The Mourning that Brings Comfort

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.”—Matthew 5:4

Jesus gave what is commonly known as The Sermon on the Mount as an outline of what it means to enter into and live in Christ’s kingdom. That is the kingdom that is now present, inaugurated at His first coming, which is a foretaste of the fullness of His kingdom which will begin at His second coming. Christ outlines a series of attitudes of the heart that result in godly behavior, and which act as a precursor for entry into Christ’s already/not yet kingdom. The first was recognizing one’s spiritual bankruptcy, while the second is an attitude of the heart that in some ways flows from the first.

Jesus begins with “blessed” which means a state of well-being that exists among those who possess this attitude of heart. And here the blessing is for those who “mourn.” What is this type of mourning of which He speaks? It is the type of mourning that is the result of one’s realization of his sin. Sin by nature destroys, and anyone who has sinned knows the emotional pain and turmoil that results from it. Sin can result in physical, emotional and financial loss to a person. When there is a realization of one’s sin, there is godly grief or mourning. And that leads to salvation. Or as Paul said in 2 Corinthians 7:10,  

“For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.” 

Perhaps David’s words would help us after we have experienced the horrendous results and feelings of grief following sin:  

“For His anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning”—Psalm 30:5. 

And if we were able to tweak this just a bit (not that we want to change scripture, but a play on words is beneficial here): “weeping may tarry for the night” which is godly grief as Paul mentions in 2 Corinthians 7:10, but “joy comes in the mourning.” David was writing that weeping comes as the result of one’s sin, but joy comes in the forgiveness that comes after one has a deep understanding and sorrow of repentance over his or her sin.

What is the outcome for one who experiences such mourning? Jesus says that those who mourn will be “comforted.” God presently gives forgiveness and peace of mind to those who come to Him in repentance and faith. But, the full expression of that forgiveness will be seen in heaven when God will wipe away every tear from their eyes (Revelation 21:4) and they will live in the everlasting comfort provided by Christ’s atoning work on the cross. May we live in this comfort given by Him now, looking forward to the fullness of it in Glory. But may we first mourn for our sins, knowing that they cost the Son of God His life. His love was put on center stage for all creation to see and to marvel at. And may the drama of God’s redemption live in our hearts that we might consistently sense His love for us and share His hatred for sin. May we see our sin for what it is, and may we respond accordingly in the attitude of our hearts and daily actions, so that we might have godly sorrow and experience the divine comfort made available through Him who is the truest desire of our restless and wandering souls. Amen.