First Reading: Revelation 7:2-4, 9-17
2I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, with the seal of the living God, and he called with a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm earth and sea, 3saying, “Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.” 4And I heard the number of the sealed, 144,000, sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel: 9After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 10and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” 11And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12saying, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.” 13Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?” 14I said to him, “Sir, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 15Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence. 16They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat. 17For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”
Psalm 149
1Hallelujah! Sing to the Lord a new song; sing his praise in the congregation of the faithful. 2Let Israel rejoice in his Maker; let the children of Zion be joyful in their King. 3Let them praise his name in the dance; let them sing praise to him with timbrel and harp. 4For the Lord takes pleasure in his people and adorns the poor with victory. 5Let the faithful rejoice in triumph; let them be joyful on their beds. 6Let the praises of God be in their throat and a two-edged sword in their hand; 7To wreak vengeance on the nations and punishment on the peoples; 8To bind their kings in chains and their nobles with links of iron; 9To inflict on them the judgment decreed; this is glory for all his faithful people. Hallelujah!
Second Reading: 1 John 3:1-3
1See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. 3And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.
Gospel: Matthew 5:1-12
1Seeing the crowds, {Jesus} went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him. 2And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying: 3“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. 5Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. 6Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. 7Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. 8Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. 9Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. 10Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
Sinner and Saint
Simul Justus et Pec-cator is a Latin phrase meaning simultaneously both sinner and saint. This phrase, attributed to Luther, is associated with his teaching that in our justification we are one, and at the same time, righteous or just, and sinners. Now we must be careful in how we use this phrase, Luther isn’t saying that we are at the same time and in the same way saints and sinners, that would be a contradiction. What he’s saying is that from one perspective, in one sense, in Christ we are justified or forgiven. In and because of Jesus, we have been justified, made right with God. And in another sense, from a different perspective, we are sinners. This sounds complicated, but how Luther defined this is simple.
In and of ourselves, under the analysis of God’s scrutiny, we still have sin; we’re still sinners. St. Paul addressed this in his letter to the Romans, “For all have sinned and fall short of God’s glory” (3:23). But Paul didn’t leave us there, he continued by reminding us, “and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus” (vs. 24). Through Christ, in Christ, and because of Christ, His righteousness has been given to us through faith. Again St. Paul says this plainly in Ephesians, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God” (2:8). In and because of Jesus, we are saints who struggle daily with our sinful nature.
Again St. Paul helps us with our daily struggles as saints in Romans chapter 6: “What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life” (vs. 1-4). Through Jesus’ obedience, even to death on the cross, we are made heirs of God’s kingdom.
This is what makes the statement St. John made in our epistle reading so powerful, “See what kind of love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God: and so we are” (1 John 3:1). We have been justified in Christ and made heirs of God’s kingdom, not because of anything we’ve done, but because of what Jesus did for us on the cross. Thus, by imputation and by faith in Jesus Christ, whose righteousness is now transferred to our account, we are considered just or righteous. This is the very heart of the gospel. This is what we claim on this All Saints Sunday. But what is a Saint?
Is a saint simply someone that is good by worldly standards? Is it someone who attends church more than twice a year? Is it someone that seems to keep all the dos and don’ts of the church? Is it someone who is basically honest and good, and trustworthy? Well yea, but it’s more. In many ways, the definition of what a saint is can be elusive without careful study of the Bible. But thankfully, we have a wonderful lectionary that helps us out with some of these difficult questions. We have the privilege of turning to God’s word for guidance.
“Life is a mystery Charlie Brown,” says Lucy, “Do you know the answer?” Charlie Brown answers, “Be kind. Don’t smoke. Be prompt. Smile a lot. Eat sensibly. Avoid cavities and mark your ballot carefully . . . Avoid too much sun. Send overseas packages early. Love all creatures above and below. Insure your belongings and try to keep the ball low . . .” Before Chuck can get out another platitude, Lucy interrupts: “Hold real still,” she says, “because I am going to hit you with a very sharp blow upon the nose!”
Saints are those who are more than simply good people. Saints are those people who point us to God and show us how to live a godly life in the way they live. All Saints Sunday is the day we celebrate the lives of special people who have enriched our lives. And like Lucy, we might sigh and say, “It’s a mystery,” Charlie Brown. Peanuts characters aside, what then is a saint?
