Good News: Where the Corpse Is, There the Eagles Will Gather - Sermon for the 25th Sunday after Trinity

Twenty-Fifth Sunday after Trinity
November 17, A+D 2024
Our Savior’s and Our Redeemer Lutheran Churches
Hill City and Custer, South Dakota
Good News:  Where the Corpse Is, 
               There the Eagles Will Gather
Matthew 24:15-28

Sermon Audio is available HERE. 

   “Let the reader understand.”  St. Matthew says, “Let the reader understand.”  Really?  Do you understand what it means when Jesus says, “the abomination of desolation”?  How about, “Wherever the corpse is, there the eagles will gather”?

    Our Gospel reading this morning is full of things that Christians have long struggled to understand.  When Christ refers to ‘the abomination of desolation,’ He is making both an historical reference, and also a prophecy. 

   The ‘abomination’ refers to the year 168 B.C., when a Greek king, Antiochus Epiphanes, was ruling over Israel, and he sent his army into the Most Holy Place, the house of God, the Temple in Jerusalem.  They profaned the Temple by putting a statue of Jupiter in the space that was reserved for the worship of the one true God.  

    Such an abomination would occur again.  Jesus prophesies here and elsewhere of the coming destruction of the Temple by the Romans, the current overlords of the Jews.  In the year 70 after Christ, as punishment for the rebellion the Jews had launched against Rome four years earlier, Jerusalem would be destroyed by the hands of the legions.  The Temple itself would be torn down, “not one stone left standing on another.”  Jesus’ words about fleeing to the mountains, and woe to pregnant and nursing mothers and their children at that time, His call to pray that it does not come in winter, these all are in reference to the coming calamity of A+D 70. 

   So, no worries for us.  This abomination has already occurred.  We do not worship at the Temple in Jerusalem, nor are we afraid of the Greeks, nor of the Romans. And Jesus gives us another comforting word.  He promises He will return visibly, once more, and no one is going to miss it. 

   “…if anyone says to you, ‘Behold, here is the Christ,’ or ‘There He is,’ do not believe him. ²⁴ For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect. ²⁵ Behold, I have told you in advance.  ²⁶ So if they say to you, ‘Behold, He is in the wilderness,’ do not go out, or “Behold, He is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe them.  ²⁷ For just as the lightning comes from the east and flashes even to the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.  

   No one is going to miss the arrival of Christ on the Last Day; His return in glory will be seen by all.  We can relax about that.

    Well, then, that’s easy enough, right?  We can live in these End Times with confidence, with peace in our hearts.  Whatever happens, we have a faithful word from Christ that teaches us that He is coming to take us to Himself.  Do not worry.  

    Got it?  No problem, right?  According to Christ’s Word, we can face anything, we can live in any situation, with confidence and peace.  Wars and rumors of war?  Earthquakes, famines, floods, and pandemics?   No worries.  Right? 

     Jesus calls us to joyful, confident, even fearless living.  But we struggle.  When Christ says, “Fear not!” He means it as a blessing.  But, for us ‘not fearing’ is so difficult, we can end up feeling guilty.  We want to live without fear.  We want to face death as St. Paul says: For me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.  

   But, at least for me, life is full of doubts and fears.  It is much easier for me to think like Job spoke today:  “Man who is born of a woman is few of days and full of trouble. He comes out like a flower and withers; he flees like a shadow and continues not.”  How can we, who have many problems, and who are going to die, still live with confidence and peace?  Does Christ Jesus offer us a practical way to walk in the confidence to which He calls us?

   Yes. The answer is in the last verse of our Gospel.  It doesn’t seem like it, because it is such a strange phrase: “Wherever the corpse is, there the eagles will gather.”  Now, those of you who have been reading up on your End Times prophecy might be thinking, I thought that verse said, “where the corpse is, the vultures will gather.”  And it is true, most modern translations say “vultures,” instead of “eagles.”  

 

   The King James Version uses “eagles.”  Today, we have used the NASB, which gives both options.  And, in a sense, either translation would be correct, because Greek speakers in the 1^st century used the same word for both birds.  “Aetos” means both eagle and vulture.  Seems weird to us, who see both of these birds in the Black Hills.  They are both very large birds, and they are both scavengers, they both eat carrion.  But still, it seems weird to name them both with the same word. 

