All Saints Day Sermon: The Beatitudes and the Saints Among Us

Sermon delivered November 1, 2026, All Saints Sunday — Matthew 5:1-12

Grace, mercy, and peace be with you from God our Father and our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen

Are there any saints sitting in our pews today?

We are in the midst of the three days traditionally referred to as Hallowmas: All Hallows’ Eve on October 31, All Saints Day on November 1 (for the “holy” ones, the saints of God), and All Souls Day on November 2 (for everyone else who has passed away). Protestants tend to conflate All Saints and All Souls because we believe that all are saints. All are holy because of Jesus Christ.

So, all of you sitting here today, what comes to your mind when you hear the word saint? For me, I remember the gentleman who was my boss for many years telling me that if ever there was a saint he met in person, it was his mom. He suffered from post-polio syndrome. When he was about sixteen years old, he contracted polio. He told me he spent eight months in a body cast. He said she would pick him up and carry him from room to room as needed. She spent those eight months giving up her life to be there for him. Especially here on All Saints Day, I remember my mom and my mother-in-law. Both were faithful people. Both instilled love and confidence in me as a person. Both were mentors, and I treasure my memories with them both every day.

Today we recognize all saints. Again, what comes to your mind when you think about a saint?

Perhaps your mind goes directly to those who were martyrs who lost their lives for their Christian beliefs. Or other saints like Mother Teresa and Saint Francis of Assisi might come to mind.

As you think about the saints in your lives, perhaps you too picture your mother, your father, your child, or a grandparent who has passed from this life. Often these are the people who have left this earth and are those same people that we hope to see again one day.

My friends, we should also start thinking of ourselves as saints. But we rarely, if ever, do this, do we? Why is that? Most likely the reason is that we think of ourselves as sinners. I’m not saying that we’re not sinners. Martin Luther described Christians as simultaneously being saints and sinners, made in God’s image, while not quite being able to live fully into God’s goodness and mercy. When we remember all the saints that went before us, we are seeing God’s mercy.

What about this idea of being saint and sinner? Yes, we are sinners, and for the record, all those people famously acknowledged as saints were also sinners. If we were not sinners and were saints from the beginning, we would not have needed Jesus to die for us. We should remember that without going through the cross, there is no way to achieve sainthood. But through our baptism, the Holy Spirit takes us from dead in sin and moves us to a child of God. We were dead, but through the cross (death of Jesus) we became a child of God.

Does God look at us as a saint? Of course he does. We were baptized in the name of the Father (Creator), the Son (the Redeemer), and the Holy Spirit (the Sustainer). That is why and how God looks at us as saints. But know that when the Lord looks at you and me, he sees us as holy. He already sees us dressed in this white robe. He sees all our sins, but those sins have all been washed away. He sees us already in the beauty of eternal life.

1 John 3:1-3 tells us about this. In this wonderful message, John tells us that God sees us as saints, but that is also why the world may not recognize us or take us seriously. If they are not in God’s family, they will not see us as saints. But by being children of God, that is just the beginning. Do we know how it will all end up? No, but what we do know is that when Christ is openly revealed, we’ll see his kingdom. “And all who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.” (1 John 3:3)

We see another glimpse of what being a saint looks like in Revelation 7:9-17. It’s a beautiful sight. They’re standing before the Lord, they’re waving palm branches, and they’re clothed in these beautiful white robes. When asked, the angel knows who they are. “These are they who have come out of the great ordeal; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” (Rev. 7:14). “They will hunger no more and thirst no more; the sun will not strike them nor any scorching heat, for the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of the water of life, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” (Rev. 7:16-17). Wow, what beautiful hope that gives us. A hope of being in the company of all the other saints. Those we know now and those we knew in the past, and those that we are yet to know that are part of this large family that is called the kingdom of God. This is what the Word tells us, and this is what we long to experience someday. Each of us, as we leave this building today, should find reassurance in knowing that although we may not be recognized by others around us, we are known, we are seen, and we are deeply loved. We need to be together. We are blessed with each other on this journey. And all around us, seen or unseen, are the saints who have been part of the family of faith on earth that have now died.

So, we might ask just how we have been blessed in all of this. In today’s Gospel, we hear what are known as the Beatitudes. It is said they have been associated with All Saints Day since the medieval period because interpreters saw them as naming both the virtues and the rewards of the holy. They reflect Matthew’s ethical discourse, the “Sermon on the Mount” (Matthew 5–7). They are not a “to-do” list, but a portrait of a heart transformed by God’s grace. They embrace humility (“poor in spirit”); practice active compassion (“the merciful”); pursue moral integrity (“hunger and thirst for righteousness”); cultivate gentleness and submission (“the meek”); and act as a bridge-builder (“the peacemakers”).

The Beatitudes connect to All Saints Day because they describe how we as God’s people live in the world. They do not promise an escape from pain, mourning, or persecution. But they declare that God’s blessing rests on ordinary, struggling, and faithful people right where they are. Where does that put us in this picture? It puts us smack dab in the middle, trying to live out the Beatitudes. However, we must remember that this is not our individual effort alone. Instead, we as believers embody these virtues together as a connected community of saints. Within this community of saints, we support, pray for, and uplift one another.

In the coming days ahead, as we remember all those that have lived before us and in all the ordinary moments of our life, may we remember to really take care of one another. Spending quality time with our children and grandchildren, offering company to someone or each other who is lonely. Helping someone in need. Sitting with someone who is ill. Lifting others in our prayers. Remember that we are not alone. We are children of God, and through our relationship with God, we are truly blessed.

In her November 2, 2014, sermon from Trinity Lutheran Church in Madison, Wisconsin, Pastor Sue says it like this: “What will we take with us into the darkness? We take the family of saints. We take the promise that we are God’s own children forever. We take the seal of the Cross of Christ on our foreheads that marks us as part of the communion of saints for eternity. We take Jesus’ promise to be with us today, tomorrow, and always. In the light and in the dark. We take with us our patronus. We call it Church. Blessed are we.”

Now, let me ask the beginning question again: “Are there any saints sitting in our pews today?” I believe there are.

Let us pray.

Almighty and loving God, we ask that you help us live our lives with compassion and humility. May we keep open minds and meet one another where and as we are. We thank you for all the saints who have gone before us and all the saints sitting next to us. Keep us steadfast in your Word and loving grace, that we may offer that same love and grace to those around us. In Jesus’ name we pray.

Amen

Are there any saints in our pews? There’s room for one more. If you’ve ever wondered whether you belong in church, remember Luther’s words: every one of us is both saint and sinner, washed clean in baptism and deeply loved by God. Come raise your hand with us. Join us Sunday at 10:00 AM at Triumphant Cross Lutheran Church in Dothan, and find out what to expect on your first visit.