"The Blessing of Godly Mourning"

Please turn and stand if you are able for the reading of God’s Word -

Matthew 5:1–12 NASB95

1 When Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on the mountain; and after He sat down, His disciples came to Him. 2 He opened His mouth and began to teach them, saying, 3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. 5 “Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth. 6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. 7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. 8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. 9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. 10 “Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. 12 “Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

We live in a world that avoids pain, masks sorrow, and chases constant so called happiness, Jesus continues the Sermon on the Mount with a shocking truth - “Those who mourn are blessed...”

This statement is not natural thinking—it is kingdom thinking, it is counter cultural thinking.

The mourning Jesus is speaking of is not mere sadness over life’s circumstances. On the contrary it is spiritual sorrow, especially over sin.

Proposition - What a joy it is to open God’s Word with you today! We will be looking at the second beatitude. We will look at: 1) the explanation of Godly Mourning, 2) the pursuit of Godly Mourning, and 3) the benefits of Godly Mourning.

Interrogative Question - How does understanding godly mourning change your perspective on personal sin?

I. The Explanation of Godly Mourning -

The word “mourn” refers to deep grief—the kind of sorrow that comes from a broken heart. In this context, it is:

In fact there are 9 Greek words for “mourning” and the one used in our text has the strongest meaning -

Matthew, Vols. 1–4: The MacArthur New Testament Commentary (Godly Mourning) Of the nine terms used for sorrow, the one used here (pentheō, mourn) is the strongest, the most severe. It represents the deepest, most heartfelt grief, and was generally reserved for grieving over the death of a loved one. It is used in the Septuagint (Greek Old Testament) for Jacob’s grief when he thought his son Joseph was killed by a wild animal (Gen. 37:34). It is used of the disciples’ mourning for Jesus before they knew He was raised from the dead (Mark 16:10). It is used of the mourning of world business leaders over the death of its commerce because of the destruction of the world system during the Tribulation (Rev. 18:11, 15).

Mourning over personal sin

Mourning over the sinfulness of the world

Mourning over offense against a holy God

Mounce’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words (Mourn) Mourning over the loss of a person is expressed, often through tears (Mt. 9:15; Mk. 16:10). The mention of mourning in the Beatitudes has end-time significance: those mourning now will be comforted in the kingdom of heaven (Mt. 5:4), whereas those laughing now will mourn and wail later (Lk. 6:25). Paul and James encourage Christians to grieve over their sins, leading to godly sorrow, contrition, and repentance. Mourning is always appropriate with respect to grievous sin, which stains the church community (1 Cor. 5:2; 2 Cor. 12:21). James admonishes sinning Christians to “grieve, mourn, and wail” over their sins (Jas. 4:9). When Babylon is destroyed for her lack of repentance, those who profited from her business stand afar off and “mourn” her demise as well as their own loss of business (Rev. 18:11, 15, 19).

Psalm 51:17 NASB95

17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; A broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.

James 4:9 NASB95

9 Be miserable and mourn and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy to gloom.

2 Corinthians 7:10 NASB95

10 For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death.

Before there can be true blessing, there must be true sorrow over sin.

A person who has a serious illness but refuses to acknowledge it will never seek treatment. In the same way, a person who does not mourn over sin will never seek true forgiveness.

II. The Pursuit of Godly Mourning -

Not all sorrow is blessed. There is a difference:

Worldly sorrow – regrets consequences

Godly sorrow – grieves the sin itself

Godly mourning says:

“I have sinned against God”

“My heart is broken over my rebellion”

Matthew, Vols. 1–4: The MacArthur New Testament Commentary (Godly Mourning) Mourning over sin is not being engulfed in despair. Even the person who has been severely disciplined by the church should be forgiven, comforted, and loved, “lest somehow such a one be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow” (2 Cor. 2:7–8). Nor is godly mourning wallowing in self-pity and false humility, which are really badges of pride.

Luke 18:13 NASB95

13 “But the tax collector, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, the sinner!’

