All Saints 2022 - Daniel 7.1-3,
15-18 - Psalm 149 - Ephesians 1.11-23
- Luke 6.20-31
Welcome to the celebration
of ALL SAINTS DAY. What is it that comes
to mind for you on this day? Perhaps it
is those who were dramatically martyred like St. Peter, or the first martyr,
St. Stephan. Did you know that 45.5
million of the estimated 70 million Christians who have died for Christ did so
in the last century? That means that, in
some places of the world, it is incredibly dangerous to be a Christian. It is something we don’t really like to think
about and the media is strangely quiet about it.
For me, being brought up in
the Roman Catholic church, I remember the many stories of the many different ancient
saints. I remember having to choose a
patron Saint for my confirmation. For as
long as I could remember, I was told by my mother that I should choose Therese…
so wanting to be my own person, I chose Louise…. And really can’t tell you why,
except that it wasn’t Therese.
In more modern times, as I
reflect on All Saints Day, and great people of faith, the stand outs for me are,
Mother Theresa or Saint Paul. These had
very different ministries and callings, but both gave their life to God and
lived and breathed that calling. For
them and for all of those modern saints, they lived the beatitudes that we read
in the Gospel today. However, the
beatitudes are written just as much for you and I. The beatitudes are a promise that there is an
inheritance worth more than these trials of earth.
Christians who take their
faith seriously and live those beatitudes are all around us. Do you know the story of Rachael Scott? She was brought up in a Christian family and
at the age of 11 in 1993, she chose to make her own commitment to Christ. By
April 1998, when she was at Columbine High School, five of her closest friends
had distanced themselves from her because of her increasing commitment to her
faith. Furthermore, because of her faith, she was occasionally subjected to
mockery by several of her peers. Rachel documented this in a letter to a
relative a year to the day before her death. The letter included the words:
"Now that I have begun to walk my talk, they make fun of me. I don't even
know what I have done. I don't even have to say anything, and they turn me
away. I have no more personal friends at school. But you know what, it's all
worth it."
Rachael was observed by her
family to be often praying on her knees and one person that she prayed for, was
one who would eventually murder her in the killing spree at the Columbine High
school. Speaking about Rachael in the
Eulogy, one of her school mates who had been considered an outcast at Columbine
High School, stated: "All my life I prayed that someone would love me and
make me feel wanted. God sent me an angel,"
Rachael was living her life
in the reality of the beatitudes, knowing that there was an inheritance in
heaven that was worth more than the rejection she faced from former friends. She continued to reach out in compassion and
love to others and pray for those who troubled her.
A couple of weeks ago we
read the story of the rich man who asked, what must I do to inherit eternal
life. There are two interesting things
in that question; Firstly, he asked about what he must do. He was asking about the action he must take and
the reason was so that he could perform some action to be assured eternal life…
or earn eternal life. The word he used
in the second part of his question, however, was the word inherit. And the interesting part about an inheritance,
is that how a child inherits the parents’ property, is by simply remaining a
part of the family…. They do nothing but remain connected.
In looking into the Hebrew
and Greek meaning of the word translated as inherit, there is nothing different
from our own understanding, except perhaps to emphasise that it is to gain
something permanently. The reason I’m so
interested in this word, is that it pops up again in our readings for All
Saints Day, in Saint Paul’s letter to the Ephesians. “In
Christ we have also obtained an
inheritance, having been destined according to the purpose of him who
accomplishes all things….”
In Christ, we obtain an
inheritance. It is important to note
that it is only through the accomplishment of Christ that we obtain this
inheritance. We need to note that it is not
through something that we do, but something that Christ has done…. And ONLY
Christ could accomplish this. We also
note the permanency of this inheritance in the prophecy of Daniel, where he
says, “But the holy ones of the Most High shall receive the kingdom and possess
the kingdom forever--forever and ever."
The term “Holy ones” is often translated, “the saints”. To whom is Daniel referring? And just who are these “Saints”.
