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All Saints’ (Observed): Matt 5:1-12
Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him. And he opened his mouth and taught them…
Politics has its own beatitudes, its measure for success and happiness. Blessed is the political party that comes out on top this Tuesday, for they will be in power. Blessed is the person who wins the presidential nomination, for they will rule the nation. They will rejoice and be glad, for they know their rewards will be great, even lucrative. Blessed are you who align with the winners, for you will now have real hope. Blessed are you who get what you want from this election, for you will now have the policies and programs that make you feel secure. Rejoice and be glad, for great is your reward in your own mind.
If your candidate comes out on top, will you really be blessed? If your candidate loses, will you really be cursed? Are the blessings and curses of your life truly oriented toward national politics, economic structures, and political identity? How will this election, or any other, address the real issues of sin and death? The struggles in our lives that we face every day-our selfish choices, our pride, our addictions, our sloth, our lust, our hatred, our anger, our idolatries, our fears, our anxieties-will not be overcome by this election or any other. There is only One who can truly save us, our Lord Jesus Christ. In this morning’s Gospel, Jesus opens up this reality for us.