 

   Why should we choose ‘eagle,’ over ‘vulture’?  Well, because of Jesus’ earlier word about the ‘abomination of desolation.’  Both in 168 B.C. and 70 A.D., these pagan desecrations of the Holy Temple were carried out by soldiers.  In Jesus’ day, and still three decades later when Jerusalem would be destroyed, these soldiers were Roman soldiers, Legionnaires.  And what was their symbol?  The eagle.  Each legion had one special battle standard, almost a holy object for them, which they would defend ferociously, to the very end.  It was an eagle mounted on a tall pole.  Our American flags with an eagle on top are mimicking the Romans.  They, like we, saw in eagles a symbol of power and nobility and honor.  Archeological evidence suggests that many Roman soldiers decorated their shields with, wait for it, eagles’ wings.   

   So, if in 1^st century Roman-occupied Judea, an eagle would bring to mind the Roman military, what does Jesus mean when He says they are gathered around a corpse?   Where, biblically, do see a group of Roman soldiers surrounding a dead body?  And, it is not actually ‘a’ dead body, but ‘the’ dead body.  “The corpse.”  What is Jesus driving at?   

   Jesus’ concluding words to this passage do seem abrupt, not obviously tied to what comes before.  Jesus was just speaking of His return in glory on the Last Day, instructing His disciples not to believe it when false teachers claim that the Christ has appeared in the wilderness, or is hidden in some inner room.  

   No, everyone will see His Final Return, like a flash of lightning, only brighter and better, bending the rules of physics and enlightening the whole world, in an instant.  Don’t go looking for some hidden Christ.  Rather, “ Where the corpse is, there the eagles will gather.” 

   We preach Christ crucified, because Paul tells us to, and even more, because Jesus was always preaching about His Cross.  Many times the Lord is very direct, giving the Twelve Disciples concrete predictions:  And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again. ³² And he said this plainly. (Mark 8:31-32a) 

    Other times Jesus is more subtle:  When I am lifted up, I will draw all men to Myself. (John 12:32)  Destroy this Temple, and I will raise it up in three days. (John 2:19)  And today, with the greatest subtlety,  “ Where the corpse is, there the eagles will be gathered.” 

   What Jesus teaches us is the same thing the preacher to the Hebrews proclaims to his hearers:  Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:2) 

    Today your Savior instructs you:  “When the times are crazy, when you are tempted to fear or despair, or to run after some false Christ, stop.  Don’t go looking for Me in the wilderness, or secretly appearing in some inner room.  Rather look to Me, surrounded by Roman soldiers.  Look to My Cross, and know, your salvation is finished.  I have died, and risen, and am ascended on high, for you.  I am making all things new, for you.  Believe in Me, for I am preparing a place, for you.”    

    In the very next verse in Matthew chapter 24, Jesus says this: Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, the moon will not give its light, the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Is Jesus here referring to the Last Day, or to His crucifixion?  The answer is 'Yes.'  He is speaking of both.

    Today, Jesus teaches us about the End Times, and about Christian living.  He speaks of the Last Day, and also of Good Friday, of His Cross.  As Matthew reveals in chapter 26, at the Crucifixion, the Last Day invades the present.  At Christ's death on the Cross, the sun was darkened, the earth quaked, the whole creation convulsed, as her Creator suffered and died.  Saints came out of their Tombs and the devil and his demons fell.  At the Crucifixion God changed everything.  On His Cross, the Lord destroyed the power of sin to accuse and condemn mankind.  All of these End Times predictions and promises were fulfilled, for you, in the body of Jesus, at Calvary.

   The Crucifixion is finally the true “abomination of desolation,” a much deeper sacrilege and blasphemy than either desecration of the Jerusalem Temple.  When the eternal Son of God suffered and died, Satan and the world laughed.  The disciples mourned and scattered, and heaven itself bowed in reverence and horror.  The eternal Beloved suffered in innocence, for the sins of His enemies, for our sins.  The world angrily rejects this truth.  Christians struggle to accept it.  We are all tempted to look away, to hide it away. 

   And yet, this is love.  The death of Jesus reveals both how God loves you, and how much He wants sinners to be with Him, in paradise, forever.  Let the reader, let the hearer understand: by means of this abomination, you are brought to salvation.     