Being the celebration of All
Saints, we could be thinking that we are celebrating the lives of particular
holy people, whose stories should spur us on in our faith. We may also be misled into thinking that these
are the particular holy people who are the only ones who made it with any
assurance into heaven. We might also be
misled into thinking that they are those who earnt their place in heaven. This would be an error in our thinking, and
we need to explore what the truth is, to discover the truly Good News that is
ours. The truly Good News which enabled
those inspirational people to press on regardless of hardships and persecution.
It is true that the Holy
ones, or Saints are those who are assured of their inheritance, but it isn’t
just the Mother Theresa’s, or Saint Paul’s of the world who belong to this
group.
It is also, not our
good deeds that ensure our salvation. It
is a common error to think that those good and inspirational people have earnt
their place in heaven, but none of us can earn our way into heaven…. Not even
Mother Theresa or Saint Paul… just to name a few.
We may need to take a moment
to let that sink in. Mother Theresa gave
her life to serve the poor. Saint Paul
gave his life to proclaim the Gospel.
Surely these people deserve a place in heaven. The Bible has many verses to tell us that
only the good and perfect will inherit the Kingdom of God… and also tells us
that all have fallen short of the glory of God.
These inspirational people
are SAINTs and they are those who willingly bore hardships because they had a
God given understanding of the Kingdom of God and the salvation that is ours
through Jesus Christ.
Although, at this time we
reflect on the inspiration of these people, the group designated as “Saints” is
much broader than you might initially imagine.
You and I are even named in this category, as the term “Saints” is
actually a term used in the Bible. In
the New Testament it is used, even in the greeting, in the Letter of Saint Paul
to the Romans. He writes in Romans 1:7
To all who are in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and
peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” Saint Paul is referring to all believers and followers
of Jesus. (NKJV). The word “Saint” is
sometimes translated Holy ones, meaning, “those set apart for God”. You and I were anointed as one set apart
and belonging to God at our Baptism.
You and I are called “holy
ones”… set apart, because of our faith in God and Jesus Christ.
In the book of Revelation in
the Bible, there are many mysterious prophecies and one talks about the people
of God being sealed with a mark such that they are set apart as belonging to
God. We read about this seal here also…
perhaps you missed it. It is in our
reading from Ephesians; “In him you also,
when you had heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and had
believed in him, were marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit;
this is the pledge of our inheritance
toward redemption as God's own people, to the praise of his glory.”
Not only are we promised
eternal life through Christ, as an inheritor with him, of the kingdom of God,
but we are sealed with the Holy Spirit, ensuring our salvation and assuring us
that God has accepted us. We are also
told in this message to the Ephesians, just how it works; it says, “In him, you
also, when you had heard the word of truth…. And believed in him
– you were marked with the seal. The
prerequisite for being sealed with the Holy Spirit and being an inheritor, is hearing
the truth and believing in Jesus Christ.
Have you heard the word of truth and believed in Jesus Christ? Then you too, are inheritor of this
marvellous salvation. Rest assured you
are among the Saints.
Hmmm… well… that is the truth,
but the problem is that we don’t always feel it, act it or look like it. We live our life in the physical realm and
our focus is on the physical. Our
preoccupation with the physical, more often than not, leaves us blind to the
reality of God’s Holy Spirit working in us.
While we live on this earth and in this physical body, there will always
be a battle. The physical reality is
that we are fallen beings. The
spiritual reality is that, through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ and our
Baptism which units us to him, we are clothed in Christ and we are redeemed
beings. We have his spirit alive in
us and God has sealed us with this spirit as his own.
Today, as we celebrate All Saints
Day, we need to take time out to stop awhile.
Take time out to focus on that spiritual reality. I believe it is because of a revelation of
that spiritual reality that the many amazing Saints, such as Saint Paul and
Mother Theresa, and Rachael Scott could do the things they did. It is for this reason that Saint Paul prays
for the Ephesians, for a spirit of wisdom and revelation and that they be
enlightened to know what hope to which God has called them and what are the
riches of his glorious inheritance.
Let us take a moment now to
pray to God for ourselves, that he will also give us this same revelation, so
that we too can live a life uncommon, embodying his extraordinary compassion
and grace, to the praise of his glory.
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