Matthew 5:1-12
1 Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2 and he began to teach them, saying: 3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. 5 Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. 6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. 7 Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. 8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. 9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God. 10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Here is a summary of our message today in outline form:
A bit of history
- History of All Saints Day, All Souls Day
- Originally had a meaning of remembering martyrs, heroes of the faith
- Later in the 10th Century, All Souls Day became a day to remember all others, more common, unknown, yet faithful believers
- Where it is practiced in our Protestant churches, it has come to mean a combination of all of these things. We use the word “saint” as the apostle Paul used the word – to describe all who have been sanctified by the cross of Christ, and who are following Jesus Christ as their Lord.
- In our Japanese churches we usually celebrate All Saints Day in conjunction with either the Spring or Fall Equinoxes – “Ohigan”. We remember those who have gone before; visiting, laying flowers, washing the graves of our loved ones, etc.
Looking Back
- remembering all believers (saints) who have gone before us,
- famous martyrs and believers, as well as unknown followers of Christ.
- We especially remember those in our own lives who led us to Christ, showed us an example of Christian living, who have now passed on.
- We often take special notice of those in our immediate church family who have died in the past year. Names are read, a candle is lit for each. All of this remembering is done in gratitude to God, for their lives and examples of faith.
- Who in your life would be one of these saints that has poured into your life and is no longer with us?
Considering our present connection
- It is also a celebration of how these saints continue on in eternity, making up a large cloud of witnesses, cheering us on! (Hebrews 12:1)
- Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.
- We are NOT running alone! We are not solo travelers. The saints from all ages are part of our journey and completion.
Looking Forward
- Finally, looking ahead, to those who will follow us. We are reminded that we are a part of this vast chain of saints, from past to future, as we continue faithfully on our pilgrim journey of faith.
So what does our text for today have to do with All Saints Day?
- The Beatitudes describe those who are “saints” in the kingdom of God.
- Blessed are the poor in spirit, blessed are the meek, blessed are they that mourn, blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, blessed are the merciful, blessed are the pure in heart, blessed are the peacemakers
- We find described here characteristics of those who are especially blessed of God.
- We see those characteristics also in our loved ones who have passed on. We are reminded that the saints in the kingdom are often VERY different from how our world describes successful people.
- Do the blessed people in these beatitudes describe the successful people in our own world? In our own context? No, in fact in many ways, these verses describe a kingdom – God’s Kingdom – that is literally opposite, an upside down kind of kingdom, that we are all working toward with God’s help.
- Were our ancestors all perfect? No. Did they always possess these characteristics? No. But Jesus remains our example in all cases.
A helpful quote:
The Beatitudes stand as a daring act of protest against the current order. Jesus cannot very well insist that we be poor in spirit, but he can show us how to look upon such people with new eyes, and so gain entrance to a new world. On All Saints Day, the Beatitudes testify that it matters deeply whom we call “saint.”
Lance Pape / Brite Divinity School / Fort Worth, Texas
Be thinking of someone that you especially remember today, someone who helped and encouraged you in your faith walk, someone who showed you and taught you about God’s love.
As you come forward today for communion, you may want to stop at the front table and light a candle for one of the saints you are remembering and grateful for today. If you wish, you may speak their name, or say something about them into the microphone.
Thank you God for all of the saints who have changed our lives!
(The above is an outline summary of the message shared during our worship on November 1, 2026 – All Saints Day.)
