Reverend Ref +

SERMON
ALL SAINTS' SUNDAY
Ecclesiasticus 2:1-11
Ephesians 1:11-23
Luke 6:20-36

Have you ever noticed that God likes to turn things upside down? Especially, it seems, when we think we have all the answers.

A few examples. The eldest son traditionally received blessings and favors; but it was Jacob who was given the blessing over his older brother Esau. Joseph, the youngest of Jacob's sons, and who was probably a spoiled brat, rose to be the greatest of all his brothers and saved his family from famine. When Israel wanted a king, they got what they expected in Saul - the best looking guy in the country. And when choosing his replacement, Samuel was told to not look on outward appearances because God looked elsewhere, so they got David, the youngest of Jesse's sons. The Messiah was expected to arrive in glory, defeat the enemies of Israel, and re-establish Israel as a national power; instead, he came with humility born in a manger. And it was the blood of the martyrs, those unpopular people who stood for God and against society, that sewed the seeds of the church and changed the world.

When you read through the scriptures, really read through them, God is forever upsetting the status quo. We have an idea of how God should behave and we try to make God fit into our tightly defined legal codes. But God doesn't work that way.

Society seems to think that all poor people get what they deserve, and I will admit that some do. The vast majority of the poor, however, are victims of circumstance -- either through misfortune, location or accident of birth (like skin color). And while the dominant society says, "Provide for yourself," God tells us to care for the widows, the orphans and the poor.

Fundamentalists on both sides want to ostracize the "other," whoever the "other" may be. Whether it's those on the right claiming the liberals are destroying the morality of the nation and/or church, or whether it's those on the left claiming that the conservatives have no heart and want to imprison anyone who disagrees with them. But Jesus commands us not to ostracize and demonize, but to love our enemies and do good to those who hate you.

When I read through the scriptures, I see very much a God who is concerned with social justice. I see a God who is concerned with the poor, the hungry, the mournful and the outcast. I see a God who is concerned with reaching out to the other and including them within his loving embrace.

This gospel passage from Luke is the sister story to Matthew's Sermon on the Mount, and is referred to as the Sermon on the Plain. The Beatitudes are a big part of this, "Blessed are . . . blessed are . . . blessed are." I think we have a tendency to get all mushy about this. "Ah, the Beatitudes, how nice, how sweet." Read through this passage again though, there's nothing sweet about it.

This is hard stuff. It's easy to marginalize and ignore and reject. It's easy to develop a set of black and white rules that you require other people to live by and claim that those rules come directly from the mouth of God. What's not so easy is to do what Jesus commands us to do. It's not so easy to love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you and pray for those who abuse you. It's not easy, but it's what God requires.

In a few minutes we will renew our baptismal vows. You will be asked to proclaim the Gospel, and you will be hated because of that. You will be asked to seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving your neighbor and your enemy. You will be asked to strive for justice and peace, respecting the dignity of every human being, and your reward will be great.

Jesus is turning everything upside down. He is asking us to live contrary to society's expectations. He is telling us we will be hated, defamed and abused. This is not about living like other people expect and demand you to live; this is about living like God expects and demands us to live.

Nobody said it was easy; but if you read through the scriptures, it is what's required. And if you read through the accounts of the saints you will find that they weren't especially popular in their day. The saints knew that following Christ was difficult. They knew that following Christ was unpopular. They knew that following Christ was contrary to what society demanded. So on this celebration of All Saints, take a good look at what society expects and what God expects, and try to be a little more unpopular.