Blessed are the saints on earth and in heaven

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.