Blessed are those who mourn

Good afternoon, everybody.

Last week we started this series called Blessed, walking through the Beatitudes one at a time.

And we started with the first thing Jesus says:

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” — Matthew 5:3

We talked about what it means to be poor in spirit.

It is coming before God with empty hands.

It is recognizing:

I don't have enough. I can't fix myself. I can't save myself. I need God.

And what I love about these Beatitudes is that they aren't random sayings Jesus threw together.

There is a progression happening here.

Because once I truly understand that I am poor in spirit—once I really see my condition before a holy God—something naturally follows.

I begin to see what sin has done.

And that brings us to the second Beatitude.

Matthew 5:4:

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

Now, at first glance, that's a strange sentence.

Blessed are those who mourn?

Really?

Because that's not normally how we think about blessing.

We think:

Blessed are the people whose lives are going well.

Blessed are the people whose families are healthy.

Blessed are the people who have enough money.

Blessed are the people who are happy.

And then Jesus says:

“Blessed are those who mourn.”

Once again, Jesus is describing an upside-down Kingdom.

WHAT DOES JESUS MEAN BY “MOURN”?

The Greek word here is pentheō.

And this isn't a mild sadness.

It describes real grief.

Deep sorrow.

Lament.

The kind of mourning that happens when something is genuinely broken.

And certainly God comforts us when we experience loss.

If you've lost someone you love, if you've walked through tragedy, illness, disappointment, or heartbreak, God absolutely meets His people there.

But that's not all Jesus is talking about here.

Look at where He puts this Beatitude. Jesus is the creator of the earth, so there is obvious thought and inteligence in the order.

(Apologetic references:

John 1:1–3 ESV

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.

Colossians 1:15–17 ESV

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

1 Corinthians 8:6 ESV

yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.

Hebrews 1:2 ESV

but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.

Hebrews 1:10–12 ESV

And, “You, Lord, laid the foundation of the earth in the beginning, and the heavens are the work of your hands...”

First:

“Blessed are the poor in spirit…”

And immediately afterward:

“Blessed are those who mourn…”

I think there is a connection.

The first Beatitude says:

I finally recognize my spiritual poverty.

The second says:

And now I grieve what sin has done.

Last week was:

“Father, I have nothing without You.”

This week becomes:

“Father, now that I can see clearly, I hate what sin has done.”

WE MOURN SIN

We mourn our own sin. (This is actually a point that I learned recently)

We mourn what it has done inside us.

We mourn the times we've hurt other people.

We mourn the times we've chosen ourselves over God.

We mourn the things we've said that we wish we could take back.

We mourn opportunities we've missed.

Listen to it again:

“Blessed are those who mourn…”

Do you hear it different now?

But it goes even bigger than that.

We mourn what sin has done to the world.

Look around.

People hurt each other.

Families fall apart.

Children suffer.

People betray one another.

People get sick.

People die.

There is war.

There is loneliness.

There is addiction.

There is fear.

There is injustice.

There is grief.

And somewhere deep inside us, we know:

This isn't how it was supposed to be.

We were created for something better.

Creation was made good.

Sin entered.

And everything fractured.

So the Christian looks at the world and says:

Something is wrong here.

And Jesus says:

Blessed is the person who can still see it.

Because one of the most dangerous things that can happen to us spiritually is that we stop mourning what is broken.

We just get used to it.

Listen again:

“Blessed are those who mourn…”

Different?

THE WORLD TEACHES US NOT TO MOURN

Our culture is incredibly good at helping us avoid pain.

If something hurts:

Distract yourself.

Scroll.

Watch something.

Buy something.

Drink something.

Work more.

Stay busy.

Find somebody else to blame.

Anything except sitting quietly before God and saying:

“Father, search me.”

Because mourning is uncomfortable.

It forces us to acknowledge that something isn't right.

But Jesus says there is actually blessing there.

Not because sadness itself is good.

But because the person who recognizes brokenness is now in a position to receive healing.

(SKIP) REGRET IS NOT THE SAME AS REPENTANCE

And I think there is an important distinction here.

There is a difference between regret and repentance.

Regret says:

“I hate how this makes me feel.”

Repentance says:

“Father, I hate what this has done to my relationship with You.”

Regret asks:

“How do I make this uncomfortable feeling go away?”

Repentance asks:

“Father, how do I come back to You?”

King David gives us one of the clearest examples of this.

After his sin with Bathsheba, David writes Psalm 51.

He says:

“For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me.”

And then:

“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.”

David isn't merely saying:

“God, I feel terrible.”

He is saying:

“God, something inside me needs to change.”

That's mourning.

That's repentance.

And notice what David does.

He goes to God.

