“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” Matthew 5v4
The second Beatitude is possibly the most counter-intuitive of them all – how can a guarantee of comfort be given to those who mourn?! Either we ourselves, or our friends and family, have mourned the loss of a loved one, the pain of a lengthy illness, the betrayal of a broken relationship – and comfort has seemed distant and insufficient.
The Amplified Version helps us to dig deeper: “Blessed (forgiven, refreshed by God’s grace) are those who mourn (over their sins and repent) for they will be comforted (when the burden of sin is lifted).” Matthew 5v4
One thing is certain – mourning is a consequence of sin. Sin is the root cause of all suffering and death – both believers and unbelievers lament the brokenness of this world. We all mourn the sinful choices of others when they hurt us or those we love. Yet in this Beatitude, Jesus is primarily declaring blessing on those who mourn over their own sin.
Mourning over our sin is not a foreign concept in the Word of God. Consider Psalm 51 – here King David deeply mourns his sins of adultery and murder, repenting of them, and seeking God’s forgiveness. The reality is that, even though in Christ we are new creations, we still reside in sinful bodies and so we will face regular battles with sin until the Lord calls us home. This should cause us to mourn and repent before God.
How does this mourning over sin bring comfort? As we mourn over our sin we can take much comfort in the fact that God has already overcome our sin in Christ: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins” (1 John 1v9); “now that you have been set free from sin” (Romans 6v22). We who believe already know the blessing of forgiveness, the refreshing knowledge of God’s grace in our lives and hearts.
As we share the good news of the Gospel this summer with children and young people we should take with us a deep appreciation of the seriousness of sin, both our own and the sin of those we serve. Such an appreciation will serve like a dark velvet backdrop, allowing the good news of grace and forgiveness to shine like a sparkling diamond. Let’s pray that the people we serve will join with us in mourning over sin this summer, resulting in repentance and the comfort of the burden of sin being lifted.
But what about mourning over the effects of sin in this world, experienced when we face suffering, death, betrayal – does this promise of comfort apply? Jesus Himself is our comfort when we mourn – why? Because one day He is coming back to put everything right again: bodies raised from the grave, justice dispensed, creation renewed: “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be any mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away” Revelation 21v4.
As we come across people this summer who are mourning the effects of sin in their lives, let’s point them to the God of all comfort, who one day will make all things new. But let’s also have the courage to call out the sin in people’s hearts, mourn with them over it, and point them to the blessing of forgiveness and grace which is offered to them in Christ.
Monday: Read 2 Corinthians 1v3-11
Tuesday: Read 2 Corinthians 7v8-16
Wednesday: Read Psalm 51
Thursday: Read Daniel 9v1-19
Friday: Read Lamentations 3
