Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ + Amen.
Who are you? That’s such a loaded question in this day and age, isn’t it? It seems simple enough, but when you really think about it, it’s actually quite complex. The world is so caught up in the discussion of identity that the question “who are you” could have hundreds of answers! These days it’s common for people to have certain aspects of their lives at the forefront of the identity they claim. When answering “who are you?” people might answer that they’re Republicans or Democrats, Gay or Straight, Traditionalists or Progressives. People find who they are in what they do in their lives, whether they are union workers, parts of companies, or political activists. People might answer according to their relationships: “I’m so-and-so’s dad,” “I’m his girlfriend,” “I’m one of his grandkids.” People even find their identities in the things they enjoy doing for fun, answering “who are you?” with “I’m a football player,” or a “Taylor Swift fan.” Any number of these things and innumerable others, whether good or bad, all are ways you may commonly hear people “identify” themselves.
No matter what people answer when asked “who are you?” all too often, it is a danger of the modern world that we confuse these things with being “who we are.” People argue that there’s nothing wrong with being of a sexual orientation contrary to the scriptures because it’s just “who they are.” People justify speaking evil against one another because of their political beliefs, defending their side of the aisle at all costs, because that’s part of “who they are.” When we decide it is important to “identify ourselves,” we can become self-idolatrous, placing the focus on ourselves and what we design our lives to be. As sinful creatures, answering the question “who are you?” ourselves will always be corrupted, and will always have something missing. The truth is, however, that you do not have the final say when answering this question.
In our Gospel reading for today we hear the ever-familiar beatitudes. Christ Jesus opens His famous Sermon on the Mount with these words as an introduction to the Sermon He is about to preach. Here, in these words, we do not find a To-Do list for how to be considered a child of God, works that we must do to obtain salvation. Rather, we find Jesus identifying us, telling us who we are.
First, Jesus says “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Dear friend in Christ, are you able to come to Christ on your own? Are you able to follow Christ without sinning? Of course not. Each and every Christian is “spiritually poor” on their own, which is why our Lord Jesus Christ came to preach good news to you! He sees your spiritual poverty and provides you with riches, giving you the blessing of joining the kingdom of heaven even now while you still walk the earth.
Christ follows this saying “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” As those who are spiritually poor, we mourn because of our sin. We mourn the fact that this world around us is so twisted and threatening, and even that our own hearts are wicked. Christ blesses you and tells you here that you will receive your comfort, both now in receiving His word and sacrament, and in time when all sin is removed and we join Christ in eternal blessing.
“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” The meek, too, are powerless. Like the poor in spirit, they need a savior who will guard, keep, and defend them. Christ says that you, who are lowly and powerless, will inherit the earth in Him.
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” As Christians we see the way the world is. We see that we are powerless against the forces of evil, but we hunger for it, we long for our Lord to save us. This longing and hunger is satisfied for us in Christ.
“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.” While we may be tempted to see this as a directive to “go and be merciful,” this mercifulness is actually something we are made to be, more than become by doing. By the very act of being called by the Holy Spirit, you are filled with the mercy of God. God is merciful and makes you mercy-full. To be Christian then, is to be merciful as a result of what Christ has done. This mercy for you is made new each day in your Baptism, the Lord renewing this mercy within you .
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” Christ comes to you and purifies your heart through the gift of faith and forgiveness. Because of the sacrifice of Jesus, God looks at you and sees the pureness of your savior’s heart. Thus, you will be able to see God face to face in the resurrection.
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.” There is no true peace without Christ Jesus, and when He says that His disciples will make peace with others, wrapped up in this is the fact that those who are sons of God will bring that peace of Christ to those who do not know Him, blessing them with the gift of Christ’s Gospel.
“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Our Lord Jesus warns us that throughout our lives, all Christians should expect some sort of persecution for the sake of the Gospel. Yet He promises you that He will guard you and defend you, and give you the inheritance of eternal life at the end of it all.
“Blessed are you when others 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.” Blessed are you indeed. While in some churches there is a canon of saints, granted “sainthood” by the declarations of men, as Lutherans we are free to call all who believe “saints.” We celebrate “All Saints’ Day,” remembering all the faithful who have gone before us to be with the Lord, but even today, before me I see a multitude of saints right here in Athens Lutheran Church. While you are both sinner and saints until the day that Christ returns and frees us from sin once and for all, you have this identity of being numbered with saints like Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Peter, Paul, Martin Luther, Ed Little, Georgia O’Donnell, and more without number. You are saints because your Lord calls you blessed.
So who are you, dear brothers and sisters in Christ? You are who your Lord says you are. You are more than just what you have accomplished, or who you are in relation to others. You are more than just a sinner. In Christ, you are blessed. You, along with all the saints, living and dead, have been identified. All Saints’ Day celebrates the gifts that God has given those who have gone before us, both in their time on earth and now that they are with Him in paradise. But it also celebrates what we are now. The Lord has gathered us all together into His tender care, granting us the gift of faith and providing us with the one identity that we truly need: Blessed. Thanks be to God for all His saints, whether living or asleep in Jesus, but most importantly for the gift of faith that He gives them all so that their reward may be great in heaven.
In the Holy Name of Jesus + Amen.