    Even more, in that dark and difficult mystery, in that saddest of all moments, when the only Perfect Man suffered and died, there we find the way to live in our dark days.  By focusing on, staying connected to the Cross of Jesus, we can bear our crosses.  As St. Paul says in today's Epistle, we can even face the pain and doubt created by the death of a brother or sister in Christ, because we do not “grieve as others do, who have no hope. ¹⁴ For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep.” 

   The secret of living with confidence and peace, in sunny days and in difficult days, is not found in preoccupation with suffering, nor in avoiding it . The secret is not in searching for the coming of Christ, trying to discover the date of His return, looking for Him in the desert or in the mountains, or even in our own hearts.  The secret is to look to the place where the eagles gathered.  Look to the Cross, where the Last Day has already passed for you, where all your sins have already been taken from you.  Look to the Cross, where the Christ of God has opened the kingdom of heaven to all sinners.  Look to the Cross, and know that the dead body hanging there is your God, who did not stay dead.  No, He is risen.  He is ascended and rules over all things.  And He is coming for you.

    This is why, whether it includes a representation of the dead body of Jesus or not, the Cross, the tool of Jesus’ execution, is the most important symbol of the Christian faith.  The Cross is the center of our preaching, and the foundation of our trust.  Not because Jesus is still suffering in our place, but because all suffering, all evil, all death has already been consumed in His corpse, His dead body, which three days later was resurrected, and is now seated at the right hand of God the Father.  

    We live from the power of the fruit of that tree, where the eagles gathered. And despite appearances, the fruit of that tree is so sweet.  For it is forgiveness, new life, salvation, and peace with God. 

    We live in a world full of blessings that would have been incomprehensible to our grandparents. We enjoy blessings that were unheard of just 50 years ago, when I was a child.  And by God’s grace, we as Christians in America are still free to practice and express and live out our faith.  God grant us zeal and humility to live well, to live as He calls us, to live as Christians, loving our neighbors and confessing Christ’s Name.

    We also live in a world of crumbling families, rampant substance abuse, pornography, gambling, and constant distraction by our screens.  We must deal with crazy politics, overreaching government, the threat of jihadists and terrorists and foreign militaries.  There is war in Europe, and the Middle East.  In Iran, China, Venezuela and North Korea, the mullahs and Xi, and Maduro, and Kim in are still in power, still making threats against our country.  Here in America, we still face a culture of death, where far too many people promote suicide and killing babies as positive goods, as human rights.  And worst of all, we still face the sin that remains in each one of us.  There are many reasons to be afraid and to be worried.

    But because of the corpse surrounded by eagles, we have peace and joy and confidence.  Jesus Christ is more powerful than all the evil in the world.  And this same Christ is here with us.  He is always with His Church, with all who believe in His Cross of forgiveness and His resurrection of glory.  Jesus has promised: He is with us always, to the very end of the age.  

    In spite of all the evil in the history of the world, or better, because of all that evil, Christ has remained.  His salvation, His Word, His Holy Supper and Holy Baptism, these have remained and will continue, until the lightning comes out of the east and flashes to the west, and then we will be with the Savior always, forever and ever. Amen.  

 

Desperation, Boldness, Thankfulness - Sermon for the 24th Sunday after Trinity

Twenty-fourth Sunday after Trinity
November 10^th, A + D 2024
Our Redeemer and Our Savior’s Lutheran Churches
Custer and Hill City, South Dakota
Desperation, Boldness, Thankfulness
Matthew 9:18 – 26 and Colossians 1:1 - 14

 Audio of the Gospel Reading and Sermon can be accessed HERE

  Desperation can lead to boldness.  And boldness, by the grace of God, can lead to thankfulness, and all the excellent spillover effects a thankful heart produces.  Desperation, boldness and thankfulness seem to describe the shape of Christian life, at least according to our readings this morning.  And, as we have witnessed major milestones in the Christian life of Neal and Ryan Larson, we will benefit from reflecting a little on the shape of this life in Christ. 

   This is a noteworthy day, in several ways.  Ryan has been baptized, claimed by God as His adopted and beloved daughter.  And, she and Neal have publicly confessed their faith and been welcomed to this altar.  God be praised. 

