Matthew 5:1–12

¹Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him.

²And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying:

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.

¹²Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

This is a most wonderful description of what it means to be blessed by God. Through the ages people from all nations and all religions have held these words dear and have sentimental attachment to this beautiful description of the state of blessedness.

But let's be honest right from the beginning. This description of the blessed state does not describe a single one of us gathered here today. Just look at yourselves; not a one of you is really poor in spirit, that means humble, repentant, afflicted by guilt and sin. Not a single one is truly meek or merciful. No one here really hungers and thirsts for righteousness. And which of us can lay claim to being pure in heart or a peacemaker? This certainly does not describe the attitude or atmosphere around here.

In fact, if anything, this description of blessedness shows just how far short we fall of God's glory. "For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God." It shows just how unfruitful we are; how much we fail as disciples of Christ. If this is the standard by which we are judged, then we are all miserable failures. It shows us our sin. It removes the dark glasses from our eyes and blinds us with the brilliance of God's holiness.

For, indeed, these words describe the holiness and righteousness of God Himself. "They ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; the splendor of his holiness." Ps 29. "Who is like you, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders?" Exodus 15. "His glory is over all the earth." Ps 57. "Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples!...Splendor and majesty are before him, strength and beauty are in his sanctuary." Ps 96.

Yes, these beatitudes are a description of the holiness and blessedness of Jesus. He is the one who is poor in spirit. It was he who mourned. He is the meek one. He is the one who hungered and thirsted for righteousness. He is the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemaker and he is the persecuted one.

He made himself poor in spirit, meek, persecuted, and merciful for you. He became this so he could take your sins from you and bear your burden of guilt. He lowered himself and assumed your humanity and lowliness. He partook of your flesh and blood and became your brother so he could taste death for each one of you. He died on a cross for you. So he would be the propitiation for your sins; the atoning sacrifice for sin. So that he could become your righteousness. And because he did, he says to you: "Yours is the kingdom of heaven. You shall be comforted. You shall inherit the earth. You shall be satisfied. You shall receive mercy. You shall see God. You shall be called sons of God and your reward shall be great in heaven. This state of blessedness is the reward that Jesus won for you on the cross. By his lowliness; his meekness; his hunger and thirst for righteousness, he won the prize. And that prize is you. You are his prize. And for you, He was poor in spirit so that the kingdom of heaven is yours. He mourned so you would be comforted, he made peace with God so you can be sons of God.

Now, in your Baptism, God laid claim to you. God took you and nailed you to the cross in the person of Jesus Christ. It is a done deed. You have been drowned in Baptism. The old in you has been put to death. Now all is new. You are a new person. God did it to you when you were Baptized. God claimed you as his own son or daughter. There is nothing you can do about it now. You belong to him. You have been clothed with Christ. His name has been placed on you. "Beloved, you are God's child now." "How can you neglect such a great salvation?" Hebrews 2.

However, "What you will be has not yet appeared." When you look at yourselves, you don't look like children of God. "But we know that when he appears, you shall be like him, because you shall see him as he is."

He is the blessed, the favored of God. And when you see him you shall be like him. These beatitudes will truly describe your blessed estate, just as they now describe all those who have gone before you and who have already seen him. We are comforted that Clarence Teske, Robert Buchner, Emma Engelbrecht and all those who have departed this world of tears, have already received their comfort. They are the truly blessed. They have inherited the earth. They have been satisfied. They have received mercy. They have seen God. They are called sons of God, and their reward in heaven is great. We rejoice with them in their blessedness. We wipe away our tears and sorrow knowing that their tears have been wiped away; they have received the reward that Jesus earned for them on the cross. Blessed are they who today reside in eternity with the Lord.

No, we do not fit this description, however, there is one man alive on earth today does: Jesus himself. And, yes, you heard me right. Jesus is alive on earth today; he is right here with us. Where his word is proclaimed and his sacraments administered, Jesus is present. "Lo, I shall be with you until the end of the age," he promises. Truly he is alive and he is in the world. "Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I with them." He is bodily present with us this morning in worship. When and where the church gathers, Jesus is there. The church gathers when and where the Word of God is both proclaimed and poured out in the Sacraments. And there is Jesus, the living, resurrected Jesus. In a few minutes we will receive his living, resurrected body and blood in our mouths. Where his body is, there is Jesus. He is not a ghost who goes off wandering about leaving his body at rest somewhere. Where his body is, there is Jesus. Where Jesus is, there is his body. In the sacrament he gives us himself to feed on, to nourish us, to strengthen us, to commune with him. It is in the sacrament that he comes into us and does his work on us and bestows these blessings of the beatitudes on us. It is in the Lord's Supper that we are blessed to receive the kingdom of heaven, to be comforted, to inherit the earth, to receive mercy. It is in the bread and wine that we see God.

Jesus is bodily present here this morning in the place where word and sacrament are given. But where Jesus is, heaven is, and all the company of heaven is with him. When Jesus comes here, he brings with him the angels and archangels. He brings with him the elders, the prophets and apostles, and all the company of saints. With him comes Clarence Teske, Robert Buchner, and Emma Engelbrecht. Yes, they are present here today, just as real as before they departed this world. They are here just as present as Jesus himself. And when we commune with Jesus' body and blood, we commune with them as well. We are joined to them as we are joined to Jesus. We share in their blessed estate and rejoice with them in their redeemer forever and ever.

Today we join our loved ones who have gone before us. They come with Jesus whenever Jesus comes into our midst. When and where the faithful gather around word and sacrament, our loved ones in heaven gather with us.

Therefore, Jesus wipes away all tears. Jesus bestows on us, as on them his reward. For here we are called sons of God; here we see God; here we are comforted. Indeed, here ours is the kingdom of heaven.

Amen.