12.16.20
Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted (Matthew 5:4)
We are taking a little time to consider the Beatitudes which Jesus gave to us from the Sermon on the Mount. He had gone up on the mountain, much like Moses did of old. Christ is ‘the Prophet’ Moses said would one day come. He then sat down and taught His disciples.
The Beatitudes are simple statements which describe how one can be fully spiritually satisfied. We looked at the first Beatitude which dealt with self, The next three deal with my attitude toward sin.
Blessed are they that mourn…
It has been said that if you want to know something about another’s character, find out what makes them laugh and weep. This world is full of things that can cause us to do both. For instance, we may sorrow when we hear of a tragic event like a destructive hurricane. We also may smile when we hear a quip like this: The Sunday School teacher said, “Lot’s wife looked back and turned into a pillar of salt.” One of her young students spoke up and said, “My mother looked back and turned into a telephone pole.”
There is a difference between regret, remorse, and repentance. When sin affects my mind, that is merely regret. When it effects my heart, that is stronger; it is remorse. However, when it effects my actions, that is true repentance.
According to ‘Vine’s Expository Dictionary,’ the ‘mourning’ spoken of in our text is grief too deep for concealment—it leads to action.
How does this apply to me? I need to mourn over my own sin. I must see my sin as God sees it. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise (Ps 51:17); For all those things has my hand made, says the LORD…but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor, and of a contrite spirit, and trembles at my word (Is 66:2b).
My heart also needs to break over the sins of others, the sin around me. The darkness and decay in this world should break my heart.
Then Jesus says, for they shall be comforted.
Each of us needs comfort. What is the source of this comfort? The Father will comfort me because He is the God of comfort (2 Cor 1:3). The Holy Spirit is the Comforter (Rom 15:4, 5). He comes alongside to aid me in this word as the representative of the Son of God. I am promised comfort in the Scriptures (Jn 14:16). I can receive comfort from other believers (2 Cor 1:4).
The Bible teaches that my heavenly comfort will be in proportion to my grief over sin on earth.
We found that the first Beatitude, Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth, taught that the first step toward a right relationship with God was a recognition of my spiritual need. Today’s Beatitude, Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted, teaches that the second step to godliness is a heart repentance for my own sin.
Are you ready to take this step? The Lord Jesus Christ loves you and died for you. He bore your sin in His own body on the tree. It is finished! Take Him at His word—repent and believe!