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“Blessed Lives”
Matthew 5:1-12
Revelation 7:9-17
A Sermon preached by The Rev. Douglas M. Donley
All Saints Day
On All Saints day, we
pause to remember our cloud of witnesses.
We pause to remember those who have gone before us. We pause to remember those who have helped
make us into the people that we are. We
pause to remember the blessed lives of the saints that surround and empower us.
Jesus spoke of
blessings in the opening words of the Sermon on the Mount.
Listen to them again…
“Blessed are the poor
in spirit, for theirs is the commonwealth of heaven.
Blessed are those who
mourn, for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who
hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
Blessed are the
merciful, for they will receive mercy.
Blessed are the pure
in heart, for they will see God.
Blessed are the
peacemakers, for they will be called the children of God.
Blessed are those who
are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the commonwealth of
heaven.
Blessed are you when
people 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 in the same way they persecuted
the prophets who were before you.” (Matthew 5:3-12)
Today, I want you to think about the people
who have gone before us who have shared in that sense of blessing. Maybe they can give us the wisdom, the power,
the gentle reminder, the inspiration to live blessed lives ourselves.
On some level, we are both intrigued and
uncomfortable with the concept of blessing.
We are intrigued because when one is blessed by God there is
clarity. There is a sense of confidence. We are uncomfortable with the concept of
blessing because many of us have experienced those words as a smug cover for
prejudice, as if one’s elite position is a result of God’s blessing.
Very often in the
scriptures, we find passages where God or a king or a prophet is asked to give
a blessing. I think of when Jacob
wrestled with an angel back in Genesis.
He wouldn’t let the angel go until he received a blessing.
Blessings and curses
are often put together. Luke’s version
of the Sermon on the Mount has blessings and curses. Some translators call them woes, but the
message is the same. Matthew’s version
is the Robert Schuller “possibility thinking”
version. There are no woes, only
blessings.
The Greek word makarios is
translated by some people as “blessed are…” by others as “happy or fortunate
are…” In Greek poetry philosophy, makarios was often used to signify the
attainment of an ideal life.
Over and over again,
this scripture tells us how to be blessed, happy and fortunate—how to attain an
ideal life. If we were to seek to be
happy or fortunate, would we use these categories?
Jesus gives us
succinct, clear statements about how to lead our lives.
Easier said than done,
did you say?
What would this world
or even this church be like if we all lived by the beatitudes?
If we were always
merciful, meek, peacemakers, hungering and thirsting for justice, willing to
stand up to the opposition which this world gives?
Sure, there are all sorts of prescriptions out there to say how to
obtain a blessing. But how closely do
they conform to the model that Jesus gives us?
How do people say that
folks are blessed in today’s world?
Think about it: What
do our commercials tell us? If you drive
a big gas-guzzling SUV, you are a real American. If you are thin, you can be glamorous. If you have money and have a fancy car,
people will fall down at your feet.
What about the church? If you join this church, you will be blessed
by God. If you give your money to the
latest televangelist, he will pray for you and you will be blessed.
Worst of all: If you are perfect, everyone
else will recognize it and your troubles will be gone.
And what is the side
message to all of this?
If you are poor, it’s
your own fault—as evidenced by programs being cut back which served the
neediest of society.
If you are meek, you are a wimp.
If you are merciful, you are a bleeding
heart.
If you are pure in heart, you are boring—only
the good die young and they never get elected President.
If you are a peacemaker, you are probably a
terrorist apologist.
If your are put in jail for standing up
against injustice, then you get what you deserve.
But remember, Jesus
was a radical subversive who wanted us to experience a kind of spirituality
that would change us and by extension change those around us, maybe bring this
sin-sick world closer to God’s purposes.
So let’s look at those
nine things again briefly and try to unpack them just a bit. I am aided by a little book on the Sermon on
the Mount written by Clarence Jordan, founder of Koinonia
Farms in
There are nine blessings that Jesus lifts
up. Nine categories of
people.
The
poor in Spirit: In Matthew’s
version they are not necessarily the physically poor. That is much more Luke’s concern. In Matthew they are the poor in Spirit. They might be contrasted with the rich in
Spirit. The rich in Spirit think they
have it all together. They have no need
of anyone or anything else. The poor in
Spirit, on the other hand are the humble, those who don’t think they can do
it. They are those who know they are
vulnerable
Those
who mourn: The Bible depicts
people weeping in the Bible, Jesus weeps, Mary weeps. But a mourner does more than simply weep. Someone who mourns shows deep concern. Clarence Jordan said that realizing our
spiritual poverty and our need for God is not enough. We must be concerned about the bankrupt
condition of this world and it must make us mourn.