   This 10^th of November is also the anniversary of the birth of Martin Luther, and of the United States Marine Corps.  Desperation leading to boldness leading to thankfulness also fits with the character of these two birthday boys.  I am relatively well informed about both Luther and the Marines, and so I’m sorely tempted to spend the rest of this sermon comparing and contrasting the boldness of Luther with that of 249 years of U.S. Marines.  But, it will better for our souls to focus on Jairus and Esperanza, since the Holy Spirit saw fit to include their story in three of the four Gospels, Matthew, Mark and Luke.  

   Who are Jairus and Esperanza?  Well, in their versions of this event, both Mark and Luke tell us that Jairus is the name of the ruler, the father of the dying little girl in our Gospel this morning.  He is a ruler, says Matthew; a ruler of the synagogue, clarify Mark and Luke.  He is an upstanding Jewish citizen of Galilee, with his life and reputation tied up in the synagogue of his town. 

   Esperanza, on the other hand, is a name I chose.  Esperanza means hope.  Perhaps in deference to her modesty, none of the Gospels tell us her name.  But what else should we call this woman who dared to approach Jesus in a crowd and touch His garment, seeking healing for her body, which had been bleeding for twelve years?  So, we’ll call her Esperanza, and find out what her name is for sure when we meet her in heaven.   

   Both Jairus and Esperanza are desperate. 

   Jairus is a father, helplessly watching his beloved daughter slip away.  Medical treatment in the first century wasn’t that great, but he and his wife had almost certainly tried the doctors.  Whatever they had tried, nothing was working; their little girl was dying.  And yet, going to Jesus was a risk.  Perhaps Jairus had heard Jesus teach in his own synagogue.  Clearly he had seen or heard of Jesus’ miraculous healings.  But Jairus would also have noticed how the Scribes and the Pharisees, the teachers of the Law and the religious enforcers of the Jews, were always watching Jesus, challenging Him, trying to find a way to discredit Him or get Him in trouble.  They forbade the people from confessing Jesus to be the Christ, the Savior sent from God.  Going to Jesus publicly and asking for His help could cost Jairus his place in the synagogue, his status in the community.  Did Jairus agonize over the decision?  We can’t say.  We just know that, despite the risk, in desperation, he sought out Jesus and asked for His help. 

 

 Esperanza’s boldness is easy to understand.  She has very little to lose.  She has been suffering from her condition for 12 years; Mark tells us she had spent all her money on doctors, but they couldn’t help her.  Her condition, according to the Law God handed down through Moses, made her ritually unclean.  Which made her a pariah for her neighbors.  She could not visit the Temple.  She would not be welcome in synagogue.  Anything or anyone she touched became unclean and needed to be ritually cleansed.  She really had no business going into any crowd, let alone stretching out her hand to touch a rabbi.  Punishments under Jewish law could be very severe.  Plus, as a woman of faith, she is quite likely troubled by the fact that her actions are breaking the Law of Moses.    

   Both of them faced risks.  And yet, Jairus and Esperanza, in desperation, sought Jesus and the help they believed He could offer.  Why take such a risk? 

   Because of hope, and for the love of life.  I’m pleased how so many South Dakota Christians, desperate to keep Amendment G out of our state constitution, were willing to say it publicly, and voted accordingly, defeating the measure.  Thanks be to God. 

   But Jairus and Esperanza were much bolder.  They dared to act, despite the very real possibility of personal downside.   Why did they do it?  Because, as we recited from the Psalms a few minutes ago said, they saw Jesus and said: With you is the fountain of life; In your light do we see light.  Jairus and Esperanza had heard about Jesus, maybe they had heard Him teach, or even saw him perform a miracle.  In Jesus, they saw a light that gave them courage.

   The risk of death and the accusation of the Law of Moses were old news, constant companions.  But in Jesus, they saw something new.  They saw a healer sent from God, not bound by the rules of Moses, because He was both the giver of those rules, and their ultimate fulfillment.  Jesus was going around, acting as if He was God in the flesh.  He was healing broken, suffering bodies, making whole the blind, the sick, lepers, and the crippled. 

   What they saw in Jesus, combined with their desperation, made them bold.  I can’t help but think of Martin Luther again, in 1521, standing before Charles, the Holy Roman Emperor, the most powerful man in the world.  Luther had been summoned to a meeting in Worms, Germany, so he could be ordered to recant the teaching God had revealed to him in Scripture.  Facing persecution and death, Luther, after asking for and receiving a day to think it over, finally refused to recant.  

