All Saints Sunday - November 6, 2011

The Church Season of Trinity
All Saints Sunday
Our Savior Lutheran Church, Midland, MI (November 6, 2011)

Readings:   
    Psalm 149
    Revelation 7:2-17
    1 John 3:1-
    Matthew 5:1-12

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Grace, mercy and peace be to you from the Father
and the Son and the Holy Spirit, Amen

The text for All Saint’s Day is as recorded in the 5th chapter of St. Matthew, especially the following verses:

Matthew 5:1-12

 [Jesus] 1Seeing the crowds, He went up on the mountain, and when e 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.  4"Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.  5"Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.  6"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.  7"Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.  8"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.  9"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.  10 "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  11 "Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit

Saint Matthew records the Gospel, that is Good News, of Jesus Christ and His salvation for us.  Saint Matthew by inspiration of the Holy Spirit gives us the words of Jesus Christ which is the Word of Life for us.  From Jesus’ incarnation to His death and resurrection, it is all in this book.  Today we hear in the Gospel reading the beginning of Jesus’ first of five discourses or sermons.  And these words are probably some of the most heard, most remembered, and most beloved of all Christ’s sermons.  How could the man Saint Matthew but be humbled to write down Christ’s words, how could a man but be humbled to preach about Christ’s sermon to His beloved people? 

Jesus said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, Blessed are those who mourn, Blessed are the meek, Blessed are those who hunger and thirst, Blessed are the merciful, Blessed are the pure in heart, Blessed are the peacemakers, Blessed are those who are persecuted”  More often than not, these words of Jesus Christ which we know as the Beatitudes are preached as Law, meaning these are only things which we must do. Some preachers have even gone so far as to call these the “Be” “Attitudes” meaning you must “Be” all these things.  Again your ears should hear the Law in that sentence, because the word “must” will always come back to bite you, to leave you uncertain.  Because “must” is always quickly followed by, “how much”?

A few years ago, a tour group was led on a path in the small town of Eisleben, Germany, headed to a tiny church, the one where Martin Luther was baptized.  That tour group was energized, and somewhere in the midst all their conversations on the way to that church, the question arose, “I wonder if we’ll see the baptismal font where Martin Luther was baptized?”  The group was led into that small church and in the front and center was indeed a baptismal font.  Quickly everyone went to take pictures but all too soon they were disappointed to find out that that particular font was almost brand new.  But, the tour guide added, there is a font in the chapel at the rear of the church.  Again the crowd moved, 43 people squeezed into a small chapel to look and see Luther’s font.  Hope rose when it was announced that this font was indeed the right age over 530 years old.  But it too was not the font the group sought, in fact the location of the font they desired to see was unknown.  Disappointment, they would not be able to see, or to touch, or to be in the presence of Luther’s baptismal font.

Oh how misguided and misdirected the thoughts of these people.  They looked for God’s grace in a carving of stone, or of eight sided hunk of wood, or some kind of image orchestrated and etched by their imagination, looking for fonts in all the wrong places.  Each of you has had that desire to seek out some kind of font which will fulfill your dreams.  Whether it be a font of money to pay your bills, or taxes.  Or maybe a font with the power to avoid paying taxes.  Or maybe a font which will provide all the medicine you need to put away your suffering from all aches or pains.  A font which will cripple your enemy or at least cause them to stumble.  A font which will cause the pastor to preach a sermon the sermon you wish, instead of the one you need.  A font to make that pastor see himself in his own words.  A font of imagination which would be a glorious spectacle before the world and make them all people come into and join this very church.  “Hope springs eternal” the poet Alexander Pope would say, but for us, it is a hope that God would give us a font, to put all that troubles us and all who trouble us away.  But that is not a font, it is a wishing well a place in which to throw the coins of our despair, but a place which would not reveal our reflection.  But that is a false hope looking for the magic of a font made wishing well.

The words taught in the Beatitudes to the disciples are the ones they and we need to hear.  The first word of the beatitudes are, “Jesus opened His mouth and He taught them saying”(v. 2)  And the Words from His mouth did not mislead, there is no false hope here.  Jesus Christ’s words are a wellspring of salvation which point to Himself, which give you faith and bring to you to the baptismal font of eternal life.  Beatitude literally means happy, fortunate, or blissful. 

“Blessed are the poor in spirit,” but you would not be happy if you were poor.  Like the rich man who came to Jesus, and Jesus asked him to give away all his possessions and follow Jesus.   But the rich man bowed his head in shame and walked away.  If we must be poor, just admit it, you cannot be poor, you cannot give all you have away for Jesus. What would you do, how would you survive?  But Jesus had nowhere to lay His head (Mt 8:20) except ultimately on a cross and He did so for you for the forgiveness of all your sins.

And we could go down the list, reflecting how none of these Beatitude blessings are the way we would like to be blessed.  And in a rush to find one thing we can accomplish by our own reason or might, we might overlook the fact that the first eight of these Blessed’s are directed to they, whoever “they” might be.  But the ninth talks about you and me, and the you is us and the me is Jesus Christ.  “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.”(v. 11)

Jesus no longer speaks about the impossible tasks that “they” must accomplish, no Jesus says you and me.  Jesus’ suffering effects your suffering, He suffers for you, He becomes poor, for you, He becomes all things, for you.  And because Jesus Christ has given His all, including His Body and Blood, for you, you in turn will suffer for Him and not only that you will, “ Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”(v. 12)

On this All Saints day do not be misdirected as to how you will achieve Sainthood, what you must do, what you must complete.  You need not wish for a font to fulfill your dreams, rather in your baptismal font you have received life and salvation beyond your greatest whim or wish.  For the size or shape, or historical magnitude of the font does not matter.  Rather it is the Word of God, combined in and with the water which makes it a baptism.  And that baptism makes you holy, and holy is the definition of a saint. 

 God in Jesus Christ through the revelation of Holy Spirit the scriptures reveals that we are never closer to heaven on earth and our sainted loved ones than we are in the waters of holy baptism and in the Sacrament of Holy Communion and with Christ.  For in those sacraments you have a foretaste of the bliss which the saints enjoy in heaven.  Share that joy with all whom you meet, it is not only your duty, but your obligation.  For why would you who experience a foretaste of heaven not want to share that joy?  In Baptism in Holy Communion and we are in communion with all who truly believe Christ’s Words “this is” and we sup with all the blessed saints who have gone before us.  Searching for the font to solve your every dream is futile, rather Christ has found you, and brought you to faith, and gives you life eternal, and so we receive the first sermon of Jesus Christ, which speaks of the Law and ends with the His Gospel “your reward is great in heaven.”

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.
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