Sermon for the Festival of All Saints

Revelation 7:2-17  +  Matthew 5:1-12

As we pause today to give thanks to God for the glory of the Church Triumphant, for those whom we call “saints,” “holy ones,” for all the believers in Christ who have fallen asleep in faith, who have entered their eternal rest, who have fought the good fight here below, who have run their race, and who have now received the crown of glory that never fades away, we hear again Jesus’ words from the Sermon on the Mount, where He describes some of the rewards those saints have now received. But as Jesus preaches this sermon, His purpose isn’t primarily to give us comfort about those who have already finished the race. It’s to give us comfort for ourselves as we still run toward the finish line, as we still compete for the prize. And it’s also to spur us on toward the finish line, because great rewards await us there. He paints a picture for us of the Christian life, and He assures us that, as we live it, we have good reasons to be happy.

That’s really what the word “blessed” means in this context. “To have a good reason to be happy.” Let’s briefly walk through the Beatitudes this evening and take a look at who Jesus says has good reasons to be happy, and why.

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

We always need to take note here of the “in spirit” part of “poor in spirit.” God has compassion for those who are materially poor and wants us to have compassion for them, too. But they aren’t the ones Jesus called “blessed.” It’s the “poor in spirit” who have good reason to be happy. It’s those who are humble before God, who are penitent, contrite, sorry for their sins who have good reason to be happy, because the kingdom of heaven doesn’t belong to those who, like the Pharisee in Jesus’ parable, try to tell God how wonderful they are, or how deserving of His kingdom, but to the poor in spirit who, like the tax collector in Jesus’ parable, offer God nothing, but seek His kingdom only on the basis of the mercy He has promised for Christ’s sake. The kingdom of heaven belongs to such poor in spirit even now.

Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

Not all who mourn have good reason to be happy. But those who mourn with godly sorrow, whether over their own sins, or over the rampant wickedness they see all around them, or over the state of utter desolation in which outward Christianity finds itself in the world—they have good reason to be happy, even as they mourn, because comfort is coming, ushered in by the Holy Spirit of God, now already through the Word of God, and soon when the Lord Jesus returns to take care of every problem that makes Christians mourn.

Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

To be meek is to be gentle, like Jesus. That doesn’t mean you can’t be forceful and direct and bold when necessary, as Jesus also was. But in Psalm 37 it says that “the meek will inherit the earth,” and there it defines “meekness” as those who don’t behave wickedly or trust in themselves and their power, but who commit their way to the Lord, who trust in Him, who are still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him, who refrain from anger and wrath. Such people have good reason to be happy, because without lifting a finger themselves, they will inherit the earth, because God will worry about defeating the devil and all the wicked. The Christian can remain meek, because God will fight for us.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

Again, pay attention. It’s not hunger and thirst for food and water that makes a person blessed. It’s hunger and thirst for righteousness—those who have such hunger and thirst have a good reason to be happy. There are two ways to hunger and thirst for righteousness. You hunger and thirst for righteousness by knowing that you have no righteousness to offer God, and so you crave the gift God has promised, the righteousness of Christ being counted as your own through faith in Him. You also hunger and thirst for righteousness by yearning for justice in the world, both for yourself and for others, to be treated fairly, to be treated rightly. In both cases, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness have good reason to be happy, because in both cases they will obtain what they so fervently desire. Christ’s righteousness is given even now to believers, and Christ’s justice will be carried out when He comes again.

Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.

You remember the parable of the unmerciful servant. The king forgave him his incredibly large debt, and then he went out and mercilessly mistreated the one who owed him just a little bit. So the king threw that merciless wretch in prison until he could repay everything. God first shows us that kind of great mercy by forgiving our sins and bringing us into His kingdom. He’s serious about wanting us then to show mercy to others. Will we lose out on something great by showing mercy to someone? On the contrary, the merciful have good reason to be happy, because they will receive even more mercy from God.

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

We only become pure in heart through the forgiveness of sins and through the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit, so that our love for God and our neighbor is genuine, and our motives are pure. So we pray with the Psalmist, Create in me a pure heart, O God! And then we have good reason to be happy, because we will see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.

The opposite of making peace is not just making war, but causing discord and strife, allowing bad feelings to fester and divisions to get wider, refusing to forgive when a brother repents. But God has called us to peace, and to live at peace with people, to the extent that it depends on us, and to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Those who work toward peace and maintain peace and who forgive those who trespass against them have good reason to be happy, because they will be called sons of God, because in doing these things, they are imitating their Father in heaven.

