COMMENTARY

Old Testament: Isaiah 25:6-9
Through his prophet, the Lord promises to make a joyous feast for his people on Mt. Zion, replete with rich food and wine. God will remove the pall of gloom and sorrow by destroying death and personally wiping away the tears from the eyes of his people.

Epistle: Revelation 21:1-6a
John's vision of the new heaven and new earth, predicted by Isaiah (65:17; 66:22). The sea, symbolic of unrest and turbulence, is no more. The new Jerusalem descends from heaven, with all the beauty of a bride. The voice of God himself is heard: "The home of God is among mortals. He will dwell with them and be their God; and they will be his people." As in Isaiah's vision, God will wipe the tears from their eyes; death, mourning and crying will be done away.

Epistle: Revelation 7:2-4, 9-17
John sees a heavenly vision. Hosts arrayed in white robes stand before the throne of God, singing praises. The seer is asked to identify the throne. He defers to the elder who asked him. He responds that these are the ones who have come out of the great tribulation and have been purified by the sacrifice of Christ. As in the previous two passages, God's living presence comforts and shelters the elect: They will hunger and thirst no more (v. 16).

Gospel: John 11:32-44
Jesus arrives at the home of Mary and Martha, four days after his friend Lazarus died. Mary greets Jesus with the words: "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died." The words carry some sense of disappointment that Jesus' visit had not been more timely but they also convey her strong faith. Some of the crowd are also critical of Jesus. The Lord is moved to tears by the sorrow and weeping which he sees all around him. They go to the tomb and Jesus orders the stone removed. Mary cautions concerning the stench. Jesus challenges them to believe. He calls Lazarus forth from the tomb and when he appears, orders that the grave wrappings be removed. Many people believe in Jesus but John also cites this incident as the direct cause for Jesus' arrest.

Gospel: Matthew 5:1-12
The Beatitudes from the Sermon On The Mount. Those who humble themselves before God are the "blessed ones," the saints of God.

THEOLOGICAL REFLECTION

Old Testament: Isaiah 25:6-9
Don't cut the fat from the feast (v. 6). As I write this, Christmas is a few weeks away. In yesterday's paper, an article about holiday feasting stated that the average American puts on two to five pounds over the holidays. The author contended that it isn't good to abstain from all rich holiday fare; that would make us grumpy and lead to binge eating. Instead, pick the rich foods you really like and compensate by abstaining from some other fattening delectables. The kingdom feast that God has prepared for all his people centers around rich food and fine drink. "A feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wines...." Our celebration of life and love will know no constraint.

The shroud (v. 7). The Shroud of Turin has raised a great deal of controversy. Some people make a very convincing case for this being the burial cloth of Jesus. Shrouds or other forms of covering have traditionally clothed the dead. The purpose is to keep the contamination of death away from the living. The Gospel text from John 11, the raising of Lazarus, vividly describes how the grave wrappings still clung to the resurrected disciple. Death casts a pall of fear over the face of the earth. In Christ, that pall is removed; death is swallowed up by the victorious Christ.

Death is a bitter pill to swallow (v. 7). Isaiah exalts that God will swallow up death forever. We are able to taste the feast of victory because Christ first tasted the poison of death for all people. It was a bitter pill indeed! Because Jesus freely swallowed death for our salvation, we can feast forever.

Epistle: Revelation 21:1-6a
It's a new ball game. The vision of Isaiah is of a new heaven and a new earth. In the new heavenly Jerusalem, the old rules won't apply any more no pain, sorrow, weeping or death. Instead, God will dwell in the midst of his people, always visible, always accessible.

City of God (v. 2). The new life with God is described as a city. Sin separates us from one another but Christ redeems us to function as citizens of the city of God. Heaven is a community of grace, love and forgiveness.

Epistle: Revelation 7:2-4, 9-17
Singing saints (v. 12). The saints in heaven are pictured singing praises to God. Saints on earth also have been known for their love of singing God's praises.

Songs of victory (v. 14). Who are these singing saints? "These are they who have come out of the great ordeal..." (v. 14). No wonder they have a song in their hearts. With Christ, they have won the victory over sin and death.

Made in the shade (v. 16). "The sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat." Life can be experienced as a smoldering Death Valley-type experience. With Christ as our shepherd, leading us to cool waters, we have it made in the shade.

Gospel: John 11:32-44
What makes Jesus cry? When Jesus observed the grief and sorrow all around him, he was moved to tears. He wasn't crying that Lazarus was dead; death would not have the last word. He was weeping because of the pain that death caused the living. Jesus is touched by our sorrow.

Anger at God's absence. When Mary greeted Jesus, she knelt and stated: "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died" (v. 32). Her confession of faith is laced with anger and disappointment. The unuttered question was: "Lord, why weren't you here? Where were you?" When God does not prevent life's tragedies, we have a tendency to be angry, to feel that God is detached from our lives.

