Sermon for All Saints 2nd November 2025 Luke 6.20-31

Today is All Saints’ Day, and our Gospel reading is the beatitudes, Christ giving us all His blessing and giving us a blueprint for saintly living, and warnings for those things that lead to less saintly behaviour. Luke’s account is the less famous brother to Mathews but still lays out Jesus’ bold vision of how we should live in community with each other, that reflects the values and commitments of God’s Kingdom. Initially delivered to his disciples, it then trickles back through the crowd, much like we today are used as an instrument of God to share his Gospel message to those around us. Can we be like that, hearing Jesus talking to us and passing it along to others?

 

It begins with 4 declarations of blessings, followed by the matching set of 4 woes or misfortunates (a condensed version of Mathews 9.) Another key difference is the tense, Luke using the second person in contrast to Mathews third person. ‘Blessed are you’ ‘woe to you’ it is being directed at us! Blessed are you if you are poor, yours is the Kingdom, blessed are you hungry, you will be filled, blessed are you who weep, you will laugh. Blessed are you if you are hated and excluded because of Son of Man, your reward is in heaven. And then the opposite side of the coin, woe to you if you are rich, full, laughing, or if people speak well about you. It is not that we can’t have these things, things of joy that God has given to us, but beware complacency, and not sharing the gifts your Lord has given you with others not in the same position. How many stories of the saints can we share like this, just to pluck a couple of famous ones, St Martin of Tours splitting his cloak to share with a beggar, and St Nicholas dropping gold coins down the chimney of a poor family. Do to others as you would have them do to you.  

 

On All Saints we often talk about those whose example of faith has inspired us and lead us in the faith. And often when we talk about saints, hero’s, inspirational people, we are talking about adults to whom young people can look up to. But I would like to say today that we can also celebrate the young saints amongst whom we sit today. Now their parents might say to me they are not always Saint-like in their behaviour, however they are the future of our Church and our faith, as both Robert and John have said recently. We live in an increasingly secular society, and it is hard to be a Christian in this world as an adult, let alone as a child. In a world that prioritises personal gain, greed, superficial affirmation, getting what you want at the expense of others, Christ’s message in the Sermon on the Mount is as countercultural and radical now as it was then. Kids, you turn up every week to sing praises to God, boys and girls in both our Abbey choirs. And our wonderful young servers, you honour God in your service, and our Junior Church, you dedicate yourself to learning about the faith. Together you are like the glue in our church family, with the focus on community not self. 

 

Some of you will be coming to confirmation in a few weeks, making promises to follow Christ in your lives, standing up for goodness and light in a world in short supply of these things. Can you hear the word of Jesus talking to you like in that big crowd, and pass it on? Your sacrifice, I’m afraid, will be the odd funny look, maybe a bad word, not always being understood in a world that is still so opposed to the Good News that Jesus brings. But your reward is far greater, your reward is with God in Heaven, and with all the saints that already dwell in His kingdom and draw us by intercession and example to closer relationship with the divine. If it’s not too cringeworthy, I am very proud of you! So today, it is you who are the saints. 

I’d like to end with some modern beatitudes I found online; you could probably come up with your own. So may you all be blessed this All-Saints Day, as we look to the Saints who have gone before in the faith and led us by their example, and to Saints who are growing in the faith as we speak and will carry the light of Christ forwards into a dark world. 

 

You’re blessed when you hit rock bottom. Because then you can rely on God to go to work for you.

You’re blessed when you mourn. That means you feel compassion and empathy for others. You begin to understand that we are all one.

You’re blessed when you are humble and authentic. That is worth way more than fleeting power and material possessions.

You’re blessed when you hunger and thirst after spiritual things instead of worldly things. You will feel full instead of empty.

You’re blessed when you express kindness. You will receive kindness in return.

You’re blessed when you allow God’s presence and goodness to fill your mind, heart and soul. Then you will see God in the outside world.

You are blessed if you live in peace and create peace. Then you will understand what it means to be a child of God. 

You’re blessed when people make fun of you or ridicule you for my sake. That means you struck a nerve. 

You’re blessed if you are persecuted because of your relationship with God. God knows and sees everything. God will reward you for your faithfulness.