While today we read all of the names of those who have departed this year, we do not lump them all together. Instead, we are asked to see them as God sees them, as individuals.
On the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, there is an iconic painting of creation. One hand, human and lifeless, reaches up. The other hand, divine and lifegiving, reaches down. With these hands, Michealangelo captures the moment when God brings life to Adam.
I once saw a creative appropriation of Michealangelo's artwork. In this painting, we see two hands meeting in a life-giving embrace, only this time, both hands are on a cross. The one hand is that of the penitent thief, crucified for his wrongdoing. The other hand is Jesus, dying for the sins of the world. With an echo of the wonder of creation, the artist captures the miracle of Jesus bringing life and forgiveness to a sinner in a fallen world. The bottom of the painting is filled with the bustling figures of a crucifixion. You can see Roman soldiers with their spears and standards. God is quietly doing His work in the midst of the tumult of this world. His work is as small as two fingers touching. Yet, His touch transforms the suffering of this world into an entry into the Kingdom of God.
I thought of that painting when I read the gospel for All Saints’ Sunday. The ministry of Jesus is just beginning. A crowd of disciples has gathered around Him, so He goes up on a mountain and assumes the position of a rabbi. He teaches His disciples. What exactly is Jesus teaching when He embarks on a lengthy list of blessings?
Jesus opens the eyes of His disciples to the many ways in which God is at work in the world. When the disciples look out from the mountain, they see a crowd. When Jesus looks out from the mountain, however, He sees people, individual people.
Jesus sees a man who is struggling with his two sons who are fighting. He is old and not in the best health and he fears his family is being torn apart. He is seeking to bring peace between his children and Jesus says, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God.”
Jesus sees the woman who has been widowed for ten years. Her status in life has changed. Without her husband, without any children, she relies on the goodwill of others. Everyone has heard the story of her loss. Some look at her strangely when she mentions her loss. She knows people think she should have gotten over it after all these years. Not only has she lost her husband, but now she is losing the patience of the community as she gives voice to her grief. She looks through the crowd to see Jesus. He catches her eye and says, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.”
Again and again, Jesus sees individual people in situations of life. Some are mourning, others are hungering and thirsting for righteousness. Some are showing mercy and others are being persecuted. Jesus sees the state of the world around Him. He does not lump everyone into a single category. Instead, He sees the painful variety of life in community. And in the midst of that painful variety, He extends God’s hand of blessing to bring about moments of grace.
And in the midst of that painful variety, He extends God’s hand of blessing to bring about moments of grace.
The beauty of the beatitudes is the way in which our varied suffering brings out the varied nature of God’s grace. If you look at the list of the promises of Jesus, you can see just the beginning of the varied grace of the Kingdom of God. God reigns and rules over all. He is the one who offers the Kingdom of Heaven. He brings comfort. He grants the inheritance of earth. He satisfies those who are thirsting and hungering. He offers mercy. He reveals who He is for people to see. He claims people as His children. He honors those who are persecuted. Suddenly, God is not a silent being, distant, hidden away in the heavens. He is real and active, close and personal, seeing and claiming the lives of those who surround Him as His own.
On All Saints’ Sunday, we pause for a moment to remember those who have gone before us. We celebrate God’s gracious gift of eternal life to those who believe. We remember their baptism into the faith and their entry into the Kingdom of Heaven, but we also do something more. We see the varied wonder of God’s work in their lives. While today we read all of the names of those who have departed this year, we do not lump them all together. Instead, we are asked to see them as God sees them, as individuals. They are individual people in whose lives He worked in beautiful and gracious ways.
Each person we remember today is a person who has a story, and that story is precious to the Church because it is precious to God. In the midst of the tumult happening in our world, God reaches down today and offers us a glimpse of His gracious work in the lives of individual people. He has touched these men and women of faith, brought them into the Kingdom, and revealed among us, in ways both big and small, the wonder of His varied work in the world.
--------
Additional Resources:
Craft of Preaching-Check out out 1517’s resources on Matthew 5:1–12.
Concordia Theology-Various helps from Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, MO to assist you in preaching Matthew 5:1–12.
Text Week-A treasury of resources from various traditions to help you preach Matthew 5:1–12.
Lectionary Kick-Start-Check out this fantastic podcast from Craft of Preaching authors Peter Nafzger and David Schmitt as they dig into the texts for this Sunday!
Lectionary Podcast-Dr. Charles Gieschen of Concordia Theological Seminary in Ft. Wayne, IN walks us through Matthew 5:1–12.
