(I like the down-to-earth feel of this sermon. The writer uses Luke’s version of the Beatitudes. Sorry that I do not know who wrote it. It was sent to me some time last year and authorship was not noted. So if it’s one of you, sorry and thanks ).

All Saints Day

November 1st, 1998

Gospel Lesson: Luke 6: 20-31

Sermon: Living Among The Saints

We had a cat when I was young whose name was "Midnight." Every evening, she initiated a ritual that revolved around the back door.

When Midnight decided that she wanted to go out, and she would go to the door and stand on her hind legs and reach up as high as she could with her front paws. If it was summer and the screens were in, she would actually climb up the door and hang from the screen looking back over her shoulder, waiting for someone to come. In the winter, she just kept scratching at the glass pane until one of us finally took notice.

Midnight always seemed urgent and sincere in her desire to go out when she scratched at the door. But inevitably, when one of us got up and opened the door for her, she would sit down right at the threshold without budging either way. Once the door was finally opened for her, she could never seem to decide if she really wanted to be out or in. First she would poke her head out and sniff the air and feel the temperature. Then she would look back into the room as if searching for something interesting enough to hold her attention and keep her indoors. Then she would look up at you as if looking to be persuaded one way or another.

You would try to be patient with her and give her a chance to think it over, but you didn't want to be standing there with the door open for too long. In the summer you had to worry about bugs and moths flying in and in the winter you had ice cold air blowing over your bare feet. So after a few moments of coaxing, you would inevitably have to make the decision for her. Depending on the kind of mood that you were in at the time, you either pushed her out into the darkness or pulled her back into the room before the door was slammed shut. As her doorkeepers, we determined where she would spend the night.

In a similar way, we are constantly going to the door and pushing some people out and inviting others in. " We determine that people certain people belong inside with us, and others don't. We do it as individuals. We do it as churches. We do it as communities. We divide people into friends or foes, saints or sinners, allies or adversaries. Those who are on our side are invited in. Those who are on the opposite side are pushed out. We are doorkeepers, not only for our pets, but for people as well.

Today our gospel lesson includes one of the great summary statements of the Christian faith. The Golden Rule encapsulates in one brief phrase the moral imperative that underlies everything that Jesus taught us about how we ought to live together. If anyone asked us, "How are Christians supposed to live their lives?" I think most of us would quote the text from the 31st verse of the 6th chapter in Luke's gospel:

"Do to others as you would have them do to you."

That is one of the most important rules that we teach our children in Sunday school. Everything else they learn is mostly commentary on this one verse. It is a wonderful summary of how we followers of Jesus are supposed to live in the world.

But in order to apply it, we have to be willing to give up our role as doorkeepers.

That is the point that Jesus seems to be making in the beatitudes that precede the golden rule. He links the fate of groups that are usually on opposite sides of the door: the poor and the rich, the hungry and full, the sad and the happy, the scorned and the popular. Instead of shutting one group out and inviting the other in, he tells us that both groups share a similar fate.

Those who are struggling now have good things to look forward to:

Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be filled. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. Blessed are you when people hate you, and exclude you, revile you and defame you…rejoice and leap for joy, for surely your reward is great in heaven.

And those who are enjoying blessings now are warned that hardship awaits them: Woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation. Woe to you who are full now, for you will be hungry. Woe to you who are laughing now, for you will mourn and weep. Woe to you when all speak well of you, for that is what their ancestors did to the false prophets.

Everyone who is in will be out and everyone who is out will be in. Jesus has taken off the hinges. Instead of two distinct groups, the "haves" and the "have-nots" will be constantly changing places with each other until they become indistinguishable.

In the life that Jesus calls us to live, the barriers separating those who are in from those who are out have been eliminated. That is the only way that golden rule makes any sense. That is why Jesus could say, "love your enemies, do good to those who hurt you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. Without a doorkeeper to keep the groups separated, the distinctions between friends and foes, saints and sinners, allies and adversaries become meaningless.

When we do to others as we would have them do to us, then the poor won't be shut out. They will be blessed because of us. When we follow the golden rule, we invite in those who are accustomed to having doors slammed in their faces.The blessings that Jesus promised come through us. The poor are blessed when we treat them the way we hope to be treated when we become poor. The hungry are blessed when we treat them the way we hope to be treated when we become hungry.

The mournful are blessed because we treat them the way we want to be treated when we are mourning. The abused and excluded and persecuted are blessed when we treat them the way we want to be treated when we are abused and excluded and persecuted.

Jesus held the door open for everyone. In order for us to live by the golden rule, we have to eliminate the distinction between those who are in and those who are out. Our doors will never be closed to anyone if we "Do to others as we would have them do to us." Amen.