The text this morning is from the Gospel according to Matthew, the fifth chapter:
Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him. And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.Thus far the text.
My dear friends in Christ,
Blessed are the people who have good self-esteem and need no contrition, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who can move on from disappointment, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are those who take the bull by the horns, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who look after themselves, for they shall be satisfied. Blessed are the ones who work really hard, for they shall receive mercy. Blessed are those who try to make themselves pure in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the gatekeepers of justice, for they shall be called sons of God. Blessed are those who everyone thinks well of, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when others bless you and speak well of you and give you all good things.
That’s what we expect to hear from Jesus. That’s what the world teaches us. That’s what Jesus should say because that’s what we see with our eyes. But Jesus is teaching us a better way. Jesus is teaching us, not the world’s way, and not even for to follow, the way of God. God doesn’t bless you as you’re trying to be poor in spirit; that’s not what this is saying. The word blessed here doesn’t imply even that God is raining down special blessings from heaven. The word blessed describes a state of being. It’s like saying, “Lutherans are they who love jello salad.” It’s a state of being, it’s not something you work toward.
And this is really good news for us. It means we don’t have the work to do to get to being blessed. We don’t have to earn a blessing from God. When we go through things that make us poor in spirit, mourn, meek, hunger and thirst for righteousness, show mercy, be pure in heart, be peacemakers, then we know that we are blessed by the very nature of going through it. It’s perhaps like this: f you’re walking outside and it begins to rain, you’re going to get wet. Now, you can choose to be upset over this. Your clothes are ruined. You’re cold. You’re shivering. Life just isn’t fair. It’s too hard. Totally valid way of seeing the world. Or you could look at that rain like the plants do, or a five-year old who loves splashing in the puddles. In those moments, you see that there is a greater reason to the rain coming beyond yourself. Like the beatitudes that Jesus speaks of here, we are blessed to endure these things, not because whatever causes us to mourn is fun, but because there is something greater that is beyond us, something we may never discover.
That’s really why this text gets chosen for the lectionary every All Saints’ Day. It goes beyond what we can see, because what the Lord is doing in this world, including even allowing us to endure our suffering, is to bring about the salvation of His Church. Through the baptism of Christ’s blood, we are made to be His bride. Because He died for the sins of the world, Jesus calls to Himself His own people that they might be His own and live in His blessed peace forever. For us, it’s good to remember, then, that those whom we love, who have died in the faith, are well-taken care of by our Jesus who is doing for them what He’s doing for us: accomplishing our salvation, bringing us ever closer to the day of resurrection.
Those saints who have gone before us are not yet totally in bliss. They are sinless, in that they await with their Jesus the Last Day, but they are not complete, as in they are not rejoined forever with their bodies. That day is coming for them, as it is for us; but they are not yet in that bliss. They are, however, blessed, blessed, perhaps, even more than we are now. They have run their race, it’s over, and they await only their reward. They are truly in that blessed state, the one we now have but see through a mirror darkly.
So, let’s talk about that. Again, it’s easy to see why we’re blessed by Jesus, harder, though, when life gets tough. That’s why it’s a dark mirror. But, it doesn’t make it any less true. The poor in spirit. What’s this? You are a blessed person when you realize how morally bankrupt you are, that you are a poor sinful being. This is a very good thing. Only when you realize how great your sin is can realize how great your Savior is. When you confess your sins, God, who is faithful and just, will forgive your sins and cleanse you from all unrighteousness. This is an amazing thing, and truly, through the forgiveness of sins, the kingdom of heaven comes to you in that moment. So, when you’re poor in spirit, this is why you’re blessed through it, because you will know what it is to have Jesus forgives your sins and set His rule and His reign in your heart that you might live in His security and peace.
You are a blessed person when you mourn. Now, many have taken this as to mourn over sin, and that’s a very valid reading. The other way is to mourn over life circumstance, and that’s valid, too. Either way, in your mourning, with Christ, you will be comforted. That’s a promise of the blessedness of God. This isn’t some kind of pat on the back comfort, this is a full-throated, “Hey, you, get up out of the grave” comfort. This is a “I’m going to set it all right” comfort. This is a “Watch this while I make it better forever” comfort. This is comfort to remove all doubt, all pain, all uncertainty. This is comfort for the ages. So, when you mourn this is why you’re blessed through it, because you will know what it is to have it taken away from you.
You are a blessed person when you’re meek, when you’re lowly and humble, when you’re last because you know exactly who you are and you know you’re no one special. The Lord will give you all things, even the world. You are a blessed person when you hunger and thirst for righteousness. The Lord will satisfy this desire and He gives it to you freely. You’re a blessed person when you’re merciful. The Lord gives you mercy upon mercy. When you’re pure in heart, you’re blessed. The Lord has forgiven all of your sins and will always do so. When you make peace, you’re blessed. The Lord has brought peace between you and God and you have done the same among men. You are blessed when you’re persecuted. You will be raised from the dead. Blessed are you when the world comes against you in all kinds of ways, because the saints of God are glorious.
The Lord promises that through all of our grief over sin, through all of our pain and suffering, through our mourning, our weeping, our burdens, our Christian lives lived through difficulty, He shall make all things new. He will set all things aright. This All Saints’ Day, we think about those who have gone before us, sinners all. Yet, we see how they in glory shine with the light of Christ. Through all their lives, we see the sin and struggle, but also the determination and faith, and ultimately the promise of Christ that He shall renew them and raise them up. This also is our hope.
Don’t turn the beatitudes into a list of to-dos. The world wants you to think that’s exactly what it is. But, you will lose yourself if you do this. The beatitudes are not something you aspire to, but something that is granted to you. They don’t look like success or being prospered to the world’s eyes. In the eyes of the Lord, in the eyes of Jesus who died and rose for you, these are the best things for you because they will bring you to where He is. Your Lord absolutely does send these things to you, but they are for your good. That also is His promise, that all things will work together for your good, because you love Him. Even when you must sit in the darkness of the world, awaiting the light of Christ to shine through, continue to hope in His promises, that He has and He will bless you now and forever, that He will see you through, that He will bring you to Himself with all His saints, and He shall raise you from the dead that you might live together with such a great cloud of witnesses. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Now may the peace of God which passes all human understanding guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord! Amen.
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