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Being persecuted doesn’t sound like a reason to be happy, but Jesus says otherwise. Being persecuted “for righteousness’ sake,” that is, doing what is right in God’s eyes, saying what is right and true and then suffering the consequences for it as the people of this world make life difficult for you. Some Christians stumble and fall when the threat of persecution comes. They give in to the demands of the wicked to avoid persecution. They refuse to bear the cross that Jesus told us we must bear, if we wish to be His disciples. And, in this way, faith dies. But those who accept the burden of persecution willingly show themselves to be disciples of Jesus, and they have good reason to be happy, because, as we sang on Sunday morning, take they our life, goods, fame, child, and wife, let these all be gone. They yet have nothing won. The kingdom ours remaineth.

Finally, Blessed are you, when for my sake they insult you and persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you. Rejoice and be glad, for great is your reward in heaven. For in the same way they persecuted the prophets who came before you.”

No one likes to be insulted. No one likes to be lied about. No one likes to have people saying bad things about you, to your face or behind your back. Still, when you’re insulted or lied about or talked badly about because you were being faithful to the Lord Jesus, Jesus wants you to know that you have good reason to be happy, to rejoice, to be glad, because you’re in the best company of all, in the company of the prophets of God, in the company of Jesus Himself. And, while you may be hated and spoken against here, your reward in heaven just keeps getting greater and greater, the more you’re despised here for the sake of Christ.

Now, all the good things Jesus talks about here, all the blessed results of Christian faithfulness here on earth, are already being experienced by those who have died in faith. So think of the apostles and prophets and other role models of faith from the Bible. Think of your loved ones who died in the faith, or church members who were with us for a time but are with us no longer, having crossed over from the Church Militant into the Church Triumphant. Take comfort in the Word of God, which assures you that the saints in glory have received prizes that far surpass anything they suffered here. But above all, take the words of Jesus to heart for yourself, so that you devote every day to being the kind of Christians that Jesus describes here in these verses, penitent, believing, and striving to live according to God’s commandments, that you may always have all these reasons to be happy, that, together with the saints in glory, you may always live with the blessing of Christ your Redeemer. Amen.

Source: Sermons

Sermon for All Saints’ Day

Revelation 7:2-17  +  Matthew 5:1-12

Today we remember all the saints: the apostles, prophets, and martyrs of the Church of Christ, together with all the faithful who have gone before us: Old Testament believers in the coming Christ, and New Testament believers who were washed in the Baptism of Christ and made holy by faith in His blood, who bore the cross with patience, who persevered in faith until the end and have now received the crown of life. They are the ones who have come out of the great tribulation and are before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple. As it says elsewhere in the book of Revelation, Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on. Yes, says the Spirit, for they will rest from their labors, and their works follow them. The saints above are truly blessed.

But so are we. So are we, if we have the qualities that Jesus describes in the Beatitudes at the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount, that is, simply the qualities of a true Christian. Those who do, Jesus calls “blessed.”

The word for “blessed” used here in the Beatitudes means “happy.” It doesn’t mean they always feel happy. It means they have good reason to be happy, either because of something they already have and enjoy, or because of something they will most surely have and enjoy in the future. So whether we’re talking about the saints above or the saints below, those who have the qualities Jesus describes here have good reason to be happy.

Jesus says, Blessed are the poor in spirit. What kind of poor people is Jesus talking about here? The poor “in spirit.” They may be the richest people on earth, or the poorest people on earth financially. That doesn’t matter at all. Rich or poor by earthly standards, they have good reason to be happy if they’re poor in spirit, that is, if they humble themselves before God, if they view themselves as beggars before Him—beggars in need of God’s mercy and grace.

Why do they have good reason to be happy? For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. No matter how much or how little you possess on earth, it will sooner or later be destroyed. It won’t be yours forever. It won’t last. What will last forever is the kingdom of heaven, where Christ reigns as a good and just King over His subjects, where Christ provides free forgiveness of sins and every grace and blessing, where all the members of the kingdom are dearly loved children of God the Father. This kingdom belongs only to the poor in spirit, making them the richest people on earth. And, after this life, the souls of those who were poor in spirit here now live with Christ in eternal righteousness, innocence, and blessedness.

Blessed are those who mourn. Now, there are two kinds of mourning. There’s a mourning over your sins, which we call contrition, grieving over the countless ways you’ve sinned against God. And there’s a mourning over the effects of sin in the world: pain and loss, suffering and death, other people’s hatred, or mistreatment, or injustice, to watch as wickedness prospers and as righteousness is defeated. True Christians mourn for all these reasons, because of their own sins and because of the tragic effects of sin in the world. They know better than to blame God for any of it. They blame themselves for their part in it, they blame sin, and they blame the devil who dragged our race into it. And they mourn over it.

Why do those who mourn have good reason to be happy? Because of Jesus’ promise, They will be comforted. Already here and now those who mourn over their sins are told the comforting truth: The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. Already here and now, those mourners who confess their sins hear God’s own absolution spoken by the pastor: Your sins are forgiven you, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Already here and now those who mourn over all the sad effects of sin in the world are comforted with the fact that Christ reigns at the right hand of God, and with the knowledge that God works all things together for good to those who love Him. Already here those who mourn the death of a fellow Christian are comforted with the sure promise of the resurrection and eternal life, and that’s good reason to be happy, even in the midst of mourning.