Unless I am convinced by the testimony of

the Scriptures and by clear reason (for I do not trust in the pope or councils alone, since it is well known that they have often erred and contradicted themselves), I am bound by the Scriptures I have quoted. My conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot and I will not retract anything, since it is neither safe nor right to go against conscience. Here I stand. I cannot do otherwise. God help me. Amen.

   Like Jairus’s request and Esperanza’s fingers reaching out to touch the fringe of Jesus robe, Luther’s bold words were a good work, a true confession proclaimed to all, springing from faith in Christ Jesus.  All three of these souls have given us an example to follow.  And, all three were rewarded for their faith – the woman is healed, and also blessed by Jesus.  Jesus raises the daughter of Jairus from the dead, and returned her to her parents.  And Luther was blessed with a clean conscience, and a life filled with digging God’s Good News from Scripture and preaching and teaching it to the eager ears of sinners, seeking peace with God. 

   How did they react?  How did they feel?  What was the impact of their boldness for the rest of their lives?  We have thousands of pages of Luther’s subsequent teaching and writing to get a sense of Luther’s reaction.  In fact, directly after his meeting with the Emperor, Luther was whisked off in a fake kidnapping orchestrated by his prince, and spent the next months hidden in the Wartburg Castle, where he translated the New Testament into German. 

   Does it seem odd to you that Matthew didn’t spend any time describing the reactions of Esperanza and Jairus?  Maybe because it’s so obvious.  Surely their reaction was much like St. Paul’s prayer for the Colossians.  In their boldness, they had walked in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him, bearing fruit in their good works.  And so they increased in the knowledge of God, revealed in the man Jesus.  They were strengthened with all power, according to God’s glorious might, so they could patiently endure in the faith, filled with all joy.  Great joy came to Esperanza and Jairus, no doubt.  Joy which results in thanksgiving to the Father, who had sent them Jesus.  Desperation led to boldness, which gave them joy, and made them thankful to God. 

   We do not need to pray for or seek out desperate situations so that we can exercise boldness and be rewarded.  In fact, to do this would be to imitate the false piety of the Pharisees, who made a great show of their “struggle” to keep the list of made-up rules they liked to impose on others.  We rightly pray for peace and protection.  We do not seek out desperate situations, nor do we seek to be seen and praised for our shows of holiness. 

   We do not seek desperate times.  But they will find us, now and again.  There are crosses in the life of every Christian.  We will face difficult challenges, of health, or relationship, or faith.  We don’t seek such difficulties, but we also do not need to fear them.  You are even better prepared than Esperanza and Jairus to boldly seek Jesus in your desperate moments, because you know more than they could have known.  They saw the light of life in Jesus, yes.  But they didn’t know the whole story, because Jesus hadn’t finished it yet. 

   But you do.  You know that the Father has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints, the holy ones of God, who live in His light.  You know that the Father has delivered you, rescued you from the domain of darkness, from the kingdom of the accuser, Satan.  God the Father has rescued you, and transferred you to the kingdom of His Son.   

   And how was it again that Jesus snatched you out of Satan’s domain?  By redeeming you with His blood, by forgiving you all your sins.  The original problem, which is the starting point for every other bad thing in our lives, the sin which so easily entangles us, the accusation of the tempter trying to make us doubt God’s love, this problem has no real power over you, because the forgiving hands of Jesus hold you, safe and sound. 

   And so you rejoice.  You walk in the good works the Father has prepared for you.  And, you give thanks.  For God has delivered your soul from death, your eyes from tears, your feet from stumbling.  You are more than conquerors, through Him who loves you, Jesus Christ, the hope and the life and the light of the world. 

Let us pray:

Holy Spirit, thank you for the faithful examples of Jairus and Esperanza and Martin.  As you delivered them from desperate situations, giving them boldness to act in faith, so also guide and inspire us day by day.  Help us to see and trust the light of life that shines forth from Your Word,

that we too would be prepared for boldness in the necessary time,

that we might abound in good works,

and give thanks to the Father for all His benefits,

through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.  

