The Festival of All Saints + Matthew 5:1-12 + November 5, 2017
Grace and Peace be unto you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. 1) In the appointed Gospel text for All Saints Day, our Lord Jesus explains to us that true blessedness is not what the world thinks it is. In fact, true blessedness is the opposite of the things the world glories and rejoices in. The world fosters an attitude of spiritual pride people so that they imagine they are righteous and holy because of their good deeds and the occasional good disposition of the heart. The world teaches everyone that God should accept them because of their works and their goodness. To be spiritually proud, so that a person thinks he needs nothing from God, the world calls blessed. Not so Christ. He says, “ Blessed on the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. ” Presumption and relying upon one’s own goodness and righteousness is not blessed but damnable. Christ tells us that the saints are spiritually poor. Th...