Today in the Spirit: All Saints’ Sunday
All Saints’ Day, celebrated on 1 November every year, is the only “Principal Feast” in the Christian Year that can also be observed on the Sunday following that date. It commemorates the intercommunion of living and dead Christians throughout time, renowned and unknown. Traditionally, the Gospel reading assigned for All Saints’ Day is the Beatitudes from Matthew 5:1-12, but contemporary three-year schedules have recently included the Lucan version in Luke 6:20-26 (27-36) as an option.
The preferred first reading for All Saints’ Day is from the deuterocanonical text Ecclesiasticus 44:1-14. Beginning with the title “Hymn in Honor of Our Ancestors” in the text, the passage is a preamble to a long section of odes to famous individuals honored in Hebrew history (44:16-50:21). Appropriately for the feast day, the passage recognizes the place of forgotten heroes of the faith: “But these also were godly men, whose righteous deeds have not been forgotten; their wealth will remain with their descendants, and their inheritance with their children’s children” (10-11).
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Only appointed here in the three-year lectionary, Psalm 149 is a praise song calling “the congregation of the faithful” to praise YHWH (1). As with all the “Hallelujah” psalms at the end of the Psalter, the summons to praise has a timeless quality: the saints of any era hear the call to worship. “Let Israel rejoice in the one who made him, and let the children of Zion be joyful in their King” (2).
Because Revelation 7:9-17 is an option for both the first and New Testament readings, the church strongly encourages including it in our worship on All Saints’ Day. And no wonder: here is the preeminent text envisioning the mystical body of believers in Christ gathered together at the end of time: “After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, ‘Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!’” (9-10). And this is just the congregation of martyrs!
If the Revelation reading is chosen for the first reading on this Sunday, Ephesians 1:(11-14)15-23 is the alternative offered for the NT reading. The All Saints’ vision of inclusion in Christ of all who believe is expressed in Paul’s loftiest theological language concerning the unity of Jews and Gentiles:
In him we [Jewish Christians] have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will…In him you also [Gentile Christians], when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit.
Ephesians 1:11-13
The ancient Collect for All Saints’ Day focuses our attention on the divine work of forming the communion of saints over time and space in the world: it is the Father who has drawn together the elect “in the mystical Body of [the] Son; it is he who enables the saints “in all virtuous and godly living; and it is by his mercy that they “will come those ineffable joys’ in the afterlife.
The Collect
Almighty God, you have knit together your elect in one communion and fellowship in the mystical Body of your Son: Give us grace so to follow your blessed saints in all virtuous and godly living, that we may come to those ineffable joys that you have prepared for those who truly love you; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.
In Honor of Our Ancestors (Ecclesiasticus 44:1-14)
(Note: The Anglican Church does not recognize the Deuterocanonical books [or the Apocrypha] as part of the canon of Holy Scripture, but, according to the historical Anglican Articles of Religion, “the Church doth read [them] for example of life and instruction of manners.” Enjoy.)
1 Let us now sing the praises of famous men,
Ecclesiasticus 44:1-14 (NRSV)
our ancestors in their generations.
2 The Lord apportioned to them great glory,
his majesty from the beginning.
3 There were those who ruled in their kingdoms,
and made a name for themselves by their valor;
those who gave counsel because they were intelligent;
those who spoke in prophetic oracles;
4 those who led the people by their counsels
and by their knowledge of the people’s lore;
they were wise in their words of instruction;
5 those who composed musical tunes,
or put verses in writing;
6 rich men endowed with resources,
living peacefully in their homes—
7 all these were honored in their generations,
and were the pride of their times.
8 Some of them have left behind a name,
so that others declare their praise.
9 But of others there is no memory;
they have perished as though they had never existed;
they have become as though they had never been born,
they and their children after them.
10 But these also were godly men,
whose righteous deeds have not been forgotten;
11 their wealth will remain with their descendants,
and their inheritance with their children’s children.
12 Their descendants stand by the covenants;
their children also, for their sake.
13 Their offspring will continue forever,
and their glory will never be blotted out.
14 Their bodies are buried in peace,
but their name lives on generation after generation.
To prepare for Sunday worship this week, it would be helpful to scan the entire passage, Ecclesiasticus 44:1-50:21. This section will read much like the well-known “by faith” section of Hebrews 11:1-39. Our reading (44:1-14) is the preamble to the discourse that follows on the individual lives of heroes of ancient Jewish history, many of whom, of course, are also covered in Hebrews 11: Enoch, Abraham, and Moses, etc.. One contrast is that, while the Hebrews reading celebrates the faithful acts of the people, the Ecclesiasticus text is more concerned to show the outcome of God’s faithfulness in establishing and keeping “covenants” with them (see Ecclus. 44:18, 20, 22; 45:5).
Devotionally, to commemorate All Saints’ Day, we would do well to take in the spirit of this apocryphal reading, steeping ourselves in the loyalty of a covenanting God with his people. Every one of the saints listed later in Ecclesiasticus and Hebrews, as much as they show flashes of admirable obedience, failed in obeying the Lord at various points. God, however, and this is the point, never fails to keep the covenants he has established. No matter the time or circumstances, from creation to the earliest days of the church, God reveals himself faithful—and this is what we celebrate most enthusiastically on this feast day.
