All Saints Day

Richard Davenport November 6, 2022 - All Saints' Day Psalm 31:1, 3, 5, Rev. 7:14 All of those old adages and sayings that get passed around and everyone knows are probably there for a reason. They may not always apply and they may not always be correct, but there's enough truth in them that they continue to come up and get repeated. Among the sayings that are constantly circulated is, "Seeing is believing," or the closely related, "I'll believe it when I see it." So basic, so understandable that it hardly requires any explanation. I talked last week about words, about the difference between what you say and what God says. God's words carry all of his power and authority. His words make things happen. Ours don't come with that kind of power because we aren't in a position to command much of anything. Once upon a time, back in the garden of Eden, we could have spoken and creation would have responded to our words. We could have, as Jesus says, spoken to mountains and told them to jump into the sea. The world would have obeyed because God had given us the authority to manage the world he created. We abdicated that authority and now living in the world is a constant battle. Still, we repeat, "Seeing is believing," not because we expect something to happen, but because we are reporting on reality. This is just how it is. It isn't necessarily right or wrong. It just is. People can make all sorts of claims, even simple, reasonable claims, but that doesn't mean they'll happen. "Say whatever you want, but I'll believe when I see it." It doesn't really matter who makes the promise, the claim, whatever it is. Someone tells you they'll do something or that something will happen. That person might be right 100% of the time. That person might follow through on a promise every single time without fail. Still, you never know what might happen. Crazy, unexpected stuff happens all the time. This time, despite his best efforts, your friend might not be able to follow through on his promise. It might not be his fault at all, but still, it didn't happen. The same thing happens with people who make various claims. They could be political claims, who will win a particular election. They could be financial claims, the stock market or a particular investment. They could be just about anything. Those claims might have a perfect track record, but the world is a fundamentally unpredictable place. Things happen that no one could ever expect. Whether it's random chance or whatever you want to call it, the best, the most foolproof predictions still sometimes fail. So, "seeing is believing," is just an acknowledgment that until it's there, until it's happened, until it's right there in front of you, there's no reason to assume it will happen. If you bank on it, you could end up in a lot of trouble. King David is no stranger to this sort of uncertainty. David has seen God's work firsthand. David is a shepherd who quickly becomes a mighty man of war. David's first big scene in Scripture is his showdown with Goliath. Why does David, a shepherd, challenge a warrior whose name has become synonymous with giants to single combat? Because Goliath is profaning God's name. Would any sane gambler have bet on David to win? Not a chance. Still, David takes one shot and that ends up being all he needs. You can see it in slow motion, David spinning his sling around as Goliath saunters up, coming in for the easy kill. David suddenly releases and the stone sails through the air in a perfect arc. All eyes follow the stone until it lands unerringly in the center of Goliath's forehead. You see Goliath blink a couple of times and then topple over like a felled oak tree. What was going on in David's mind through all of this? We can't say for sure. All we do know for sure is that David was confident God would deal with this flagrant heathen rather harshly. That's exactly what happened and David saw God working through him with his own eyes. Going forward, David would know God was at work and that God could do seemingly impossible things. He would know God can and does do these kinds of things because he's seen them firsthand. A little later in life, as David is brought into King Saul's court, things start to get a little dicey. David goes off to fight the enemies of Israel and he's victorious every time. King Saul starts to get jealous of his success and sets about to capture David to put him to death. David is in fear for his life as he is chased all over the country. Will God save him from King Saul? There are a few times David seems to be thinking, "I'll see it when I believe it." He does survive and even finally becomes king when Saul later dies in the course of a battle. Still, at the time things were looking pretty doubtful. David would have similar sentiments later on in his reign as well, when his son Absalom rebels against him and has him on the run. David fears for his life again, particularly because he can't bear the thought of raising arms against his own son, even though his son has no qualms