All Saints

When we use the term saints we often picture the great saints of the Christian faith: St Francis of Assisi or one of the apostles, or a great bishop or evangelist, for example. We rarely think of ourselves in that category: I certainly don't. However, when we pay a little more attention to the New Testament we realise that the saints that are mentioned there are just simple followers of Jesus. The New Testament understands the 'holy ones' to be people just like you and me who are doing their best to be true to their Christian callings.

When I reflect on this week's Gospel reading, Matthew 5: 1 - 12, I realize that most of the things mentioned in the list of beatitudes are things we rarely choose in lives: poverty, death, starvation, mercy, purity, peacemaking, persecution, and being bullied. These things can come to us, but they are rarely sought. I think that is right, too. Who would really like to be poor and hungry, or mourning and bullied? None of us, and we wouldn't want that for others, either. Being blessed, being holy, being a saint, means being supported by God's grace. It is by God's graciousness that there is special place in the kingdom for those whose lives seem to be without blessing.

Looking at the world around us with kingdom eyes we see then that those who appear to be the least are in fact those who will be 'great in heaven', and those who think themselves to be great will be the 'least'. The challenge before you and me is to just simply follow Jesus, and to follow Jesus simply.

Chris