To this question Charlie Brown might answer: A saint is someone who is kind, doesn’t smoke, is prompt, smiles a lot, eats sensibly, avoids cavities and marks their ballot carefully . . . Avoids too much sun, sends overseas packages early, and loves all creatures above and below . . .” My guess is that if you were to do a street survey, you might get very similar answers. Certainly, a saint is a person who is kind and conscientious but simply following a set of rules isn’t enough. Remember all the trouble Jesus had with the religious leaders?
The Religious leaders of Jesus’ day were all about following the rules. But Jesus was constantly reminding them that being a child of God is more than following a set of human rules. Being a Child of God was also about our attitude toward God and others. It’s about placing our faith in God that He will provide for us so that we can provide for others. Being a saint is about having righteous thoughts, righteous words, and righteous deeds. And of course this is why we confess each week, because these are the areas we fall short in, we through our actions and inactions fall short, thus we are simultaneously sinners and saints. And without a doubt, we all have the sinner part down, but this brings us back to the original question, what is a saint?
First, the mark of a saint is faith. The saint doesn’t rely on their ability to simply follow the rules as if rule-following will get us into heaven. The saint places their faith in God, knowing that in Christ we have been shown mercy, not by anything we’ve done or will do, but simply because Jesus took care of what was needed on the cross. We leave the requirements for our forgiveness in God’s hands and trust in His love and mercy.
Saints will point to Paul’s words in Galatians, “[We] know that a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified.” First, a saint is a person of faith. And from an attitude of gratitude, we respond by serving both God and our neighbors. But what are these attitudes and attributes that show our gratitude?
To answer this, we can look to one of Jesus’ most memorable sermons, the Sermon on the Mount. Now for most Christians, the opening words of Jesus teaching are very familiar, “Blessed are.” From this we can list out the key words in the next 9 verses: the poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, the merciful, the pure in heart, peacemakers, and those who are persecuted for the sake of the gospel. But when you stop and consider these verses, much of it seems strange, especially when you consider that we live in a very independent minded society.
I’ve looked at this passage many times over the years, and I’ve both taught and preached on the Sermon on the Mount. And each time I wrestle with Jesus’ words here I learn something. This is an amazing sermon, one that each time I encounter it, the Holy Spirit reveals more and more. Yet even after all the study, these statements Jesus made seem odd, almost unachievable. What I find helpful in passages like these is to look at them from not only the original language, but also a cultural point of view. I ask myself the question, how did the first century ears, especially the disciples, understand Jesus’ statements?
Now let me be clear, Jesus’ words are not dated, rather, they are cross cultural, and they transcend time. The instructions Jesus gave more than two centuries ago, are just as valid today as they were when first uttered. So, to gain a deeper understanding, we need to start at the beginning. First, we need to understand that when Jesus used the word blessed, He was causing His audience to recall the words of king David. Jesus begins His teaching in the same why that David began the first Psalm, “Blessed is.” Some translations render this word as happy and so do many of the New Testament translators. But the word happy falls a bit short.
In both the ancient Hebrew context and in the New Testament setting, as-re, and mah-KAH-ree-os is more than simply being content, it is to be fortunate, well off, rich in the situation you’re in. To be blessed is more than a feeling, it’s a sense of calm, it’s an inner peace that transcends the current situation. It’s a sense of knowing that the future is secure no matter what each day holds. A person that is considered as-re is one that others look to, even envy, and desire to be in the same situation. A person that is mah-KAH-ree-os, is one that is an example, a person that people want to emulate and set as an example of how they’re to live. Thus, what Jesus is saying is, if you want to have the deep inner calm that comes with being blessed, then listen to how you can have this blessing.
Over the years I’ve wrestled with the first statement Jesus makes, blessed are the poor in spirit. I’ve looked at the various English translations and it’s difficult to properly render this phrase. On Monday as I was participating in the weekly pastor’s Zoom meeting, I did a deeper dive into the Greek words used here and one thing seemed to jump out for the first time. Poor in Spirit can also mean humble. I like this translation. The word poor, for the modern ear, denotes a lack of something, someone that is deprived and this simply isn’t the case here. What Jesus is saying is, the blessed are those who humble themselves to hear God’s word, believe God’s word, and live according to God’s word. For those who humbly listen, believe, and live according to God’s word, theirs is the kingdom of God. Next Jesus tells us that those who mourn are blessed.
