Listen to the audio of today’s Reflection:
https://soundcloud.com/hapearce/reflection-for-october-31-2025
Matthew 5:3-12
The Beatitudes
He said:
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Hebrews 11:32 – 12:2
11:32 And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah, about David and Samuel and the prophets, 33 who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. 35 Women received back their dead, raised to life again. There were others who were tortured, refusing to be released so that they might gain an even better resurrection.36 Some faced jeers and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. 37 They were put to death by stoning; they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated— 38 the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, living in caves and in holes in the ground.
39 These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, 40 since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.
12:1Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Tomorrow is November 1st — All Saints’ Day on the church calendar. It’s been our custom on this occasion each year to devote a day’s Reflection to thinking about two different passages. One is the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:1-12), which is a traditional reading for the occasion. The other is a passage from the Letter to the Hebrews that seems like a particularly appropriate reading for the day.
Lots of Protestants have traditionally ignored All Saints’ Day, probably because we don’t venerate saints and pray to them in the same way that Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Christians do. But I can’t help thinking that ignoring the occasion is a mistake on our part, because the New Testament talks about the saints – it just uses the term differently than the Catholic and Orthodox traditions. The New Testament uses the word saints to refer to all the followers of Jesus, both those who are alive now and those who have gone before. (Protestants sometimes call those saints who are still living on earth “the church militant,” and those who have passed on from this life “the church triumphant.”)
The custom on All Saints’ Day is to remember those followers of Jesus who have gone before – our ancestors in the faith. We remember their faithful discipleship and service to God’s kingdom that have contributed to the life of the church, as well as to our individual lives as followers of Jesus. Sometimes in All Saints’ Day services, a candle is lit for each of those who has left the church militant and joined the church triumphant in the preceding year.
In our tradition, the most popular All Saints’ Day hymn is “For All the Saints Who from Their Labors Rest.” We usually sing that hymn on the Sunday closest to All Saints’ Day if it doesn’t fall on the Sabbath.
The first passage we’re thinking about together is the Beatitudes, the opening verses of the part of Matthew we call “the Sermon on the Mount.” Some New Testament scholars say Jesus’ point in the Beatitudes was to give us a contrast between the struggles his followers would face in this world, and the celebration and blessing we believe we will experience in the kingdom of God. That speaks directly to the traditional distinction between the church militant – which is meant to mean ‘still engaged in the struggle’ – and the church triumphant, celebrating joyfully in the heavenly kingdom.
We’ve said in past Reflections that some Bible scholars say the Beatitudes should be read by inserting “in this world” after the first clause of each one, and “in the kingdom of heaven” after the second clause. So, for instance: Blessed are those who mourn [in this world], for they will be comforted [in the kingdom of heaven].
So the Beatitudes remind us that whatever sacrifices the people of God may make – whatever persecution the saints may encounter – the blessings awaiting us in the kingdom of God far outweigh them.
Our second reading for the day comes from the Letter to the Hebrews, and it illuminates another perspective of the occasion of All Saints’ Day. The unknown author of Hebrews points to a number of leading figures of faith history who have lived their lives in faith and are now sharing in a heavenly reward. Then the passage goes on to say that these people from faith history surround us “like a great cloud of witnesses” as we “run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” The saints in the heavenly kingdom are portrayed as ‘cheering us on’ as we run our race of faith in this world.
That seems to me like a powerful image for All Saints’ Day. Those of us who were raised in the church can remember the names and faces of lots of people who nurtured us in our lives of faith. Parents and grandparents. Sunday School teachers and youth leaders and pastors. People who had a smile and a friendly word for us on Sunday in church and others who shared their faith with us and supported us in walking the path of discipleship. It seems right to think of those people cheering us on as we strain to follow Jesus and help establish his kingdom on earth, as it is in heaven.
It seems like a wise move for Protestants to observe All Saints’ Day. It has some themes we need to be reminded of – at least once each year.
Let’s pray. Lord, we thank you for those who have gone before, and for their role in handing down to us the faith that informs our lives. By your Spirit, empower us to live out our faith in a way that justifies their sacrifices for us – and in ways that will cause others to give thanks for us someday. Amen.
Grace and Peace,
Henry
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