Isaiah 6:5 NASB95

5 Then I said, “Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I live among a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.”

Romans 7:24 NASB95

24 Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?

Godly mourning is not about feeling bad—it is about seeing sin the way God sees it.

Matthew, Vols. 1–4: The MacArthur New Testament Commentary (Godly Mourning) Penthountes (mourn) is a present participle, indicating continuous action. In other words, those who are continually mourning are those who will be continually comforted. In his ninety-five theses Martin Luther said that the Christian’s entire life is a continuous act of repentance and contrition. In his psalms David cried out, “For my iniquities are gone over my head; as a heavy burden they weigh too much for me” (38:4) and, “I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me” (51:3). There is no record in the New Testament of Jesus laughing. We are told of His weeping, His anger, His hunger and thirst, and many other human emotions and characteristics. But if He laughed, we do not know of it. We do know that, as Isaiah predicted, He was “a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief” (Isa. 53:3). Yet today we often hear of another Jesus, who laughs and cajoles and draws people into the kingdom by His nonjudgmental spirit and His winsome way. The fun-loving, escapist world of comedians is found plying its trade even in the church—and finding ready acceptance.

Think of Peter after denying Christ (Matthew 26:75). The Bible says he wept bitterly. Why? Not just because he failed—but because he had sinned against the Savior he loved.

III. The Benefits of Godly Mourning -

Matthew 5:4 NASB95

4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

Jesus gives a promise - “They shall be comforted.”

This comfort comes from:

Forgiveness of sin

Restored fellowship with God

Hope in Christ

Future glory where sorrow is gone

Isaiah 61:2–3 NASB95

2 To proclaim the favorable year of the Lord And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn, 3 To grant those who mourn in Zion, Giving them a garland instead of ashes, The oil of gladness instead of mourning, The mantle of praise instead of a spirit of fainting. So they will be called oaks of righteousness, The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.

Revelation 21:4 NASB95

4 and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.”

Psalm 34:18 NASB95

18 The Lord is near to the brokenhearted And saves those who are crushed in spirit.

Matthew, Vols. 1–4: The MacArthur New Testament Commentary (Godly Mourning) The Bible recognizes a proper sense of humor, humor that is not at the expense of God’s name, God’s Word, God’s church, or any person, except perhaps ourselves. God knows that “a joyful heart is good medicine” (Prov. 17:22), but a heart that rejoices in sin is taking poison, not medicine. The way to happiness is not in ignoring sin, much less in making light of it, but rather in sorrow over it that cries to God.

The deepest sorrow leads to the greatest comfort when it drives us to Christ.

A child who disobeys and then comes back broken and crying to a loving father finds both correction and comfort. The father does not reject him—he restores him.

So it is with God - He comforts those who come to Him with broken hearts.

Jesus God incarnate teaches a paradox:

We live in a day and age when people say - “Ignore sin, avoid sorrow...”

But on the contrary Jesus says: Mourn over sin—and be blessed -

SO WHAT?

How are you dealing with your sin?

Does your heart break over what breaks God’s heart?

Have you experienced the comfort of forgiveness?

True Biblical mourning leads to:

Repentance

Faith in Christ

Lasting comfort

The pathway to true blessing is paved with tears of repentance. And those tears, in Christ, are never wasted—they are met with divine comfort.

What does it mean for you to mourn over personal sin in your life?

How does understanding the concept of godly mourning shape your relationship with God?

In what ways can mourning over sin lead to a deeper walk with Christ in your daily life?

How might godly mourning impact your interactions with others who are struggling with sin?

Reflecting on the Beatitude, how can you actively seek comfort through mourning over sin?

How do you often respond to your sins, and how can that response change to align with godly mourning?

What practical steps can you take to cultivate a spirit of mourning over sin in your life?

How has your life changed when you acknowledged your sins before God?

Consider the blessings promised to those who mourn; how can you remind yourself of these blessings in difficult times?

In what ways can your journey of repentance bring you comfort and lead others to Christ?