All Saints Day, Cycle A
November 1 or the First Sunday in November
The relationship between God and the “saints” is the basic theme of these texts and of this occasion. The “saints,” as the term is used here, are the holy People of God. They are “holy” because of their relationship with God, who is ultimately “Holy.” This includes the holy People of God who are still living and are in a covenantal relationship with God here and now, and those who have lived and died with faith in God and are perceived as being with God in a wondrous way now. Some Christians perceive the “saints” in a narrow, limited sense that may even be restricted to their own denomination or local fellowship. Other Christians have a much more open and broad perception of the holy People of God in which God, rather than they, keep the statistical records.
As we pause to remember on this occasion those loved by us who have died within the past year or within the scope of our memories, we have a point of contact with the writers of the texts selected for this week. Let us acclaim the writers of these texts, along with those loved by us who have died within the scope of our memories, without worshiping them. Let us boldly worship God, if we are Christians, as God is perceived within Christianity, as Creator Father of Jesus and of all of us throughout the expanse of time and space, as Redeeming Son, the Risen Christ our Savior, and as Living, Active, Sustaining Spirit, continually involved in our lives.
Revelation 7:9-17
The intimate relationship between God and the People of God in the great multitude of those gathered around the throne of God is beautifully expressed in this text. These verses provide great comfort to the afflicted in all times. They provide for us a graphic illustration of the life to come with God that we, by the grace of God, joyfully anticipate.
Psalm 34:1-10, 22
Perhaps a Beatitude Wisdom Psalm such as Psalm 1, or perhaps Psalm 24 would be more appropriate for us to be used along with the Matthean Beatitudes on this occasion than are these portions of Psalm 34. Nevertheless, the reference to the afflicted humble ones hearing the psalmist has a point of contact with Matthew 5:5, and the mention of “his holy ones” (saints) in Psalm 34:9 forms an important association with the “All Saints” theme of this day. Psalm 34 has many of the characteristics of an individual Hymn of Praise. The psalmist bears testimony to the Lord and invites the other members of the congregation to join with the psalmist in proclaiming the glory of the Lord. It should be noted that in this psalm “his holy ones” (saints) are holy already in this life.
1 John 3:1-3
The followers of Jesus who have remained within the Johannine community of faith at the time of the writing of this theological treatise, in words that are similar in some respects to a “pep talk” that a football coach might give to the players who had remained on the team until the final game of a no-win season, are called “children of God” here. There is anticipation in this text that the life to come with God and with Jesus the Risen Christ will be far better than the present life with its discouragements and turmoil. The anticipation is that in the “next season,” our eternal life, our relationship with God will be much closer and better than anything we can imagine now. It is that way also for us.
Matthew 5:1-12
The main body of this text (5:3-10), the Matthean Beatitudes proper, is an excellent collection of “happiness sayings.” It is likely that this collection is based on words Jesus expressed many times in his concern for his fellow Jewish people who were suffering along with him as a result of the Roman occupation of the area by the time Jesus was crucified had been endured for eighty to ninety years and was becoming increasingly oppressive.
There is no doubt that the Jesus of history, followed and loved by significant numbers of his poor and oppressed fellow Jews such as those depicted in these sayings, appeared to Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor in Jerusalem, to be a Jewish Messiah figure, a person who might be acclaimed as a potential “King of the Jews.” Therefore, Pilate ordered the crucifixion of Jesus and instructed his officers to post the designation “King of the Jews” on his cross in order to demonstrate to the oppressed Jews that this is what we, the Romans, do to anyone among you whom you would like to have as your “king.” It was a horribly effective insult to the Jewish people.
We should focus our attention, therefore, as we use this text on the principal Beatitudes in 5:3-10 and view them from the perspective of those who are poor and oppressed today, both in other nations and in our own. We should remember that the poor in these Beatitudes are poor because they are oppressed. The oppressed are always poor. Perhaps also the poor are always oppressed. The poor are not necessarily lazy. If we understand this and if we proclaim this, perhaps we will see that a few poor and oppressed people may become interested in worshiping God together with us in our congregations, joining with us as additional “saints.” Do we have room for them?