  

The Lord Alone Is Holy, and So You His Child Are Holy - Sermon for All Saints Day, Observed + 2024

The Lord Alone Is Holy, 
and So You His Child Are Holy
All Saints Day 2024 (Observed)
Our Redeemer Lutheran
Custer, South Dakota
November 4, A + D 2024

The Sermon Audio can be accessed HERE

 

 קֹדֶשׁ   The Lord is קֹדֶשׁ (qadosh). On this All Saints Day, let's start with a little Hebrew: The Lord is קֹדֶשׁ (qadosh), which in English means “holy.” The Lord, Yahweh, is קֹדֶשׁ (qadosh), holy. Qadosh, Qadosh, Qadosh, Holy, Holy Holy. Only He is holy.

     The saints of the Lord, His holy ones, are not קֹדֶשׁ in and of themselves. They are qadosh, holy ones, saints, because the Lord is holy, and He has called them, cleansed them, declared them to be holy.  Qadosh.   

     Saints are not created from some special matter, some holy clay, that is better than the source of other people. They are creatures, and also sinners, like all other children of Adam. Like you. Like me.  Or do you think you are holy of yourself?  “I mean, what is he talking about, I’m a good person.” 

   What do you think?  Before answering, you should know that saint means not only “without sin,” but also separated and dedicated to the Lord, the whole existence focused on the divine will.  Think of the chalice, or the crucifix.  We would never use the  chalice to drink coffee downstairs, nor do we use the processional crucifix as a coat rack.  They could have served those functions, but they have been set apart, sanctified, dedicated to a holy purpose, in God’s house.  Well, what applies to a wooden cross or a metal chalice should be even more true for a human being, a living stone in the building that is the Church, a soul called “holy to the LORD.”  My every thought, word, deed should be love.  Should be godly.  Should be holy.   

   We can pretend to be sinless, outwardly, maybe even put on a good show.  But can we dedicate our entire lives, every thought, word and deed, to God's will, instead of our will?  Do we have the personal strength to accomplish perfection in holiness? 

     No.  We are not holy, we are not saints, based on our own goodness or strength.  And yet you, and every baptized believer in Christ, are holy.  God’s holy ones, His saints are saints because the Lord separates them, not from the world, but from sin.  And, like the altarware and furnishings of a church, God uses His saints, for divine purposes, the first of which is to receive his love and blessing, and the second is to pass them on to others.  

   The Lord separates the saints from sin, and makes them His own, through the holy death of His Son. The Lord marks each one, saying, "This one is mine, my saint, for Jesus’ sake.  This is my beloved son, this is my holy daughter, whom I will bless."  See what kind of love the Father has lavished upon us, that we should be called children of God.  And so we are.  Because God says so. 

     The saints receive the holiness of the Lord through faith in Christ, and Christ alone. Christ, the Son of God, became man, and lived the life that the saints should live, qadosh before God, fully holy in every thought, word and deed.  Nothing less is sufficient. Then, after living that holy life which God requires of all mankind, Christ suffered the death that they, that we, all deserve.  Jesus accepted the death of the Cross, and worse, death under His Father’s just wrath against human sin.  Jesus’ holy ones are united to His Cross, as they are buried and resurrected with Him through the holy waters of Baptism. They are reborn by the Word of the Lord, which gives them faith, trust that Jesus did all this, for them, for you.  The mouth of God works through plain water, making the baptized holy.  From this font flows the holy life of God’s saints. 

     You do not become a saint by the many good works you do, although I give thanks for the many good works you, and all the saints, do every day.  You do not become a saint by your works, nor do you become a saint when you die.  Well, not when you die physically.  You did become a saint by death, because you died, and rose again, by the power of God’s Word, combined with water.  By faith in Christ, by your trust in Who He is, what He has done, and what He has given you in your Baptism, you are a qadosh of God. You are forgiven. You are holy. You belong to Jesus, by faith.

     Your holiness is never from yourself, you do not gain it or maintain it by your good works. What a burden this false idea creates in the lives of so many Christians.  Thankfully, holiness always comes to you from the Cross, in the river of Jesus' blood. You cannot quite see this river; baptismal water looks like plain water.  You cannot see it, but you can trust it. And so, you are holy by faith alone.

     All Saints' Day has, historically, been a day in the church calendar when we focus on the saints who already sleep in Christ. And we definitely should, for they have completed their course, they have finished the race, they rest from their labors.  We just have to celebrate them. 

