Today, All Saints Day, we
recognize and celebrate an important spiritual reality. That for those of us who are in Christ, we
are different from those who are not.
Scripture speaks of this in various ways. John often contrasts believers with “the world”,
that is, the wicked, the unbelieving world.
Rather, we are “beloved children of God”. Revelation pictures the church in glory – a
great multitude clothed in the white robes of Christ’s righteousness. Other places in Scripture consider the church
a royal priesthood, a holy nation. The
New Israel. The sons of light, called
out of darkness. Or even – the saints,
that is, the holy ones of God. The
righteous who live by faith. And so on,
and so on…
But another way to consider
the Christian is through the lens of this beloved Gospel reading from Matthew 5
– commonly called, “the Beatitudes”.
Perhaps you’ve seen this passage on a Christian poster or stitched in to
a wall-hanging at Grandma’s house. Maybe
you’ve even memorized it. It’s some of
Jesus’ own poetry, and a beautiful passage at that, aesthetically pleasing in
its own right. But even better, it
teaches an important truth about us as Christians – we are blessed. We are bless-ed.
Make no mistake, Jesus is
speaking here to Christians, specifically.
For while others may meet some of the criteria here – or fit into one of
these beatitudes – for instance, there are plenty of non-believers who mourn,
or are poor or meek. Yet context is
key. Jesus speaks here to his own
followers, believers, as part of his famous Sermon on the Mount. And by the end of the passage he’s talking
about being persecuted for his name’s sake – which is something that only a
Christian would ever dare endure.
Indeed, the Beatitudes are for Christians. He’s speaking here, to the saints. To you and me.
We are blessed. And the very nature of the blessing is that
it is a gift. It is not earned. It is by grace. It is something God gives to us without our
earning or deserving it. These
beatitudes must therefore, by definition, be seen not as rewards for a job well
done or prizes for feats accomplished.
Rather, always and only from the pure and free grace and mercy of God in
Jesus Christ. Just like all our
blessings – without any merit or worthiness in me or you.
Also, before we dig into them
– we must say that though in general these beatitudes poetically describe the
Christian and the Christian life – they don’t do so perfectly – for we are not
perfect. We may be poor in spirit, for
instance, in our repentance – coming to God claiming nothing. But even our repentance is always tinged with
sin and self-seeking. We hold back. We hedge.
We plan to do better, but always seem to know we don’t really, fully
mean it. We mourn, but we don’t always
mourn what we should, when we should, and sometimes we mourn what we ought
not. And so forth…
So must we be without these
blessings? Do we fail to measure up to
the standard, to receive the kingdom of heaven?
To be comforted? To inherit the
earth? To see God and be called Sons of
God?
Dear Christian, just like
always, Jesus is the answer. All of
these blessings are our in Christ. For
he fulfills it all perfectly. And he
gives of himself freely. And so we do
come undeserving, incomplete, beggars looking for crumbs that fall on the
floor. And gives what we don not
deserve, completes us, and feeds us with a lavish feast even of his own body
and blood. The saints are holy, only in
Christ. The dead are alive, only in
Christ. The lowly are raised, the hungry
are satisfied, the empty are filled, the mourning are comforted, the poor are
rich, and the wretched are blessed with all good things – all blessings in
Christ.
With this clear – we can look
at the beatitudes and find in them the great blessings Jesus intends us to receive. And we can further rejoice that we – all the
saints and children and people of God – we are truly blessed in Christ.
“Blessed are the poor in
spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
Poor in spirit. Humble and knowing our need. Only thus do we
receive the kingdom of heaven. If we
claim to be rich, then we have no need.
But if we are poor, then he comes with his riches, his blessings.
Jesus knew poverty, and
emptied himself for us – even unto death.
He, the king of kings, set his throne aside to take up the throne of the
cross for us, to be mocked as king of the Jews and crucified under earthly
authorities. So the blessings of his
kingdom come to us, in him.
“Blessed are those who
mourn, for they shall be comforted.”
What do we mourn but our sin
and its wages? What do we mourn but all
the troubles and turmoils life in this great tribulation brings?
But here is the promise for
the blessed: a place in that great
multitude of white-robed worshipers around the heavenly throne. Waving our palm branches, and singing God’s
praises, as he spreads a tent over us, dwells with us, and comforts us. That God himself would wipe every tear from
our eyes. Yes, we will be comforted,
here by faith – and there in all fullness, for all eternity.
“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit
the earth.”
The meek, the lowly, those
who in this world seem so bereft of honor, will see the great reversal when
Christ returns in glory. They will, we,
the blessed will, inherit the earth. But
this only happens in the new creation – the new heavens and the new earth will
be our eternal dwelling, and that with God himself. For to inherit we must be made heirs upon
death – and so we are God’s children in Christ.
And so has Christ died to win us the inheritance. And so we are blessed.
“Blessed are those who hunger
and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.”
We have many hungers and
thirsts, and not all are good. We have
many wants in this life – and some never seem filled. This isn’t a promise of daily bread – for man
does not live by bread alone. This is a
promise for fulfillment of our greatest yearning and need – righteousness.
But the blessed are
righteous! We have a righteousness that
comes from God, through faith in Christ.
And Christ feeds us! He fills us
with the forgiveness that comes by his body broken and his blood shed for us
and for many. He satisfies us with such
a feast even today. Who can be as
blessed as we? And yet even this is but
a foretaste of the feast to come. When we
will not only by faith, but in fullness commune with all the saints and with
angels and archangels and all the company of heaven.
“Blessed are the merciful,
for they shall receive mercy"
“Lord have mercy,” the
blessed pray, for then know who to turn to for mercy. “Christ have mercy” the center of the mercy
sandwich – the source of all grace and mercy .
“Lord have mercy”, we pray a third time for mercy, in the great Kyrie
Eleison repeated by the saints for millennia.
It is a prayer of confidence, knowing the merciful One who hears the
prayer has already answered it.
And so we show mercy. Just as we forgive trespasses against us
because our trespasses are forgiven.
Just as we forgive our debtors knowing our price has been paid. And we are blessed to do so.
“Blessed are the pure in
heart, for they shall see God”
We have no purity of heart,
instead Jesus says the heart is the source of all kinds of wickedness. It’s
what comes out of a man, out of his heart, that makes him unclean, impure.
But Jesus makes the unclean
clean, with a touch, a breath, a word.
And only in such purity can we stand and face our God. For as Job said, “I will see him in my flesh,
I and not another” In a resurrected body, you too, will see God face to
face. What a blessing.
“Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they shall be called sons of God.”
Like Father, like Son. And when the Son makes you an heir, and a
son, when you receive the peace that Jesus lives and breathes, that passes
understanding. When your warfare with
God is over in Christ, then you are shod with the Gospel of peace and you leave
its tracks wherever you go.
“Blessed are those who are
persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."
And perhaps strangest of all,
Jesus counts us as blessed, even in persecution. You’re in good company, then, for so they
persecuted the prophets before you. Even
so they persecuted the ultimate prophet, the Son of God himself. But no persecution or trouble or danger or
nakedness or sword pointed at us can ultimately avail. For the kingdom ours remaineth. And we are blessed of God, blessed in Jesus
Christ.
Blessed are you, dear
Christians, on this All Saints Day.
Blessed – by the grace of God in Jesus Christ. All blessings are from him, and all praise,
honor and glory and might be to him, now and forevermore. Amen.
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