The upward look (v. 41). After the tomb was opened, Jesus stood there, looked upward and prayed. In the midst of betrayal, pain, sorrow and death, he kept looking up. His upward look was conveyed not only by the position of his head or his eyes but his spirit. His prayer showed a spirit of thanksgiving and faith. He knew that the Father had already heard, had already reached out his hand to save. Nothing can destroy us if we keep the upward look.

Death binds us, Jesus frees us (v. 44). When Lazarus emerged from the tomb he was still bound by the grave clothes. Jesus ordered that he be unbound, that he be freed. Fear of death binds many of us. Only Jesus, through his resurrection, can free us and does free us.

Gospel: Matthew 5:1-12
Things aren't always what they seem. Those whom Jesus pronounces as the blessed ones are almost precisely the ones the world judges worthless. The world blesses strength, happiness, self-assertion, but Jesus considers those who are weak, who rely on God for strength, to be the truly blessed ones.

PREACHING POSSIBILITIES

Old Testament: Isaiah 25:6-9
1. Sermon Title: A Feast For All. Sermon Angle: Isaiah proclaims that the feast of God's kingdom is for ALL people. The rich and famous feast regularly but many people are excluded from the feast of life because of race, class, income or other reasons. God's eschatological feast is to include all sorts of people. The Eucharist is a foretaste of that heavenly feast for all who have been washed clean and made ready by the blood of Christ (Revelation 7:14). The community that gathers around Christ's table can never be satisfied to let some hapless souls eat the crumbs that fall from our table.

Outline:

1. Isaiah proclaims a feast for all people (v. 6).
2. The fulfillment of that prophecy is in Christ.
3. If we feast on salvation around God's Eucharistic table, how can we be content for others to eat scraps from the dinner table of life?

2. Sermon Title: Handkerchiefs From Heaven. Sermon Angle: You've seen the movies where the hero hands his dewy-eyed woman companion his handkerchief. Isaiah holds up a moving image of God wiping away tears from all eyes (v. 8). Scripture testifies that the Lord is moved by our sorrows. He reaches out to tenderly daub our tear-stained cheeks.

Outline:

1. This is the day we give special effort in remembering our departed saints and loved ones.
2. Three of the lessons picture God as being moved by our sorrows.
3. In this text, God wipes away the tears from all sorrowing ones (v. 8).
4. We could say God is our handkerchief from heaven.
5. We too are handkerchiefs from heaven sent to comfort those who mourn.

Epistle: Revelation 21:1-6a
1. Sermon Title: The One Funeral For Which There Will Be No Weeping. Sermon Angle: All of the lessons on this All Saints' Sunday lift up the prospect of the time when death will itself die. At the funeral of death there will be no weeping, only rejoicing. The first order of business, when God gathers his people into the kingdom, is to lay death to eternal rest. This and other lections for today could celebrate the death of death. A fitting topic for celebrating the lives of departed saints.

Outline:

1. Death will be no more; God will wipe away every tear (v. 4).
2. God will swallow up death (Isaiah 25:7).
3. Jesus raises Lazarus from the grave (John 11:32-44).
4. We celebrate the death of death when we celebrate the saints.

Epistle: Revelation 7:2-4, 9-17
1. Sermon Title: A Passing Mark. Sermon Angle: The heavenly scene reminds me somewhat of a great commencement exercise that celebrates the successful conclusion to years of hard labor, sweat and tears. Those assembled there have received a passing mark. The four destroying angels are told not to harm the earth until the servants of God have received God's mark on their forehead. This mark would enable them to pass into the kingdom of God (v. 3). Those at a commencement wear robes; so too the elect wear white robes, cleansed by the blood of Christ. Those at a commencement might sing a school song and those in the heavenly commencement sing a song of salvation and praise.

Outline:

1. The heavenly scene features all those who have received a passing mark (v. 3). The mark was awarded not because of their goodness but because they clung to God's grace.
2. The privilege of wearing the white robe, like studying for a degree, goes to those who endure. Life is an ordeal which tries our faith (v. 14). Heaven is the prize for those who hang in there.
3. In the heavenly commencement we will sing songs of victory and praise (v. 12).

Gospel: John 11:32-44
1. Sermon Title: Death in Christ: The Ultimate Healing. Sermon Angle: It's plain that Mary and many others who were at Mary and Martha's home felt that Jesus should have come while Lazarus was still alive, to heal him. "Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?" (v. 37). For them, it was too late. There was nothing Jesus could do now. They were clearly wrong. Death is the ultimate healing for those who are disciples of Christ. We awake from the sleep of death into the realm where there is no pain or sorrow or death.