How much more are the saints above comforted! As John described them in his vision, They will no longer hunger and no longer thirst; neither the sun nor any heat will strike them; for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living springs of water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.

Blessed are the meek. Also translated “gentle” or “lowly.” It’s that aspect of love that St. Paul described to the Corinthians, love that does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked. It’s the attitude of Jesus, who said, Take my yoke upon you and learn from me for I am gentle (meek) and humble of heart. To be meek doesn’t mean that you can never be forceful or never take a stand. It just you’re not overbearing and arrogant and self-seeking.

Why do the meek have good reason to be happy? After all, they are often the ones who finish last here on earth. Their happiness lies in Jesus’ promise. They will inherit the earth. They will “inherit” it because they have been given the right to become children of God through faith in Christ. And as all things belong to Christ, so all things belong to those who are in Christ. Now, neither the saints in heaven nor the saints on earth have received this inheritance yet, but it’s there, waiting. As Peter says, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. Just as there were two kinds of mourning, so there are also two kinds of righteousness for which people hunger. There is the righteousness before God, and there is righteousness or justice among men.

Why do those who hunger and thirst for righteousness have good reason to be happy? Because already here and now, those who believe in Christ and who have been baptized into Christ have His righteousness as a robe to wear at all times. That’s the righteousness that counts before God and that makes us righteous in his sight.

As for righteousness or justice among men, we won’t see much of that here in this life. On the contrary, we’ll continue to see injustice grow, and we’ll continue to struggle against our own unrighteous flesh. But according to God’s own promise, we will see perfect justice in the Day of Judgment, which is coming soon, and in the next life, where the saints above now see it. We’ll be rid of all sin forever, as the saints above are now rid of it.

Blessed are the merciful. Those who are truly merciful, who truly look on their fellow man with mercy and compassion and pity, are just imitating their Father in heaven, as Jesus told us to do, Be merciful just as your Father also is merciful. They’re merciful toward others because they already know God’s mercy toward them in giving His Son into death for those who were, at the time, His enemies. They’ve already received God’s mercy.

Why do those who show mercy have good reason to be happy? Because they will be shown mercy. Believers in Christ, who have received God’s mercy in the forgiveness of sins, will now show mercy toward others, and, God, in turn, will show them even more mercy, as He no longer judges our deeds according to the strictness of His Law, but instead looks mercifully at the works we do from faith in Christ, and accepts them, and even rewards them in His mercy.

Blessed are the pure in heart. A pure heart is genuine, sincere, and honest with God and with men. It doesn’t pretend. It isn’t hypocritical. It doesn’t have false motives, but seeks God in genuine repentance and faith and shows genuine love to our neighbor. It’s the heart of the New Man that has been created in Christians, even as we still drag around with us the impure heart of the Old Man and struggle against it. But if we walk according to the Spirit, if the pure heart of the New Man dominates within us, then we are said to be pure in heart.

What’s their reason for happiness? They will see God. Not because they deserve to see Him, but because their hearts have been purified by faith. As John writes: Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.

Blessed are the peacemakers. The children of God seek to make peace—peace with God by speaking the Gospel of peace to their fellow man; and peace with men, by living at peace with all men, to the extent it depends on us. Sometimes war and fighting may be necessary, but the Christian’s goal is always peace.

The peacemakers have reason to be happy, because they will be called sons of God. Our God is a God of peace, not chaos, not disorder, not strife or contention. He is a God who yearns to be reconciled with sinners through Christ. So those who carry out the ministry of reconciliation, and the Christians who work to maintain peace in His Church are rightly called His sons.

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake. This one He repeats and elaborates on: Blessed are you, when for my sake they insult you and persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you.

That sounds horrible, to be treated that way by the world. It is horrible! It hurts! It’s painful! It’s unfair! It’s unjust! How can Jesus call us blessed when we are mistreated for the sake of His name? What reason could we possibly have to be happy about that? Because theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Because great is your reward in heaven. For in the same way they persecuted the prophets who came before you. More than that, in the same way they persecuted the Lord Jesus. A servant is not above his lord. He shouldn’t expect to be treated better than his master. But if we share in His sufferings here, then we will also share in His glory there, even as the saints above do already.

If all this is what we already have here or what have to look forward to above, then truly we are blessed, with more reasons than anyone else on earth to be happy, to be blessed, now and forever. Blessed are the saints in heaven! Their race is finished. Their victory is won. And blessed are the saints on earth, who are still running our race, for our victory is guaranteed. May we strive to finish our race in faith, by the power of the Holy Spirit, nurturing all the qualities mentioned by Jesus in today’s Gospel that make us truly blessed, with all the saints. Amen.

Source: Sermons