    We say the blessed dead are ‘asleep in Christ,’ because the saints who have gone before us are not dead, not really.  It is not true that they only exist in our memories. Although they have suffered earthly, physical death, which is bitter, they are not really dead.  Nor have they become angel spirits. No, the souls of the faithful departed are still humans, human souls, resting in Christ.   We don’t quite know what this looks like.  But it is good.  Their hearts do not beat, but they are not really dead, because their souls rest in Him who is the source of all reality. 

    All the saints, those who have gone before, and those still living on earth, all the saints are alive because they have been called to life, by Jesus.  Lazarus, come out!  Talitha cumi, little girl, I say to you, arise!  Repent, and believe the Gospel!  I baptize you in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.  The Word of Life calls, and souls dead in their sins and trespasses are made alive together, with Him.  Only He is holy, and so all his resurrected ones are holy too.  As all things were made through Him, so also the existence of the saints depends on Christ Jesus, who rose from the dead, and lives in all His believers.  All believers are truly alive, in Him, for He is the resurrection, and the life.

      On the last day, the saints who have gone before us will hear the call of Jesus, awakening them from their naps, to rejoice, fully awake, forever.  So, we see that the saints who have gone before do not need our prayers. They are very well, at peace, resting in the love of Christ, who died and rose for them.  For them, there is no more pain.  No disease.  They do not suffer persecution or harm. They do not have to face sin, temptation, nor the devil and his tortures.  For them, there is only rest, the breath of the Spirit, peace. When the final trumpet sounds and the Lord returns, they will be resurrected, body and soul united again, wholly perfected human beings, ready to bask in God’s glory, forever.

    We will see them soon, on the Last Day. As surely as the Lord Jesus, who made them holy, has also made us holy, we will see all the dead saints again.  Come, Lord Jesus.  We will know them, without a photo directory, just as our Lord Jesus knows us. We will live with them, and reign with them, in Jesus Christ, for eternity.

    But, we are not there yet.  We do need prayer, a lot of prayer, becaues the saints on earth do suffer, scorn and persecution, sickness and pain, sorrow and shame.  Walking the Christian walk in this fallen world is not easy.  It is hard to keep the faith.  Everything the world and the devil throw at us denies the reality of Christ’s victory and the wisdom of pursuing the saintly life, to which we have been called. 

    When a loved one dies, when we lay their body in the ground, it is hard to imagine that their victory is complete.  Even harder is knowing ourselves and believing we are קֹדֶשׁ, holy, God’s beloved children.  How could He love me, when I just did this…?  How could I be a child of God, when I struggle so much to avoid that…?  How can All Saints Day be anything but an accusation session, because I do not measure up? 

      When we examine our lives, it is hard to believe that you and I are saints.  But, it is important that we do look inside, honestly, that we examine ourselves, using the Ten Commandments, or one of Paul’s lists of virtues, or Jesus’ Beatitudes, the very uncomfortable list of “blessed are they’s” that starts the Sermon on the Mount.  We need this instruction in Godly living, and the examination it brings to any honest person.  Examine yourself.  But do not examine yourself too long. 

    The promises of God don’t make sense if we never review the commandments of God.  And, while honestly evaluating yourself, your life, your thoughts, words and deeds, is not pleasant, it makes God’s promises far sweeter.  Like a cool glass of water after a time of hot, sweaty work, the promises renew and refresh, they feel great, because they are great. 

    Examine yourself, and then study the lives of the saints who have gone before.  Study the life and work of Jesus, the Holy One of God.  Jesus fulfills His own Beatitudes, in His life of mercy and purity, His acceptance of persecution and sorrow.  Jesus is always our primary subject for study.  But you should also study Paul and Peter, Joseph and Mary the Mother of Jesus, and Mary Magdalene.  In their lives, we see the holiness of God at work, overcoming their sin and struggles, just like we need.  Read about the lives of the martyrs, those who under persecution chose to cling to Christ and His promises, rather than deny Him to protect their ease and comfort.  Learn about their struggles, and how they even chose the life of Christ over prolonging their earthly life.  Learn from them, for these are our struggles too.  See how the Holy Spirit helped them, for He will help you, too.  Learn more of Jesus and His holy ones, spend time around them, and things will begin to change in your life. 