Outline:

1. Many of the Jews felt that Jesus should have come to heal Lazarus (v. 37).
2. Jesus purposely waited for Lazarus to die, so he could demonstrate his power to raise the dead and give glory to God (v. 40).
3. We may have prayed for God to heal a loved one and he didn't.
4. Death in Christ is the ultimate healing it leads to a life free of pain and sorrow.

2. Sermon Title: The Stench Of Death. Sermon Angle: Those who lived near the Nazi death camps constantly had the stench of death in their nostrils, though most of them didn't realize what it was. Death does have a stench to it. Death stinks! The very idea of death makes our blood curdle and our flesh recoil. When Jesus ordered the stone to be removed from the entrance to the tomb, Mary warned that there would be a stench, the stench of death and deterioration. Jesus did not let that stench of death keep him from confronting that ugly spook. The stench of death yielded to the sweet smell of life as Lazarus emerged from the tomb.

Outline:

1. Mary warned Jesus about the stench of death (v. 39). Most of us would agree that death stinks.
2. Jesus challenges her to believe even in the face of death (v. 40).
3. Jesus confronts death with faith and prayer (vv. 40-44).
4. Lazarus still had to die one day but the stench of death had been replaced with the sweet scent of eternal life and love.
5. Faith in Jesus transforms the stench of death.

Illustration: The Hapsburgs ruled in Europe for centuries, but the funeral of Emperor Franz-Josef I of Austria, who died in 1916, marked the last of the lavish imperial funerals. A processional of the rulers of this world and other dignitaries escorted the coffin, draped in the black and gold imperial colors. The cortege was accompanied by military bands intoning somber dirges. By the light of torches, they descended the stairs of the Capuchin Monastery in Vienna. At the bottom was a great iron door leading to the Hapsburg family crypt. Behind the door was the Cardinal-Archbishop of Vienna.

The officer in charge enacted the prescribed ceremony, formed centuries before. "Open!" he cried.

"Who goes there?" replied the Cardinal. "We bear the remains of his Imperial and Apostolic Majesty, Franz-Josef I, by the grace of God Emperor of Austria, King of Hungary, Defender of the Faith, Prince of Bohemia-Moravia, Grand Duke of Lombardy, Venezia, Styrgia...." The officer continued to list the Emperor's thirty-seven titles.

"We know him not," rejoined the Cardinal. "Who goes there?" The officer spoke again, this time using a much abbreviated and less pretentious title.

"We know him not," the Cardinal said again. "Who goes there?" The officer made a third attempt, depriving the emperor of all but the humblest of titles: "We bear the body of Franz-Josef, our brother, a sinner like us all!"

At that, the doors swung open, and Franz-Josef was admitted. In death, we are all equal. Wealth and accomplishment cannot open the way of salvation. The door of death opens only by God's grace, to those who know and love Jesus. Jesus calls forth from the tomb those who humbly confess their need.

Gospel: Matthew 5:1-12
1. Sermon Title: The Blessings of Godly Grief. Sermon Angle: Jesus pronounces those who mourn to be blessed (v. 4). These will receive God's comfort. But is that really true? A sermon devoted to the topic of good and Godly grief could prove very beneficial to your congregation, since nobody is spared the pangs of grief and loss. What are these blessings?

Outline:

1. Godly grief helps us to draw closer to God and to identify with Jesus' suffering and death.
2. Godly grief makes us more humble (destroys the Superman complex).
3. Godly grief draws us closer to one another.
4. Godly grief helps us cut loose from this world and prepares us for heaven.

Illustration: Philip Yancey, a writer for Christianity Today, tells of a group of friends in Minnesota who gathered every New Year's Eve with seven other couples to celebrate the gift of life. They would discuss how the year had gone and attempt to ascertain where God had been in their lives. One man suggested that each couple would try to live out one of the Beatitudes during the coming year. They agreed and so each Beatitude was inscribed on a piece of paper and put into a hat. Each couple drew one out but did not divulge which one they got. At the end of the year, when they gathered on New Year's Eve, they made a game of guessing which Beatitude the others had received. Without exception, they were able to discern which Beatitude the others had taken by the manner of their lives. It goes to show that Jesus' standards of saintliness are within the realm of possibility. None of us will ever perfectly embody these characteristics completely but if we are obedient to God's Spirit, we can be transformed not only in thought but in character.

WORSHIP RESOURCES

Psalm Of The Day: Psalm 24 -- "Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord?...Those who have clean hands and pure hearts" (vv. 3a, 4a); Psalm 149; Psalm 23

Prayer Of The Day: In our baptism, you have set us apart for your service and made us your saints. By your Spirit, empower us to realize our calling and to follow the blessed example of those who have already inherited the crown of eternal glory. In the name of Jesus, whose blood makes us his and makes us holy. Amen.

Theme For The Day: Who are saints? Those who rely on God for comfort and salvation.