Blessed are the Mourners

"Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted." - Matt 5:4

Life is full of frustrations and sadness.  Often when something tragic happens in our life we begin thinking about what is most important.  We examine our priorities and determine if we have been living our lives accordingly.  We may feel guilty, upset, angry, or even confused but rarely "happy".  Yet, that's exactly what Jesus is saying. 

"Blessed are those who mourn."  The term blessed simply means "happy".  He could have said just as easily "Happy are those who mourn" and we would have had the same response - "Huh?"

How is it that at this time I am supposed to be happy?  How is it that at life's most difficult moment, when I've lost someone or failed to keep my marriage healthy or caused extreme pain in another's life that I am supposed to feel "happy"?  Mourning, of course, is the process of deep solice and reflection.  It’s when we grieve and feel pain.  In Ancient times, Jews used professional mourners at funerals to convey the deep saddness of the family.  In Mark 5:38 we see these people outside of the young girl's home who had died.  She was the daughter of the synagogue official.  Jesus brought her back from the dead. 

Yet, the verse this morning occurs in the Sermon on the Mount, as apart of the Beatitudes, and is intended to highlight the people whom are blessed.

So why is it that Jesus has said that those who mourn are also those who will be blessed?  Jesus wants to speak to those in his audience who are mourning.  He wants them to understand that they will be comforted.  He wants them to understand that God cares.  God is with them and although it may not seem like so presently, God is grieving with them.  He will be the One to comfort.  In that fact, they can find comfort.

The Scriptures teach us that God is with the broken-hearted and low in spirit.  In Psalm 34:18-19 it says "The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.  Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers them out of them all."

Jesus says to us "Find comfort in the fact that God is close to you at your time of sadness."  It reminds us that God, who created us in His image, gave to us the emotions and feelings that we are dealing with.  They are a reflection of Him.  Therefore, our feelings are normal, acceptable and understandable. 

God doesn’t always promise answers to every "why" question in this life.  What He does promise, is to comfort you in your greatest time of need.