Those Who Mourn

It’s hard to imagine anything good about mourning. It means something bad has happened – something really bad! But one of the first things Jesus taught was, “Blessed are those who mourn…” (Mt 5:4). Blessed means we have received or experienced something that is worthy of thanks. It is even translated “happy” in some cases. How can mourning be something worthy of thanks? How can we be happy when we mourn?

I intentionally didn’t quote all of Matthew 5:4: “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted”

Let’s look at two important things to consider:

Mourning. What mourning is Jesus talking about? Luke’s account reads, “Blessed are you who weep now…” (Lk 6:21). It may be just talking about hope for people who experience terrible things – pain, suffering, death, etc. But especially in Matthew’s listing there is a strong spiritual emphasis. Think about the value and importance of mourning over our sins. Think about how said it is to be separated from God and lost now and for eternity. When we really feel the guilt of sin and are truly sorry for it – when we mourn about it – that is when we are ready to look to God and accept His mercy and grace. We have to get sad before we can receive the joy of salvation. We have to mourn in repentance before we are ready to receive God’s comfort.

Comfort. Whether we are experiencing physical or spiritual mourning, the reason we have hope of there being a blessing in it is through what Jesus says, “…For they shall be comforted” (Mt 5:4). God promises comfort for those who are in the vulnerable and miserable position of mourning. When we are in a dark place and we think there is no reason for feeling blessed, God provides what we need to be comforted. People who are in dark places are often unseen and ignored by others, but not by God. There is often no help for people who are hurting and desperate, but God helps.

The comfort God provides may not be the comfort we are expecting. And expectations sometimes devalue what God provides. For example, the comfort God supplies for physical suffering may not be the removal of the pain. It may be the strength to endure it or someone to help you get through it. Mourning over sin may not remove the negative consequences in life, but provide forgiveness and removal of the eternal consequences of sin. Having the promise of eternal life, where there is no sin, no suffering, no temptation, and no death can be the comfort God provides for all mourning. It is the hope that gets us through the mourning of today.   dd

“He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away” (Revelation 21:4)