. The original word for blessed in each of these beatitudes is makarios, which means "happy," "fortunate," or literally, "to be enlarged." The NIV Application Commentary for Matthew says that, “Makarios is a state of existence in relationship to God in which a person is ‘blessed’ from God’s perspective even when he or she doesn’t feel happy or isn’t presently experiencing good fortune. Negative feelings, absence of feelings, or adverse conditions cannot take away the blessedness of those who exist in relationship with God.”

In stating these characteristics, Jesus refers to a state of spiritual fulfillment, and a joy independent of feelings, deep in the soul that comes from a disciple's embodiment of that characteristic.

Our scripture today is the seventh beatitude - being a peacemaker.

What is a peacemaker?

I think we must first understand the peace Jesus calls a disciple to make. The night before Jesus died, he told his apostles about that peace. In chapter 14 of John's gospel, verse 27, Jesus said, "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives." The peace that Jesus left is not the absence of conflict or strife. It is the presence of God. It is Shalom - complete and permanent serenity provided only by God. It is the peace that God made with us through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Being a peacemaker means sharing that active peace with others. It means reconciling others to ourselves the same way God reconciled us to Himself. It means actively working to repair broken relationships via the peace of God. It means basing our relationships on God's peace, even with our enemies.

What our world describes as peace is the absence of conflict. That peace is not real peace because it is often fleeting and temporary. The only real peace is God's peace; the peace that Paul, in his letter to the Phillipians said, "surpasses all understanding."

May we all become disciples that make that peace, and may we thus feel a deep sense of happiness and blessing as we become sons of God.

Father, thank you for the gift of peace. Thank you for the peace you give - the peace that allows us to become your children. Make us mindful that we are to be peacemakers - disciples that share your peace with the world. Amen.

This devotional was written and read by Cliff McCartney.

Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.

If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: podcasts@1stchurch.org.

First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the...

One of the greatest aspects of my faith is my understanding of God’s unfailing love. I don’t know about you, but I have so many days when, taking stock at the end of the day, I think about so many more things I have done wrong than that I’ve done right. Those seem to be easier to catalog for some reason. Among them, though, are things I’ve said or done that make me feel less-than-lovable.

I consider that “I probably shouldn’t have said that” or “how was that thing I said perceived?” or “I missed that opportunity to do a nice thing for someone” or worse, “I was really a jerk to so-and-so.” Gosh, sometimes I go through that list and wonder how I have any friends left at all!

Don’t get me wrong. Those who know me well know that I’m someone who is trying to be and do better. I fail, but I’m trying.

But in those times when I’m getting more wrong than right, one of the greatest ways I find hope and respite is in the love of God that will never leave me.

When I think about the remarkable strength of the bond I have with my spouse or with my parents, or even with my closest friends, I know that there are things I can say that are heard differently; conversely, they can say the hardest truths to me, as well, and I hear them more earnestly than I would from a stranger or even a person with whom I do not have that bond. I can really be my honest, relaxed self around those closest to me without fear of abandonment or rejection.

That level of loving trust is so very special. But what is remarkable is that the trust in God’s love is even more sure. It is even purer. When we feel our least lovable, it is helpful to know that God’s love is there without judgment — inexplicably from the very One most positioned to judge us — and it never, ever fails us.

Of course, just as I try to do the best and be the best for those I love most in the world, not because I am trying to get them to love me more, but because I want to express my affection for them, this love with God is similarly a two-way street in which I want to be better and be more loving and lovable because I feel so loved. In short, I want not only my heart to rejoice in God’s salvation, but God’s heart to rejoice in my adoration.

God, we are so thankful for your unwavering, unending, unfailing love. Let us not only never take it for granted, but let it inspire us to love you and your people and your world more fully. Amen.

This devotion was written and read by Dwight Dockery.

Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.

If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: podcasts@1stchurch.org.

First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.

In isolation the closing verse of Psalm 29 is a soothing verse. But in context, it is even more soothing.

It reminds me of a memory I have from childhood. I grew up in West Tennessee. Tornadoes were just part of the landscape, with 92 of them between 1960 and 1980. We didn’t have as many as the folks in Oklahoma. I once knew a guy from Oklahoma who claimed his home had a wind-checker by the front door. It was a knothole through which you poked a crowbar to test the wind. If the crowbar bent, you didn’t open the door. But we had a lot of tornadoes in West Tennessee, and even more storms that were nearly tornadoes.

We didn’t have a storm shelter, but my parents had their house built with a central hub instead of a hallway, including a windowless bathroom. I remember huddling with my family in that place of relative safety, insulated from the other rooms with windows that could break in the wind and scatter life-threatening glass shards. Many times we sat in that room lit only by candles with the power out, and listened to the winds howling outside.

When the storm passed, the quiet felt more peaceful, less taken for granted, than before the storm.

Psalm 29 seems to be a Psalm of David, written as he witnessed a storm sweeping in from the Mediterranean Sea, shattering cedars in Lebanon, and tearing through Israel destroying wilderness and forests before finally devolving into peace, leaving God still enthroned and his people at peace.

When God goes with us through the storms of life, it makes the peace he ultimately brings that much more profound.

Father, we face many storms in this life. You came to us in the person of Jesus and lived as one of us, among us, and so you know the storms of life firsthand, beyond the knowledge that comes from being our Creator. Thank you for the peace that passes understanding when we trust in you despite our circumstances. In the name of Christ we pray, Amen.

This devotion was written and read by Donn King.

Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.

If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: podcasts@1stchurch.org.

First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.