Faithful you are
Faithful forever you will be
Faithful you are
All your promises are yes and amen.
Today, Holy Spirit, on this feast day, we enthusiastically remember the “famous men” (and women) who honor God as he honors them.
The Honor of All His Servants (Psalm 149)
1 Praise the LORD. O sing unto the Lord a new song; *
Psalm 149, New Coverdale Psalter (BCP 2019)
let the congregation of the faithful praise him.
2 Let Israel rejoice in the one who made him, *
and let the children of Zion be joyful in their King.
3 Let them praise his Name in the dance; *
let them sing praises unto him with timbrel and harp.
4 For the LORD has pleasure in his people *
and gives victory to those who are oppressed.
5 Let the faithful be joyful with glory; *
let them rejoice upon their beds.
6 Let the praises of God be in their mouth *
and a two-edged sword in their hands,
7 To inflict vengeance on the nations, *
and to rebuke the peoples,
8 To bind their kings in chains, *
and their nobles with links of iron,
9 That they may execute judgment upon them, as it is written; *
this is the honor of all his servants. Praise the LORD.
The strategy in the “Hallelujah” psalms (Pss. 147-150) for encouraging the worship of God’s people is to raise our sights concerning the sovereignty of YHWH in the universe. In one place, it may be to contemplate God’s rule over creation (148:3-6); in another, his salvation for the “poor” (146:7-9). In Psalm 149, it is the revelation of God’s authority to win holy war. We note in the wording of the psalm that the people of God participate in this war and exult in victory: “Let the praises of God be in their mouth and a two-edged sword in their hands/To inflict vengeance on the nations, and to rebuke the peoples/To bind their kings in chains, and their nobles with links of iron/That they may execute judgment upon them, as it is written; this is the honor of all his servants/Praise the LORD” (5-9).
As I have often said in my commentaries, devotionally, we need to gird our loins as believers in a modern age to take up the call of spiritual battle. OT Israel was engaged in warfare against surrounding nations, and the proof of YHWH’s presence was measured most definitely in victory over their physical enemies. NT Christians wage battle spiritually, but–make no mistake–that is no less gruesome warfare than the physical. We stand now in the armor of God against Satan and his demons (Eph. 6:11-17); and we look forward to rejoicing on our beds, with swords still in hand, on the day of an ultimate victory over evil:
And the twenty-four elders who sit on their thrones before God fell on their faces and worshiped God, saying,
“We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty,
who is and who was,
for you have taken your great power
and begun to reign.The nations raged,
Rev. 11:16-18
but your wrath came,
and the time for the dead to be judged,
and for rewarding your servants, the prophets and saints,
and those who fear your name,
both small and great,
and for destroying the destroyers of the earth.”
Today, in our worship on All Saints’ Day, we take up the psalmist’s call to worship, taking special account of the Lord’s victory over all evil, with the saints joining in battle and enjoying the spoils of the war. Praise the LORD!
Salvation Belongs to Our God (Revelation 7:9-17)
9 After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 10 and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” 11 And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.” 13 Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?” 14 I said to him, “Sir, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
15 “Therefore they are before the throne of God,
and serve him day and night in his temple;
and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence.16 They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore;
the sun shall not strike them,
nor any scorching heat.17 For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd,
Revelation 7:9-17
and he will guide them to springs of living water,
and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”
“Salvation belongs to our God” (10). English translators must supply the words “belongs to” for the Greek. Other options include “for our God” (advantage) or “by our God” (instrumental), but every English rendering I have seen is “belongs to our God” (possessive). Why is this so? Because, in the context of Revelation’s visions, which reveal a conflict between the forces of Satan and God, the clear choice is for God to take the ultimate victory. Even before the revelation of Armageddon (16:16-21) and its aftermath (19:17-18), the church gazing on the vision of the great multitude of martyrs will know God on the throne and the Lamb as the owner of victory. Hallelujah.
Devotionally then, beloved, on All Saints’ Day we commemorate not only the existence of the mystical communion of saints past, present, and future, but the outcome of our combined labor with the Lord over time. As was true for the seven churches of Asia Minor who received the report of John’s visions from Jesus Christ, so it is for us: we know not only who is the instrument of our coming salvation or to whose advantage it is, but also who possesses it. God does. We do. Praise the name of the Lord.
Today, in the Spirit, we grasp hold of the coming victory that is ours in the Lord and carry the knowledge of it with us into the trouble we face in the present.
The Fullness of Him Who Fills All in All (Ephesians 1:[11-14]15-23)
11 In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, 12 so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. 13 In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory. 15 For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, 16 I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, 18 having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might 20 that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. 22 And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.
