One for All

Matthew 5:1-12

When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. “Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy. “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

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This morning we continue a series about discipleship and ask ourselves what it means to be blessed. In our first reflection we talked about the beginning of our journey in the Sacrament of Baptism, in our second reflection we looked at what it means to be fishers of people, and today we arrive at the Beatitudes. 

I'm always down to watch something new, so nothing was different when I had something that I was told I should watch. A friend recommended a Japanese animated series to me a while back that was set in a world where most of the world's population had a superpower. There are heroes who use their abilities to protect others, and there are villains who use these supernatural abilities to benefit only themselves. One such hero possesses a talent known as "One for All," which allows this hero to bestow their strength to other people. In stark contrast, there's a villain who uses a devious trait called "All for One," who steals the unique abilities of others and hordes them for their selfish use. Now you may be thinking, "What does a Japanese animated series about heroes and villains, All for One, and One for All, have to do with the Beatitudes?"

Well, it actually has a lot to do with the Beatitudes, as we will soon discover. Because when we take a closer look, it becomes clear that the beatitudes are more than a series of blessings. We might say that the Beatitudes are a pinnacle of Jesus' teaching that emphasizes love and compassion as the highest expressions of faith, not forced teachings or binding legalism. We might think that such a high priority on love and compassion would be obvious, but we might want to stop and think for a moment. Have we placed what is essential to Jesus at the top of our lives and our shared ministry? Or have we fallen back into the ways rigidness, legality, and errant judgment that Jesus came to turn around? And this is where my early reference to a Japanese animated series about superheroes and villains comes into play. 

There are times at which we try to cling onto things that we think will benefit us, like that character I mentioned before who had the ability of "All For One." There is the temptation to believe (both in our personal and spiritual lives as individuals and the church) that if we let certain people in and keep others out, then things will be okay, maybe even better. We distort the gospel message and make ourselves believe that if we limit those who can receive grace, love, compassion, and the blessings that God has given us, then that means there's more for us, right? But it is that type of legalism and "penny-pinching" of God's blessings that leads us on a path away from what God desires for us as a human race and a way that ultimately leads to self-destruction. In the Beatitudes, Jesus reminds us of what is truly important for our spiritual and physical growth. And hint, it is not the person who holds onto all the earthly and spiritual treasures for themselves!

The Beatitudes are not the only place we hear this message of what should be important in our lives. We hear this message emphasized in the first reading we had this morning. What does the Lord desire? Does God want countless burnt offerings or thousands of rams, with ten thousands of rivers of oil or the firstborn child? No! God does not want any of our hoarded treasures if we have not used them to benefit others. God has told us what we need to do, which is "to do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with our God." Those are the things that God wants us to do. There is no time for us to exert energy that excludes others, focuses on our self-righteousness, and security. If we dedicated ourselves to the highest law of love, then we will be fulfilling what it is that God desires, which is to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with God.

As we think about what it means for us to be disciples, and as we think about what it means to be the church, we need to ask ourselves what our priority is going to be. If we believe that Jesus’ message was that faith was only about receiving, then we’ve missed the mark! Because it is in being a blessing to others that we find the true meaning of what it means to be blessed. The blessings that we have received from God, the model of a life of love we have received from Christ has taught us that the power we have lies in the strength that we lend to one another. It is in our collective well-being and love for one another where we find that the teachings of the Beatitudes become a reality. What we wrestle with is the question of whether or not we are going to trust what Jesus said. Embodying the truths of the Beatitudes will challenge us to think outside the box, live with the discomfort of not always knowing, yet will lead us to a place where we walk hand in hand, empowering one another along the way. 

Blessed are the poor in spirit, blessed are those who mourn, blessed are the meek, blessed are those who hunger, and thirst, blessed are the merciful, blessed are the pure in heart, and blessed are those who are persecuted. The irony of these blessings is that those who are on the receiving end will continue to bless others. It is often those who are without, those who are poor and oppressed, who do more to help their fellow human beings than those who hold the lion's share of power. In many ways, those who are blessed are like that hero, who has the skill of "One for All," which can be shared and grows stronger the more it is passed around. The peacemakers, the justice seekers, the meek and humble, are all things that we need right now in our world today! We need more people who can make manifest the highest teaching of Christ, that love and fellowship are what will save us, not dogma, not legalism, and not a false sense piety.

As we gather this day, we have an opportunity to partake in the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper. It is a sacrament that is open to everyone, people of every race, every gender, all walks of life. It is an open table at which we are reminded that Christ came into the world for all people, to share the gifts of God with all people. This was so that in our sharing, in our blessing of one another, we too may be blessed. The work that this requires is hard, and many times it's going to be frustrating. But Jesus didn't come to and say, "All are welcome, except alcoholics, those with drug-related struggles, those who make us feel 'uncomfortable,' 'those people who don't look or speak like us,' and anyone else whom we deem to be 'unworthy.'" No! Christ came and said the exact opposite. All are welcome, all are welcome, and the responsibility is shifted to us when we fail to acknowledge that mission we have been given. 

So what choice are we going to make? The "All for One" sounds pretty tempting, because it means we will have control over what we find to be acceptable and non-acceptable. However, there is a higher calling in today's teaching that emulates an attitude of "One for All." This year as we give thought to what it means to be the church, to envision what type of church we want to become, then we need to heed these words of Jesus. We need to take them seriously, the truth that we love because God first loved us, and we bless because the blessings were never ours to begin with. Amen.