about taking out his father. "You've done amazing things in the past, Lord. You've sheltered people from their enemies and provided comfort for those who are suffering. I know you can do it. I've seen you do it in the past, but right now I'm not so sure. I hear what you're saying Lord, but, as they say, 'Seeing is believing.' Unless it shows up, I'll never really know if you meant what you said." Psalm 31, written by David, is what we used for our introit today. We only have a couple of verses from it and it goes on for 24 verses altogether. You can hear David wrestling with his situation throughout the Psalm. There's uncertainty there. There's a disconnect. You can hear it as you go from verse 2 to 3 and 4. "Incline your ear to me; rescue me speedily! Be a rock of refuge for me, a strong fortress to save me!" he says in verse 2. "Be a refuge for me, a fortress!" he says. "I need your protection!" Then he goes on to verses 3 and 4: "For you are my rock and my fortress; and for your name's sake you lead me and guide me; you take me out of the net they have hidden for me, for you are my refuge." Gone is the uncertainty. It's not, "be a fortress," but rather, "You are..." He knows here in his heart that God is a refuge, a fortress, a savior, but he doesn't see it right now. Right here, when he's in the thick of it, the knowledge that God will care for him just doesn't seem real. David is a king, and so in many ways his life is very different from mine. At the same time, as we see David's life, his struggles, his triumphs, the course of life from when he was a young man to his death bed in old age, we see him as a real person. He's not some mythic figure like Hercules. He's not a super hero with super problems. He's a man. A sinful man. A man who wrestles with his faith on a regular basis. He is a believer, and yet he just can't seem to give himself fully to that faith and operate 100% as if God truly is in control and will protect him, provide for him, and walk beside him every step of the way. He's got to ask those questions. He has to plead for God to do these things because maybe, maybe this time he had forgotten his promise. Maybe this time I'm out of luck and all of my waiting will come to nothing. It's an aspect of Luther's theology that's woven throughout just about everything we do here. "Now, and not yet." There is a tension between this world and the world to come and we find ourselves unable to make sense of what it means to be in between. Jesus died for my sins, paid for my sins and through his sacrifice I am counted righteous and my sins are forgiven. Yet, I am still a sinner. I still sin every day and I live in a world full of sin. I know God is at work. I know God has forgiven me. I know God has promised me eternal life and yet....I just don't see it. I just don't know if it's all going to be just like he said. There is the passage in Mark 9, where a father brings his son to Jesus because the boy has been possessed by a demon. He had already asked the disciples for help, but they couldn't do it. Jesus tells the father all things are possible for one who believes. The father replies, "I believe, help my unbelief!" A cry every follower of Christ has given voice to at least once in their life. So here we are on All Saints Day, a day we remember those who have gone before us, but also remember what our goal is. The kingdom of God, the restoration of all things and the resurrection of all flesh when Christ returns to bring his kingdom into this world. God and man brought together again for eternity. Freedom from sin. Freedom from death. Freedom from all strife and division. The saints who have gone before us are experiencing some of this now, yet they wait too. We look ahead to that day, but we find ourselves wondering, "Am I really saved? Will I really live forever in some perfect world? Does God really love me?" You know where you're at right now and you have the evidence from before, but there are still things that haven't come yet and you wonder. We wonder. We doubt. But we don't need to. That you are here today is already proof that God is at work in your life. As St. Paul tells the church in Philippi, "And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ." God has begun his work in you, bringing salvation to you now. The life he gives you through baptism is assurance that eternity with him is yours now, that are already counted among the saints who await his glorious return. He invites you to his table, where now and not yet come together, where he is here with us now, where he is blessing you now, where his kingdom is here now. In the Apostles' Creed we confess the communion of the saints and you can see this for yourself today, all of the saints, past and present, gathered together in one place, here with God in glory. So do not wonder at your salvation. There is no need to doubt your life in eternity. You may not fully see it yet, but your goal and end is already assured. You are already a part of the kingdom. Come to his table and see it for yourself.