Tues., November 7, 2023

The Rev. AARON B. JENKYN

The Sermon on the Mount: The Saints in our lives

The Rev. Aaron Jenkyn preaches on the Gospel of Matthew 5:1-12.

Jesus’s famous Sermon on the Mount begins with a set of blessings that have become known as the beatitudes. The instruction, the commandments (the how-to’s) will come later, but Jesus begins by looking out into the crowd and naming what he sees: that they are beloved in the eyes of God. That God favors them and loves them just as they are. Jesus blesses, and he blesses lavishly, expanding our understanding of ourselves and our neighbors. Expanding our understanding of who he is and who God is.

What if every encounter we had began with a blessing, how different the world would be? The Saints in our lives were often these people: the ones who began with blessing, who recognized their own belovedness and reminded us of ours; the people who made our faith possible, who strengthened us for the journey and walked with us on the way of love, and so we celebrate them this day, and honor them by becoming the ones who bless lavishly.