All Saints
(Free Version)- Year A, Revelation 7:9-17; Psalm 34:1-10,22; 1 John 3:1-3; Matthew 5:1-12
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Our readings for the Feast of All Saints give us a large-scale, 30,000 foot view of the story in which Christians are a part; a deeply-rooted reminder of the identity of a Christian which impacts our every day encounters, behaviors, and experiences; and, a proclamation of the kind of story in which we have stepped, a description of what the kingdom looks like. The appointed Psalm serves as a kind of response to the readings, inviting trust in the One true and faithful God in the midst of all kinds of troubles.
Our first reading (Revelation 7:9-17) is a vision of the Church: from all tribes and peoples, and languages, in worship, identified by their robes and their palm branches. This is a big-picture vision. The church is diverse, the fulfillment of the calling of Abraham to be a blessing to all nations. No matter what the church has faced or will face, the Creator God and the Lamb have already won the victory. And those who follow the Lamb are rescued from harm. The promise is God’s presence and shelter, provision in the midst of lack, protection from the heat, water of life, and tears wiped away. Each of these is a description of a world healed.
Our Psalm (Psalm 34:1-10,22) is a call to trust in the midst of a variety of “troubles.” The Psalmist commits to bless the LORD at all times, continually in a state of praise. Why? Because the LORD has heard his cry and answered! Not only that, God has delivered him from the terror he faced. The calling is to all people who face troubles: taste and see…the LORD is good! Live in such a way that you are oriented towards God, and you will have all that you need. This is not a promise for worldly prosperity, but the promise that God will be enough.
In our second reading (1 John 3:1-13), the author focuses on the Church’s identity. Because of the Father’s great love, because of Jesus, we are called children of God. This is now our primary identity. If the first reading focuses on the large-scale view, this reading focuses on the everyday challenges that come from identity issues. How we live is determined by who we think we are; Christians have a new defining reality. We are God’s children, and it is all because of God’s love. In a world of chaos, lies, and half-truths, it is difficult to hang on to this; we do not yet see it fully; and that does not make it any less true. If we know that we are loved by God, that we are his children, our posture towards the world changes. We are free to love others like God loves us, to purify ourselves, just as he is pure.
In our gospel reading (Matthew 5:12), Jesus proclaims the good news of God’s kingdom. This is his manifesto, the description of what the new world looks like. Clearly, this is good news for those who know that they need God, that know they are at the end of their rope, those who have grieved and experienced loss, those who are content with who they are, and those who hunger and thirst for God—who long to taste and see that he is good. This is what saints look like.
For many, the world is a deeply scary place right now. All Saints Day is a reminder that the people of God have been through some stuff throughout history, and the gates of hell have not prevailed, and will not prevail against it.
It is times like these where we must be reminded of who we are. We are defined by a bigger story: the story of the God who is always faithful to his people, who hears our cry, and the God who defeated death on the cross. This God does not leave us alone, but is with us! We are a people defined by a different kind of kingdom not of worldly success which ultimately leads nowhere, but of a world restored, a kingdom breaking in, and all things made new.