The
meek: We immediately think
of the nameless children who are in the way and collateral damage of our violent
campaigns. The Bible actually identifies
two people as meek: Moses (numbers 12:3)
Jesus (Matthew
Those
who hunger and thirst for justice: Many of us have been hungry and thirsty. It is a daily occurrence for many
people. A hunger or thirst is a basic
feeling. Hunger and thirst demand
satisfaction. Jesus says we ought to be
hungry and thirsty for the right things.
Seek to satisfy that hunger. You
can’t ignore hunger or thirst. It must
be satisfied.
The
merciful: Jesus is big on
mercy and so should we be. We must watch
our methods of making the world right.
We need to exercise mercy to our adversaries as well as our friends.
The
pure in heart: I think of Gandhi and other true believers who don’t
waver. Clarence Jordan said, “the pure in heart won’t hesitate to dump mammon, race,
prejudice, militarism, egotism or any other jealous demonic gods which demand
respect and obedience.”
The
peacemakers: We talk about
the peacemakers a lot at UBC. We think
of the Biblical figure Abigail. We think
of the assassinated Archbishop of El Salvador, Oscar Romero. We can think of so many others, too. Jim Wallis in his book God’s Politics says that we need to be more than peace lovers, we need to be peace makers, too.
Those
who are persecuted: We think
of Nelson Mandela. We think of sister Rosa
Parks who chose persecution in order to make change possible. We are inspired by their witness.
Leading the life of a
Christian is a tall order; especially the way Jesus expects it to happen.
Jesus says all
this—not to give us a set of commandments to which we must adhere. Rather, he gives us an example of how a
Christian life should be led.
Actually, if the truth
be told, Jesus just tells us who receives blessings. He doesn’t say anything about how to go about
it. That is up to us.
Do not judge
yourselves by this world’s standards.
Do not compete for a
blessing, like Jacob and Esau did in Genesis.
But be honest, vulnerable, live with
integrity. Be meek, mourn if you must
and strive with all your heart, soul and mind to live the kind of life that God
wants you to live. Be peacemakers and
hunger and thirst for righteousness.
This is what living blessed
lives is all about.
Jesus gives the
promises of God: If you live blessed
lives, yours is the commonwealth of heaven; You shall be comforted; You shall
inherit the earth; You shall be satisfied; You shall obtain mercy; You shall
see God; You shall be called the children of God; Yours is the commonwealth of
heaven. This is what being successful is
all about. That’s what blessing is all
about. That’s what being born again is
all about.
The world and our
advertisements tell us that we will be happy or fortunate if we obtain more
power.
The Sermon on the Mount tells us that that
very power which we seek is in our humility.
In our vulnerability. In our compassion. As soon as we admit our needs and try to
honestly walk in Christ’s ways, we are on the way to living blessed lives.
The book of Revelation says that the people
who have lived blessed lives who have gone before us are already at the throne
of God. They hunger and thirst and weep
no more. Those who have gone before us
are watching over and rooting for us along with God. They want us to do our
best to live lives that are blessed.
Do you know what? We live blessed lives, but most of us don’t
realize it.
Each life is valuable and deserves respect.
Sisters and brothers,
remember those who have gone before us.
Remember that they are as close as a bell, as close as our breath, as
close as the memory that continues to inspire us. Live your life in honor of them. Continue the life on earth that they have
ended. As much as it is in your power,
do the best you can to finish their unfinished business.
Is there some way to be merciful?
Do you hunger and thirst for
righteousness?
Are you a peacemaker?
Let us also remember
that when we fall short, God is there to help us pick up the pieces and carry
on with us on this journey of faith.
Many of the people on
these bell banners have lived blessed lives.
They now exist with God and look from beyond and want us to live blessed
lives: Lives that will make a difference; Lives that will honor God and honor
all of God’s children.
Hear these words again
and see if you can see yourself and those who have gone before:
“Blessed are the poor
in spirit, for theirs is the commonwealth of heaven.
Blessed are those who
mourn, for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who
hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they will receive mercy.
Blessed are the pure
in heart, for they will see God.
Blessed are the
peacemakers, for they will be called the children of God.
Blessed are those who
are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the commonwealth of
heaven.
Blessed are you when
people 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 in the same way they persecuted
the prophets who were before you.” (Matthew 5:3-12)
Amen.