Again, it’s easy to misunderstand this translation, because the word mourn could denote the loss of something. But here Jesus is talking about grieving over the damage that sin causes in the lives of others. Here Jesus is saying that we should not only acknowledge the effects of sin in our world, but pray and seek God’s guidance for ways to help overcome the results of sin in people’s lives. Blessed are those who grieve, they shall see God’s hand at work through us in other people’s lives. Next comes the word meek.
Like grieve, the word meek has a better translation, gentle: blessed are those who are gentle when dealing with their neighbor. Here I like to look to king Solomon. In Proverbs 15:1, Solomon says, “A gentle answer turns away wrath.” In verse 4 he wrote, “The soothing tongue is a tree of life” and in verse 7 he said, “The lips of the wise spread knowledge.” When we maintain a gentle composure with those around us, we become a blessing to those we encounter each day. The next virtue is those who strive for righteousness.
In verse 6 Jesus said, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. These are the people that work for equity in our world. They see things not as they are, but as God intended them to be. Hungering and thirsting for righteousness is more than recognizing inequality, we must do what we can to correct the injustice. We must address the root causes of inequity and strive to overcome it. And this verse goes hand-in-hand with Jesus’ next statement. Not only are we to strive to bring fairness to our neighbors, but we’re also to show mercy to those we can. Again, both these statements have to do with treating people fairly and compassionately.
Of all these instructions, I like verse 8 the best because in many ways it sums up the motivation we should all strive to have, a pure heart. A pure heart means we truly desire to put God first in our lives and love others as we love ourselves. A pure heart has no ulterior motives other than pleasing God and serving our neighbor. The pure in heart are those who are truly humble and gentle toward others, treating others with love, respect, and kindness. Next, is blessed are the peacemakers.
In a world filled with conflict, one where the brash, the bully, and the aggressive are lifted up, peacemakers seem to be in very short supply. Today it seems that the louder someone is, the more attention they get. But when you stop and think about it, aren’t we really looking for the quiet one in the corner whose words seem to silence the critic? When you think of those who seem to get things done, these are the ones who are soft-spoken, who choose their words carefully, and look to bring order to chaos.
A peacemaker actively listens to what people are saying and then offers advice that satisfies the situation, not just the person. A peacemaker is strong in the face of opposition, yet gentle in the response they give. Next, a peacemaker is patient. It takes patience to stand between two people or parties at odds with one another. It takes patience to work to gain understanding. And it takes patience to find a resolution when emotions are high. What is that idiom, “they have the patience of a saint?” Even the definition of the word patience describes a saint, “the capacity to accept or tolerate delay, problems, or suffering without becoming annoyed or anxious.” Finally, peacemakers are quick to forgive.
Hopefully at this point you’re beginning to see the qualities Jesus described here in the Beatitudes are the same as the ones we look for in those we call saints. But these are virtues that are not a once and done thing, they are an attitude and a lifestyle which we strive to achieve. It’s part of our life of sanctification. Sainthood is indeed a lifestyle; it’s striving to follow Jesus in every aspect of our lives. And the goal of sainthood? To honor and please God and to leave this world a better place.
So, what is sainthood? Sainthood is a lifestyle, sainthood is becoming a living testimony to Christ’s presence in the world, and sainthood is a legacy by which the world becomes a better place. And what has this to do with you and me? As a child of God, which is what we are now, every follower of Jesus is called to sainthood. We’re called to live humble lives, lives of gentleness, lives filled with mercy, integrity, generosity, and lives that strive for peace.
These are the qualities Jesus lifted up, and the qualities we admire most in people. These are the virtues that set us apart, not only disciples of Jesus, but as saints who make this world a better place. Jesus said, blessed are the humble, the concerned, the gentle, those who strive for righteousness, the merciful, the pure in heart and the peacemakers. And blessed are the memories of the saints who have not only set for us an example, but who have finished their course and who now at rest in God’s care.
Amen