Feast of All Saints Matthew 5:1-12

On this All Saints Day, we give thanks to God for those who died in the faith, both in recent memory and in days of old. First, we must ask: what is a saint? A baptized faithful member of the Christian Church. We cannot understand the church apart from baptism. Before Faith and baptism, we were naked in our trespasses and sins, and now we are clothed in the righteousness of Christ. So, when the Lord Christ speaks his Beatitudes, Jesus speaks about and to the church as the baptized

Before Jesus speaks his blessings upon the people, Matthew records that he opens his mouth. This, of course, seems obvious. Yet, Matthew makes this point clear that these words are from the very mouth of the Son of God, the Word made flesh. The word that was in the beginning that formed the heavens and the Earth, the land and the sea. And now, in the person of Jesus Christ, God continues to create the Church. For when we baptize, we do not follow the words of a mere man, but we speak the words of the crucified and risen Savior baptizing in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Before we are given faith in Jesus Christ, we are under the kingdom of darkness. We did not belong to Christ, as we are under the realm ruled by Satan and his demons. And in this darkness, we were impoverished of the light. Yet our sin is so deep and corrupting that before Christ gives us the kingdom, we are unaware of our spiritual hunger and need. Yet, God has looked upon us in mercy and compassion and has given us the kingdom of Heaven, not by gold or Silver, but with his Son’s precious and holy blood.

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” When the Holy Spirit has come into our hearts and been confirmed in us at Holy Baptism. We become knowledgeable of our sins and how we have violated God’s will and purpose. Our sins should truly terrify us as they are no less grievous than in the days of Noah, as his generation was drowned and died. Still, by the death of God’s son, Jesus Christ, we are forgiven by his death and comforted by his resurrection. For by baptism, we have died with Christ and have been raised with him.

“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the Earth.” Meek, a word that means gentle and humble, is the result of repentance. After God has made us aware of our sins in the spirit, we do not remain in terror. God humbles us so that we may receive the promises of our Lord Jesus. This promise is, namely, the inheritance of eternal life in the new heaven and new earth won by our Lord for his people.

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied.” Faith is the right knowledge of God, and, consequently, we desire him more and more. The saints of God, who are humbled by the Spirit, want to be fed by their God. We will always remain baptized as we receive the washing away of our sins. Yet, baptism also leads us to the Lord’s Supper, and we are now fed by our God. Not just once, but every time we come before the altar of God, he feeds us with his body and blood.

“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.” Before Faith in Christ, the Old Adam in us was selfish, envious, and disobedient, and a slave to his passions of desire. Now Christ has come into our hearts and has removed the hearts of stone and given us hearts of flesh. In the Spirit of our God, we put away the things of the old man and walk before the Lord as a new creature that is righteous, pure, and holy because of the blood and sacrifice of Christ. It is the new man in us, the righteous man, that we look upon our neighbors with the same mercy and compassion that our Lord has looked upon us. So when we are sinned against, we do not take vengeance or refuse to forgive because we have been forgiven by Christ.

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” It is only the new man in us that possesses the pure heart from the Lord. And if we continue in our course of faith, our Lord says that we will see God. When our Lord reappears on that great and awesome day, he will judge us according to the fruits of our hearts that result from our faith in Christ. He will give to us and all who believe in his Son, the very kingdom of God, the new heavens and new Earth. Where we will all gather around the throne of God, clothed in the white robes with palm branches in our hands, forevermore saying “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne and to the lamb.” For it is only by Christ and through Christ that we are saved, as the lamb of God bleeds for our salvation.

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.” Our Lord says on the evening of his resurrection to his disciples, “Peace be with you.” Peace is used in the language of justification by his resurrection. As the old man in baptism was drowned, the new man is a son. As our Lord also says that he is now going to “my God and your God.” And so we are made coheirs with Christ. As his holiness, righteousness, and obedience to God, the Father have become ours. So when he looks upon us on the last day, he sees his son Christ Jesus.

“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” When we are baptized, Christ robs us from the world, the devil, and our sinful flesh. And these evil forces will do whatever they can to bring you back into darkness and evil.  This is often done in persecution. So when you are persecuted, it is because you have the kingdom of heaven on your side that you are suffering for the sake of righteousness. Therefore, cling to Christ, for he has suffered all things, even the cross, for your salvation. For Christ has strengthened you to endure all things. And when these things come upon his baptized children, they also come upon himself as well. 

“Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for they so persecuted the prophets who were before you.” In this final Beatitude, we find our purpose for being baptized. For struggling against the old, sinful man. Even suffering persecution. It is because of God’s promise that he will not leave us or forsake us. As we look to the Saints of old, namely, the prophets, as well as those we will remember this day. That as God was faithful to them. He is also faithful to us. 

So rejoice and be glad, for Christ has washed you clean in holy baptism. We are not saved by keeping these words. Rather, our Lord has saved us by his Son so that we may find comfort in these words that define us as his baptized church, his saints in Christ. And we look to the resurrection of the dead, when all of the saints of Christ will be united with us in the kingdom of heaven. For he has called us blessed in our Lord Jesus Christ.