{"id":4213,"date":"2025-11-02T13:03:01","date_gmt":"2025-11-02T21:03:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hopelcs.ca\/church\/?p=4213"},"modified":"2025-11-02T17:03:59","modified_gmt":"2025-11-03T01:03:59","slug":"the-blessed-matthew-51-12-rev-79-17-november-2nd-2025-21st-sunday-after-pentecost-all-saints-day-observed-hope-lutheran-church-rev-lucas-andre-albrecht","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hopelcs.ca\/church\/the-blessed-matthew-51-12-rev-79-17-november-2nd-2025-21st-sunday-after-pentecost-all-saints-day-observed-hope-lutheran-church-rev-lucas-andre-albrecht\/","title":{"rendered":"“The Blessed” \/ Matthew 5:1-12; Rev 7:9-17 \/ November 2nd, 2025 \/ 21st Sunday after Pentecost, All Saints Day Observed \/ Hope Lutheran Church, Rev. Lucas Andre Albrecht"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sermon \u2013 November 2nd<\/sup>, 2025
\nHope Lutheran Church, Port Coquitlam BC
\nText: Matthew 5:1-12; Revelation 7
\nTheme: \u201cThe Blessed\u201d
\n___________________________<\/h3>\n

Introduction \u2013<\/strong> All Saints\u2019 Day is interesting because it pulls us in two different directions at once. We look backward, remembering those who have died in the faith \u2014 people we miss, people who helped shape our faith. But at the same time, Christ points us forward \u2014to the future He has prepared for us. And right in the middle of both comes Jesus with these words: (SLIDE 1a)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Blessed are the poor in spirit.\u00a0 Blessed are those who mourn.\u00a0 Blessed are the persecuted.<\/strong><\/p>\n

When Jesus begins the Sermon on the Mount, He looks at a group of people who don\u2019t look particularly successful or confident and says to them: \u201cBlessed are\u2026\u201d<\/strong> The Greek word (SLIDE 1b)<\/strong>He uses is \u03bc\u03b1\u03ba\u03ac\u03c1\u03b9\u03bf\u03b9<\/strong> (makarioi<\/em>). It means \u201cdeeply favored by God, deeply fortunate, living under God\u2019s care.\u201d Not luck, our material prosperity, or perfect health. Blessed. Something deeper and permanent.<\/p>\n

(SLIDE 2) <\/strong>What we see though, is that Jesus attaches this title to people who appear the opposite of fortunate: the poor in spirit, the grieving, the meek, the persecuted. And we think: \u201cReally? Blessed?\u201d <\/strong>Because if we\u2019re honest, when we hear the word blessed, we picture the opposite. We think of success, strength, comfort, a life that looks like everything is working out. These are not the people who get congratulated in our world. \u00a0They are people the world looks at many times and says: \u201cUnlucky. Unsuccessful. Unnoticed. Unimportant.\u201d And yet Jesus declares: they are the blessed ones.<\/em><\/p>\n

That is why the definition of \u03bc\u03b1\u03ba\u03ac\u03c1\u03b9\u03bf\u03b9(makarioi) is fundamental.<\/strong> These are people who are \u201cdeeply fortunate, honored by God.\u201d<\/p>\n

Why would He do that? (SLIDE 3) Because the Beatitudes are not describing people who look blessed \u2014 they are describing people who belong to The Blessed One<\/strong>. Here\u2019s the play of words in our title today: we tend to read it as plural, \u201cThe Blessed\u201d, us – and that is true, for Jesus talks about those who are<\/em> Blessed.<\/em> But it points the reason that is true \u00a0– and it is singular. It is because of (Slide 4) The Blessed. The Blessed One, Jesus. He is the Makarios<\/em>, the truly blessed Man \u2014 the only One who fully embodied all these things. And He<\/strong> gives His blessedness to those who trust Him.<\/p>\n

(Slide 5)<\/strong> This shows us that blessedness is not necessarily a description of how life looks \u2014 it is a declaration of who you are in Christ<\/strong>. \u201cBlessed are\u201d is present tense \u2014 not \u201cBlessed will be.<\/em>\u201d Jesus isn\u2019t describing a reward we might earn if we perform well enough. He is describing the identity He gives to us as a gift. We are blessed because we already belong to Him, the true Blessed One \u2014 the One who perfectly embodies every Beatitude for us.<\/p>\n

This becomes even more clear when we notice something special about the \u201cBlessed\u201d sayings: each of them can be first applied to Jesus Himself. <\/strong><\/p>\n

(SLIDE 6 \u2013 level by level)<\/strong><\/p>\n

He became poor in spirit<\/strong> \u2014 emptying Himself on our behalf.
\nHe mourned<\/strong> \u2014 weeping over sin and death.
\nHe was perfectly meek<\/strong> \u2014 refusing violence even when attacked.
\nHe hungered and thirsted for righteousness<\/strong> to save the world.
\nHe was merciful<\/strong> \u2014 forgiving even His executioners.
\nHe was pure in heart<\/strong> \u2014 always faithful to the Father\u2019s love.
\nHe is the great Peacemaker<\/strong> \u2014 reconciling us to God by His blood.
\nHe was persecuted<\/strong> unto death \u2014 so that we would live.
\nHe is The Blessed One who makes us The Blessed Ones<\/strong>. We are not blessed because we have mastered the Beatitudes. We are blessed because the Blessed One has claimed<\/strong> us, forgiven us, and covered us in His righteousness.<\/p>\n

And this changes how we walk through daily life:<\/p>\n

(SLIDE 7 \u2013 level by level) <\/strong>Blessed are:<\/p>\n