He Was a Peacemaker

In this recent general conference, President Nelson invited us to be peacemakers. He said, “The Savior’s message is clear: His true disciples build, lift, encourage, persuade, and inspire—no matter how difficult the situation. True disciples of Jesus Christ are peacemakers.” He suggested that “one of the best ways we can honor the Savior is to become a peacemaker.” He continued, “In situations that are highly charged and filled with contention, I invite you to remember Jesus Christ. Pray to have the courage and wisdom to say or do what He would. As we follow the Prince of Peace, we will become His peacemakers.” If we are to follow Jesus Christ, we must be different from the world that is filled with “venomous contention” and “passionate disagreements” and “vulgarity, faultfinding, and evil speaking of others.” We must seek to love others—especially those whom we disagree with—as He would, while still holding fast to the truths and principles of the gospel. Our best course of action, as always, is to seek to emulate Him.

            As we remember the final week of the Savior’s life this Easter, I think we see several examples of how the Savior Himself was indeed a peacemaker during those last days of mortality. At the Last Supper the Savior “laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself. After that he poureth water into a basin, and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded.” Shortly thereafter He said to Judas, “That thou doest, do quickly” (John 13:4-5,27). Clearly Jesus knew exactly what Judas was going to do; He knew how Judas was in the process of betraying Him, and yet He still served the traitor by washing his feet and then instead of confronting him with a vicious verbal attack—as nearly all would do in our day if a friend had turned foe in that manner—He simply told the wicked apostle to depart because He was a peacemaker. Later that night when Judas came back with “a band of men and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees,” Peter drew a sword and “smote the high priest’s servant, and cut off his right ear” (John 18:3, 10). Peter in that moment acted in haste in a way that threatened to significantly escalate the tension of the situation, but the Savior quickly amended it before it erupted into violence on all sides: “And he touched his ear, and healed him” because He was a peacemaker. The Savior was taken to “the high priest’s house” and was treated despicably: “And the men that held Jesus mocked him, and smote him. And when they had blindfolded him, they struck him on the face, and asked him, saying, Prophesy, who is it that smote thee? And many other things blasphemously spake they against him.” But the Savior did not retaliate; He did not respond with His own invective; rather, He simply bore witness of who He was because He was a peacemaker: “Hereafter shall the Son of man sit on the right hand of the power of God” (Luke 22:51, 54, 63-65, 69). When “one of the officers which stood by struck Jesus with the palm of his hand, saying, Answerest thou the high priest so?” Jesus gave this calm but bold reply, “If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil: but if well, why smitest thou me?” (John 18:23) He did not yell or fight back or angrily affirm His position in the midst of such injustice; rather, He posed a disarming question to deflate the rising tension while still asserting His innocence because He was a peacemaker. And then as He hung on the cross, He again faced ridicule and derision from multiple sources. One of these was a man condemned with Him: “And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us.” (Luke 23:39). In addition, some that passed by mocked Him: “And they that passed by reviled him, wagging their heads, And saying, Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself. If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross.” The Jewish leaders similarly taunted Him: “Likewise also the chief priests mocking him, with the scribes and elders, said, He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him” (Matthew 27:41-42). And yet, despite the fact that He had full power to show them indeed that He could save Himself and that He could call down legions of angels to silence all these people, He said nothing and did nothing. He did not respond in kind; He did not rail against them or revile those who reviled Him. Rather, He humbly and peaceably bore His cross and quietly fulfilled His mission for all mankind, for He was a peacemaker. As we remember Him during this holy week, we should remember that He was indeed a peacemaker, and if we want to be like Him we must strive to be the same.