Ephesians 1:11-23
“[The Father] gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all (23). Here is a puzzling statement for serious Bible readers. “The fullness” here refers to the church that, by Paul’s inspired reckoning, is required to permit Christ to fill “all in all.” Wait. Doesn’t Paul teach in Colossians that in Christ “the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily,” and that the church has been “filled in him”? (Col. 2:9). Who is filling whom? How can we, the church, do anything to fill Christ with something that would make him incomplete?
Jesus Christ is complete in himself as Son of God, and his work on the cross is sufficient for the payment of sin. The completion of his mission work, indeed, the fulfillment of his destiny, comes when the gospel goes to the ends of the earth before his return (Mt. 24:14). In this, the activity of the church (in Christ) plays a critical role. We, the communion of saints, are his body, a growing body, filling all things by the Spirit of Jesus. Of course, there is a distinction between Jesus Christ and the church, much as Paul later teaches that marriage involves both union and complementarity between husband and wife. In our “marriage” with Christ, we form this union to bring all flesh under submission to the Father. Thus, the visions of Revelation describe the culmination of all things, the recreation of heaven and earth, and the “coming down” of the new Jerusalem as a wedding feast (Rev. 19:9), and the Holy City as the bride of Christ (21:3,9).
Today, in the Spirit, we are encouraged to contemplate not merely the size of the church but the fullness of Christ himself united with his body.
Blessed Are (Matthew 5:1-12)
1 Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him. 2 And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying:
Matthew 5:1-12
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
5 “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Many commentators recognize the Sermon on the Mount as a statement of interim ethics: how followers of Jesus, already citizens of heaven, should live on earth in the present age. The Beatitudes at the beginning of the sermon are not how-to statements but spiritual laws of the kingdom of God. It is as if Jesus is saying, “Before I tell you how to behave, let me tell you how things work on earth as they do in heaven. Blessed are you when you follow my lead, and things go badly for you; blessed are you.” In the afterlife, “things going badly” will have no meaning, but for now, we will often mourn, forgive, and suffer persecution for Jesus’s sake.
Okay, but understanding even a little bit, devotionally, how are we to make sense of it? Aren’t we “more than conquerors” and victorious in Christ? Hasn’t the truth set us free, and we are free indeed? Well, yes; we are victorious and free in Christ, but in the world we are also now captives in Christ for the gospel. See how the apostle Peter, using language similar to the beatitudes, gets at our voluntarily setting apart Christ as Lord in suffering:
But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame.
1 Pet. 14-16
We are free and victorious but also captive to Christ as Lord. We are in the Lord’s victory procession, but we are still bringing up the rear as prisoners with chains (see 1 Cor. 4:7-9). In this age, this is the best possible position: mourning, suffering, and blessed in Jesus. Today, Holy Spirit, let our minds grasp what we can about our Lord’s beatitudes, and let our wills be entirely surrendered to Christ as Lord.
Blessed Are You…Woe to You (Luke 6:20-26[27-36])
20 And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said:
Luke 6:20-36
“Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.
21 “Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you shall be satisfied.
“Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh.
22 “Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man! 23 Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for so their fathers did to the prophets.
24 “But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation.
25 “Woe to you who are full now, for you shall be hungry.
“Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep.
26 “Woe to you, when all people speak well of you, for so their fathers did to the false prophets.
[27 “But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. 29 To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic either. 30 Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back. 31 And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them. 32 “If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. 33 And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. 34 And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to get back the same amount. 35 But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. 36 Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful].
Is there anything more puzzling than trying to understand the meaning of the Beatitudes? Are they directives or descriptions? Do they set goals for us to meet in this world, or are they statements of fact that we must simply accept? It is no doubt significant that in both Matthew and Luke the narrative preceding the first lines of Jesus’ preaching specifies that he is speaking to “his disciples.” (20). To them he looks when he speaks, as if it is only they who can hear his words and derive any benefit from them. In trying to understand the Beatitudes, perhaps we must begin with the presupposition that it is into the experience of his followers–into their despairing and longings and sacrifices and failures as servants of Christ—that he speaks blessings and woes.
Lord, into the frightening realization of my utter poverty of anything of value to offer for you, I hear your “blessed are you” and “yours is the kingdom of God.” Lord, as a response to my hunger for that something more of your life I cannot have now, and to my weeping over the sorrowful state of the world and my own shortcomings having contributed to making it that way, I hear your “blessed are you” and your promises of satisfaction and laughter. Lord, into my fears of being disliked and the wounds of being hurt in the ministry of the gospel, I hear your “blessed are you” and rejoice in anticipation of my reward to come.
Lord, in the face of my temptation every day to pack it all in and run after the riches of the world instead of you, I hear the warning of your “woe.” Lord, in response to the many times I have forsaken opportunities to serve you in favor of gorging myself on human laughter so as to overwhelm the call of your voice, I feel the sting of your “woe” and plead with you to preserve me from judgment. And Lord, in response to the countless times I have shamelessly chosen to save face and seek the approval of others over everything else, I hear your pronouncement, “woe to you,” for acting as shamefully as any infidel who has ever denied you.
Today, Holy Spirit, let me hear again your declaration of blessings and woes, speaking to me as your disciple.
Today in the Spirit
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