BLESSED ARE THE SAINTS OF GOD.
This portion of St. Matthew’s Gospel is known as the Beatitudes. It comes from the Latin word which is repeated here as “Blessed.” Some have called this portion of Scripture the “BE Attitudes,” suggesting that Jesus is telling you what to be. “BE Attitudes” is cute, but it is wrong. These are not commandments. These are blessings. “Blessed” is a status that God bestows on all his saints, not a condition that you are supposed to earn by being poor in spirit, meek, or persecuted.
The first thing we notice
is the audience to whom this sermon is directed. “Jesus … went up
on a mountainside and sat down. His
disciples came to him, and he began to teach them” (Matthew 5:1-2). Jesus is speaking to the saints.
Saints means “holy
ones.” Holy means that which has been
set apart for God and for his purpose. For
example, Holy Communion is bread and wine that have been set apart and
consecrated to be the body and blood of Christ.
Holy Communion is set apart for God’s purpose—for you, for the forgiveness
of sins. The holy things are given to
the holy ones. God has set you apart as
his holy ones. You have been set apart
from sin; you are pardoned of all guilt.
You have been set apart from death; your life now rests in Jesus Christ
who will raise you from the grave at the resurrection of all flesh. You have been set apart from damnation; for “there
is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1). Blessed are the saints of God.
As saints, you
have also been set apart for good works.
Since you have been set apart from sin, you do not continue in it. You have been called to honor God with your
life. You have been set apart for a life
that is selfless, honest, pure, and praiseworthy.
Blessed are the saints
of God. The Beatitudes proclaim both
what you are and what you will be. The
first blessing is in the present tense. “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for
theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:3). If you are poor in
spirit, that means you recognize that you have nothing to give to God that he
should reward you. We confess our sins,
not our worthiness. If we would have the
riches of heaven, God must give it. And
he does! Yours is the kingdom of
heaven. Jesus has purchased and won it
for you with his holy, precious blood and with his innocent sufferings and death. He gave you all that he won for you in Holy Baptism. Through that washing, which is set apart for
God’s purpose, he set you apart as his redeemed saint. Yours are the blessings of forgiveness and
peace. The kingdom is yours. Blessed are the saints of God.
For the most
part, the remaining blessings concern what you will be. You are already children of God through faith
in Jesus, but you do not yet look like the children of God or act like the
children of God. I am guessing that you
don’t always feel like the children of God either. Fear not.
That blessing will come to you.
“Blessed are
those who mourn, for they will be comforted” (Matthew 5:4). Your sins produce your mourning throughout
your life. If you have ever done
something that just produces utter shame—the kind of shame that just makes you
want to run away and never come back—you are not alone. That kind of guilt is common. Satan tries to make it even worse by
convincing you that there is no hope for you.
But Satan is a liar. You have a
merciful Savior who consoles you. No
matter what you have done, “the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies you from
all sin” (1 John 1:7). Some regrets
never seem to go away. But listen: You
will be comforted. You are assured now
that you are his saints. Blessed are you—present
tense. But the day will come when Jesus
delivers you into the heavenly kingdom where you will never be haunted by shame
again.
Blessed are the
saints of God. “Blessed are those who
hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled” (Matthew 5:6). If you hunger and thirst for righteousness,
it is because you don’t have it. People
who are full don’t crave more food.
Those who are famished do. We
continue to come back to our Lord for word and sacraments because we always
need his righteousness. We don’t have it
on our own. Even when we are declared
righteous, our lives don’t exemplify it. Therefore, we flee to Jesus to be filled with
his body and blood. And the day will come
when we will be perfected in glory. We
will be satisfied, forever righteous before God—not just in status, but also in
our minds and hearts and actions.
Blessed are the
saints of God. “Blessed are the pure
in heart, for they will see God” (Matthew 5:8).
Right now, we only know God by his word. We live by faith, not by sight; for, no one
has seen God. But you will. Jesus cleanses you of all unrighteousness. Therefore, you will dwell in the very
presence of God and see him in all his glory.
Blessed are the saints of God, for they will all be gathered around the
throne of God and praise the Lamb who was slain for them.
Today is the Festival
of All Saints—both the saints on earth and in heaven. The Beatitudes remind us of what we are now
and what we will be. The saints on earth
have not been glorified. Yours is the kingdom
of God, but not yet the glory. The
saints who have been delivered out of this world dwell before the Lord Jesus. The live forever in uninterrupted peace, purity,
and perfection. But all of Christ’s redeemed—whether
in heaven or on earth—are his saints. Together,
all the saints join in praise of God who has loved us and saved us. Together, all the saints feast at the
heavenly banquet—us for the moment at the Lord’s altar, and the saints in
heaven continually in glory. Together,
all the saints confess Jesus with our lips and honor Jesus with our lives. It is what we have been set apart for.
Blessed are the
saints of God. Many of the blessings
will not be seen until we enter heavenly glory, but the status is always in the
present tense. Blessed are you—the poor
in spirit, the mourners, the meek, the merciful, the peacemakers, and even those
who are persecuted because they live as those who are set apart for salvation. No matter what anyone says of you, Jesus says
you are blessed. You are blessed because
you are his. Blessed are the saints of
God—both now and forever.
In the name of the Father and of the Son + and of the Holy
Spirit. Amen.
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