    In 1991 after the First Gulf War, I returned home to Shelee in 29 Palms, California, and this nation went above and beyond to welcome us.  One resort hotel in Palm Desert, CA, about an hour away from where we lived, offered a free weekend at their resort for returning Marines and their families.  Shelee and I signed up; it sounded great. 

    Only one problem.  You can place the Eastern-Montana-hick-turned-Marine into the lap of luxury, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t still an unsophisticated rube, and a Jarhead to boot.  I was clueless as to how one behaves at a posh Palm Desert resort.  Shelee did somewhat better, but I was a fish out of water. 

     It was strange to give the keys of our car to the valet.  I didn’t really own the right clothes for lounging around the gardens and pools.  Savoring and lingering over a gourmet meal was beyond me.  I have a vague memory of wearing Marine Corps nylon running shorts, which came in two colors, either bright red or olive green.  I definitely remember taking our bath towels down to the pool, only to be gently told by the staff that they had pool towels for us, as many as we wanted.     

   Despite my cultural shortcomings, we were treated as worthy guests.  Over the three days, the courtesy of the staff and observing the behavior of the other guests began to change me, a little.  By the end, I was doing fewer embarrassing things, and we were enjoying ourselves more. 

   Knowing how to behave at a luxury resort isn’t very important.  But our experience over that weekend is a little like being called holy by God, and slowly learning how to live as He desires.  The free gift of the weekend and the courtesy and kindness of the staff are like our gracious call into God’s family: the invitation was a free gift.  My worthiness and lack of understanding of their world mattered not at all.  The kindness of the staff, like God’s daily blessings for us, was critical for learning how to behave.  And, like studying the lives of the saints who have gone before us, we figured out a lot of things by watching the other guests, who we could see felt comfortable, totally at home at the fancy resort. 

   Studying the lives of saints and martyrs of the Church, studying the Biblical saints, and most especially, studying the Holy One of God, Jesus, seeing how they lived and acted, seeking to imitate them, this is wisdom.  God through this wisdom will change you, little by little. 

   And how could we, who have been declared holy by faith in Jesus, do anything but seek with all our strength to live holy lives?  Every other life ends in misery.  The Devil tries to paint unholy living with the appearance of pleasure and happiness, but he was a liar from the beginning.  Selfish, sinful living is miserable, and leads us toward permanent misery.  But Christ and His holy call bring us peace, joy, love, and in the end, eternal glory. 

   It will be wonderful to see the saints, gathered around the throne of God and of the Lamb.  It will be the best thing ever to be singing to the Lamb, along with the innumerable crowd of God’s Holy Ones.  Hearing again how the Bible describes the glory of heaven is wise, very helpful for our daily walk. 

     But remember, we don't have to wait for the Last Day to be close to them. Qadosh, Qadosh, Qadosh, Holy, Holy, Holy, angels sing without ceasing around the throne of the Most High. And Holy, Holy, Holy the earthly faithful sing every Sunday, gathered in the Name and around the Word of Christ.  And as He promises, He is truly with us.  We even kneel at one of the many earthly altars of the Most High, where the Holy One of God meets us to give us heavenly food and divine drink. At the Lord's Supper, Holy Communion, Christ is truly present in a unique and wonderful way, present with His Body and Blood, for the forgiveness of all our sins.

   Jesus is here with us.  And where Jesus is, there also are the angels and archangels and all the company of heaven, including the saints who have gone before us.  Every time we eat this bread and drink from this chalice, we not only proclaim the death of the Lord until He comes, but we also gather with all the saints, invisible, but truly with us.  This is indeed a foretaste of the Feast of the Lamb in his kingdom, the party that will never end.

      A blessed All Saints Day to you, in which we remember and thank God for his saints who sleep in Christ. They touched our lives, they changed us. Through their words, God has also made us His saints.  In and through Christ, we live different lives today, as God’s Holy Ones, His beloved saints. 

     The Lord is qadosh, holy.  Only He is holy.   And yet in a mystery, His saints are also holy, because the Lord has made them holy by forgiving them and joining Himself to them. They, you, are forgiven.  You and all the saints live in God. This is the promise of Christ, for them, and for you.  Praise be to the One who is Qadosh, to the Holy, Holy, Holy Lord,                          the Father, the + Son and the Holy Spirit, Amen.