BE-ATTITUDES: THOSE WHO MOURN

The first two Beatitudes involved poverty and mourning, two words that aren’t typically associated with the word “blessed”. But, as we know, when Jesus preached, He said a lot of things that people didn’t usually interweave with one another. He once again shocks the listen/reader by reminding them that, even if it hadn’t dawned on them before, those who mourn are also blessed. He once again proves His logic and perspective are on another level than ours.

When reading the second Beatitude, one would naturally think Jesus confused His words. How could mourning be a blessing?  But, He obviously never misspoke. So, if we know that his words were not a mistake, what did Jesus mean? He definitely didn’t mean that if one is continually sad that they will always be happy. That would be illogical. Since Jesus is the Master of logic, it must be something else. The answer is that there is such a thing as Holy Mourning. Holy Mourning is when we grieve over our personal and our society’s sinful state and when we grieve over the effects of sin. One who mourns in a holy way, will never hate the sinner, they will grieve over their sinful state and the bondage that they unwittingly or willfully are in. Not only that but one who mourns over sin in a holy way, will never be so foolish as to belittle sin. Mourning over sin and the effects of sin resembles the heart of God and, at the heart of God, is seated blessedness.

 The second part to this Beatitude is the promise of comfort for the one who mourns. This comfort happens both in this life and the one to come. In this life, there is a profound peacefulness that takes place when one is personally comforted by the blood of Christ that removes sin and its eternal effects. There is also comfort coming to those who look at this broken world and respond with a brokenness of their own. Then, there is the eternal comfort that is prepared for us, when we are living with Christ where there will be no more pain, no more tears and perfect harmony. The comfort essentially is that sin is not eternal, it won’t always be here, and it wonderfully has an expiration date! The mourning will be turned to joy as we dance on the grave of sin at the foot of the cross!