Who Are ALL the Saints?

All Saints Day

Nov 4, 2007

TEXT: Matthew 5:1-12

Who Are ALL The Saints?

Traditionally, someone is called a Asaint@ who has lived an exemplary life of faith. Most of the people we call saints have been canonized by the Roman Catholic Church, or the Eastern Orthodox Church. Both the west and the east have their saints. The Catholic Church teaches that saints have lived so well that they have merited a superabundance of grace from God and earned God’s favor so much so that they can transfer a little of that grace and favor to you.

There is a process of canonization that is followed. In the Early Church period, the process was not very well defined. Now, however, there are specific rules to follow before declaring someone a saint.

First, the person has to be dead for at least five years. That counts any of you out!

Next, once the person has been dead for the required period of time, the bishop can begin an investigation to see just how virtuous the hoped-to-be-saint actually was. If the investigation turns out favorable, the documentation is turned over to Rome, where, another investigation takes place, only this time it is by select theologians, the cardinals and bishops specifically assigned to handle saints. (How would you like to have that full time job?)

Next, they take a vote on whether to proceed or not. (I couldn’t find out if the vote had to be unanimous or 2/3 majority, but a vote was taken) Finally, there must be at least one miracle performed by the dead saint-to-be before the examination is complete, AND one miracle performed after their death! As you can see, it takes quite a bit of effort to becomes a saint according to Rome. You can’t stop working at it even after you’re dead!

Those who have studied the lives of some of the people who bear the official title saint very quickly discover that the saints, while extraordinary in terms of their faith and their life, were also flesh and blood people who were at heart sinners.

As Lutherans, we do look to the saints as example of faith and Christian living, but we’re careful not to ascribe more to them than is right. None of them merited anything before god, but were what they were because of the grace of God toward them.

There is only ONE who has actually merited the favor of God. There is only ONE who has earned the right to the title saint. That One is Jesus Christ!

Today you heard the Beatitudes. The beginning of Jesus’ teaching called AThe Sermon on the Mount.@ Besides the Twenty Third Psalm in the Old Testament, and John 3:16 in the New Testament, the Beatitudes are familiar to most Christians. They man even be able to recite them in order or out of order, but they know that each one begins with ABlessed...@

However, The Beatitudes are one of the most misunderstood lesson taught by Jesus. When you either hear the beatitudes read two things come to mind. One,

Do I know someone who exhibits any of these qualities? Or, I should aspire to live my life by these set of Godly rules. Taken either way the Beatitudes are pure Law.

ADo these things or aspire to these things and thou shalt be better than thy neighbor!@

Taken this way they condemn and give no hope!

Instead, they are rich Gospel because they properly describe everyone who is incorporated into the One who earned the title saint.

The key to understanding correctly the Beatitudes comes and is uttered by Jesus Himself: ABLESSED@

Each of the beatitudes begins with this special Word, ABlessed.@ It is not just an accident that Jesus starts with the word ABlessed@. He who alone is God is truly AThe Blessed One.@ Jesus is applying once again The Messiahship to Himself. Every Jew would have been familiar with the usage of the word, ABlessed.@ Remember what was said and who it was the crowd thought Jesus was on Palm Sunday? The Long Awaited Messiah.

Blessed is He who comes in the Name of The Lord....

and who alone is The Blessed One! Every Jew would have remembered Ps 32:1,2

Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. 2 Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit.

And again in Psalm 65:4

Blessed is the one you choose and bring near, to dwell in your courts

And again in Dt. 33:29

Blessed are you, O Israel! Who is like you, a people saved by the LORD? He is your shield and helper and your glorious sword. Your enemies will cower before you, and you will trample down their high places

And these are not in any way the final verses, Rev. 14:13

Then I heard a voice from heaven say, "Write: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on." "Yes," says the Spirit, "they will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them."

In the Gospel of Matthew blessed is always associated with God’s action in Jesus Himself.

ABlessed are the poor in Spirit.@ (v. 3)

Who is poor in spirit but the soul incorporated in him

who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being morn in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross (Phil. 2:6-8).

Christ cried out in poverty of spirit,

AMy God, my God, why have you forsaken me@ (Matt. 27:46).

ABlessed are those who mourn@ (v. 4)

Who has mourned but the soul incorporated in him who mourned, not over his own troubles, but over the unbelief of his people? Christ came to comfort his people as their Savior, but he was, in the words of Isaiah,

Despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief@ (Is. 53:3)

And what about the time Jesus grieved over Jerusalem.

Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her winds, but you would not!@ (Matt. 23:37).

ABlessed are the Meek@ (v. 5)

Who is meek but the soul incorporated in him who as King entered Jerusalem,

Humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey@ (Zech 9:9)?

Christ said of himself,

I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls@ (Matt. 11:29).

He gained rest for your soul and for mine by enduring the Passion, silent before his executioners.

ABlessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness@ (v. 6)

Who has hungered and thirsted but the soul incorporated in him who did all things that righteousness might be fulfill? Christ endured the cross

so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord@ (Rom. 5:21).

ABlessed are the Merciful@ (v. 7)

Who has been merciful but the soul incorporated in him so dedicated to mercy that according to Hebrews,

AHe had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. (Heb. 2:17)

Christ mercifully healed and forgave all who called upon him in faith, even from the cross he shows mercy,

Father forgive them for they know not what they do@ (Luke 23:34).

Likewise, He has had mercy on you and me!

ABlessed are the Pure in Heart@ (v. 8)

Who has been pure in heart but the soul incorporated in him so pure that again from Hebrews,

In every respect he has been tempted as we are, yet without sin (Heb 4:15).

For the pure love of others, Christ sacrificed himself, as Paul says,

He made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God@ (2 Cor 5:21).

ABlessed are the peacemakers@ (v. 9)

Who has made peace but the soul incorporated in him who made our peace with God? From Jesus’ own lips to his disciples he reminds us of the peace that the angels proclaimed at his birth.

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you@ (John 14:27).

And according to St. Paul,

AHe himself is our peace...through the cross...He came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near@ (Eph 2:14, 16,17)

ABlessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake@ (v. 10)

Who has endured persecution but the soul incorporated in him who was perfectly righteous yet condemned? Because Christ was righteous, he became the target for the world’s hatred; he was threatened with death from all sorts of individuals, from Herod to the Pharisees of the Sanhedrin to Pilate.

We began by our discussion of Saints because we are celebrating AAll Saints Day.@ And it is true that Christ’s saintliness is proven by what he has done. (And yes, he even did several miracles after he had died!) And now This One who has earned the right to be called saint also call you holy; and all of the blessings he has earned he now gives to you freely and out of his gracious love and makes you a Saint.

Notice in our first reading from Revelation how many people are being described?

First of all, there are lots of them, not just those who went through canonization, or even those who led exemplary lives. These are saints, we are told, because they washed their robes white in the blood of the Lamb.

The Blood of Jesus has removed their iniquities in Holy Baptism, and they have been clothed with his righteousness. Now, having been cleansed, they dwell in the presence of Christ, who provides them with eternal blessing and consolation. These are victorious in Christ. All that was against them, their sins, death, and the devil are destroyed and removed by Jesus.

This is not only a picture of heaven, but also of you here in the Church on earth. Already our Lord has sanctified you in the waters of Baptism. He dwells among you in his Word and the Sacraments, and bestows upon you the victory over your enemies.