Sermon for All Saints' Day (Observed). The Scripture readings are Revelation 7:9-17; 1 John 3:1-3; and Matthew 5:1-12.

Our translation of each of the Beatitudes, begins with the word ‘blessed.’ It’s a good translation, but it might leave us with a superficial and limited understanding because people speak about being ‘blessed’ in very shallow ways. Today, when people talk about being blessed, they are typically saying that good things are happening to them, and those good things are obvious to everyone. But the status of those whom Jesus declares to be ‘blessed’ are not things that we usually consider to be blessings.

The word Jesus uses that gets translated as ‘blessed’ refers a state of being that is happy (in fact the word Jesus uses here is how the Greek translation of the Bible translates the Hebrew word ‘happy’). But even the word happy falls short because the word Jesus uses also means joyful, at peace with God and the world, and content. This blessedness ultimately refers to being what you are meant to be because you are reconciled to God.

The Beatitudes are Jesus putting everything into perspective and telling you that the evil and sorrowful things you see and experience in this world are not a danger to the kingdom because the war has already been won and the kingdom is fully secured by Jesus’ death and resurrection. Satan is defeated. The devilish head of the serpent has been crushed. The light of Christ will always drive away the darkness.