MOURNING IS NOT SHAME

This is important.

Biblical mourning does not mean living in shame.

There is a huge difference.

Shame says:

“I'm terrible. God could never want me.”

Biblical mourning says:

“Father, this isn't who You created me to be. I need You to change me.”

One pushes us away from God.

The other drives us toward Him.

And Christianity is not about sitting around telling ourselves how horrible we are.

Christianity says:

Yes, sin is real. Yes, the damage is real. Yes, we should grieve it.

But then we run to the One who can do something about it.

“FOR THEY SHALL BE COMFORTED”

And that's why the second half of this verse is so important.

Jesus doesn't simply say:

“Blessed are those who mourn.”

He says:

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

The blessing isn't the sadness.

The blessing is that the mourner has finally turned toward the One who can actually heal what is broken.

And this is where something really beautiful happens.

Hundreds of years before Jesus was born, Isaiah wrote about the coming Messiah.

Isaiah 61 says:

“The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor…”

And then it says that He was sent:

“…to comfort all who mourn.”

Think about that.

Isaiah says:

Someone is coming who will comfort those who mourn.

Then centuries later Jesus begins His ministry.

He enters a synagogue.

He opens the scroll of Isaiah.

And He reads that very passage.

And then Jesus says:

“Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”

In other words:

The One that Isaiah promised has arrived.

So now imagine Jesus sitting on that mountain saying:

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

The Comforter that Isaiah promised is standing right in front of them.

Jesus isn't telling them:

Someday maybe God will send someone to help you.

He's saying:

I'm here.

THIS IS THE GOSPEL

And suddenly the first two Beatitudes start fitting together beautifully.

Poor in spirit:

I finally see my need.

Then:

Mourning:

I finally see what sin has done.

And then:

Comfort:

I discover what Christ has done about it.

That's the Gospel.

I can't save myself.

Sin has broken things I cannot repair.

But God did not leave me there.

Jesus came.

He lived the life I could not live.

He died for sin.

He rose again.

And He invites us to come to Him.

Not after we clean ourselves up.

Not after we become worthy.

Not after we get our lives straight.

We come with empty hands.

Poor in spirit.

Mourning.

And Jesus meets us there.

(MAYBE SKIP) JAMES SAYS SOMETHING VERY SIMILAR

Listen to James 4:

“Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.”

And then James says:

“Be wretched and mourn and weep.”

And finally:

“Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.”

Look at the movement.

Recognize your condition.

Mourn it.

Draw near to God.

And God lifts you up.

Again, we're seeing the same pattern.

Mourning isn't the destination.

God is.

(MAYBE SKIP) CHRISTIANS ARE NOT CALLED TO PERMANENT MISERY

And I want to make this clear.

Jesus isn't calling Christians to walk around miserable all the time.

We aren't supposed to be the saddest people in the office.

Jesus says:

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

There is movement.

Sin leads to repentance.

Repentance leads to forgiveness.

Brokenness leads us to Christ.

Death leads to resurrection.

Grief leads to comfort.

And ultimately this promise goes all the way to the end of Scripture.

Revelation 21 says that one day God will dwell with His people.

And then it says:

“He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning…”

Think about that.

Jesus says in Matthew:

Blessed are those who mourn.

And the Bible ends with:

One day mourning will be gone forever.

Why?

Because Jesus is going to finish what He started.

Everything broken will be made right.

Everything wounded will be healed.

Death will be defeated.

Sin will be gone.

And God's people will be with Him.

SO WHAT DO WE DO WITH THIS?

Maybe the question for us today is simply:

What have I stopped mourning?

Is there something in my life that used to bother me spiritually but I've become comfortable with?

Something I've excused?

Something I've justified?

Something I've blamed on somebody else?

Maybe the prayer today isn't complicated.

Maybe it's simply:

“Father, let me see what You see.”

And then:

“Give me the courage not to run from it.”

Because we don't need to hide from God.

He already knows.

And we don't need to clean ourselves up before approaching Him.

That's the whole point of the first Beatitude.

We come poor in spirit.

And when we recognize our brokenness and mourn it, Jesus gives us this promise:

You will be comforted.

Last week we said:

Poor in spirit means I finally see my need.

Today:

Mourning means I finally see what sin has done.

And comfort means:

I discover what Christ has done about it.

The King came down to His people.

He came into our brokenness.

He came into our sin.

He came into our grief.

And He didn't come merely to tell us to do better.

He came to rescue us.

So when Jesus says:

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

He's not asking us to love sadness.

He's inviting us to stop pretending everything is okay.

To look honestly at ourselves.

To look honestly at the world.

And then to look directly at Him.

Because the One who promises comfort is the same One who came to provide it.

Amen.