Go! And Be Comforted And Filled - Matthew 5:4,6 Series

Go! And Be Comforted and Filled - Matthew 5:4,6

Opening Prayer:

Gracious Heavenly Father,

We come before You in need of Your truth, Your comfort, and Your righteousness. Open our ears to hear, our minds to understand, and our hearts to receive all that You want to say to us through Your Word today. May the Holy Spirit guide and convict, and may Jesus Christ be exalted as Lord and Saviour. In His name we pray, Amen.

Matthew 5:4 (NLT): “God blesses those who mourn, for they will be comforted.”

Matthew 5:6 (NLT): “God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they will be satisfied.”

Introduction: A Mountain Message for a Broken World

Jesus begins His public teaching ministry not in a temple, but on a hillside. The crowds gather. The disciples sit close. And the Lord opens His mouth to speak words that turn the world upside down.

These are the Beatitudes—blessings that show us the heart of God’s Kingdom. Today, we focus on two of them. They seem paradoxical: mourning leads to comfort; hunger leads to satisfaction. Yet, in Christ, these paradoxes become promises.

Let’s unpack what Jesus meant, and how these words still speak to us today.

Point 1: Go! And Mourn Over Sin—That You May Be Comforted

Matthew 5:4 (NLT): “God blesses those who mourn, for they will be comforted.”

The Greek word for "mourn" here is pe???? (pentheo)—a deep, internal grief. Not surface sorrow, but soul-wrenching lament. It’s the same word used to describe mourning over a loved one’s death.

In context, Jesus is speaking not primarily of emotional pain from life’s trials—but of spiritual sorrow over sin.

This is not about self-pity. It is godly sorrow—the kind Paul talks about in 2 Corinthians 7:10 (NLT):

“For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation.”

“Comforted”: The Greek word here is pa?a?a??? (parakaleo)—to call alongside, to encourage, to console. It is also related to the name Jesus gives the Holy Spirit—“Paraclete”, the Comforter.

God does not leave the repentant mourner in their sorrow—He comes alongside them, comforts, forgives, and restores.

Do you mourn over your sin? Or are you numb to it? Do you grieve not just the consequence of sin, but the offence it is to a holy God?

Only those who recognise the depth of their brokenness can fully appreciate the comfort of divine forgiveness.

John Piper wrote: "Until sin be bitter, Christ will not be sweet."

That resonates with me. Too often we want resurrection joy without crucifixion sorrow. But when we mourn sin deeply, we’re ready to receive Christ’s comfort sweetly.

The Broken Vase

A child breaks a family heirloom. Pieces scatter. He hides in shame. But the parent, instead of punishing, sits down with him, gathers the shards, and together they restore it.

That’s how God treats the mourner. He doesn’t discard the broken. He draws near to rebuild what’s shattered by sin.

Point 2: Go! And Hunger for Righteousness—That You May Be Satisfied

Matthew 5:6 – “God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they will be satisfied.”

“Hunger” & “Thirst”: The Greek words pe???? (peinao) and d???? (dipsao) convey intense longing—a desperate craving. Not a casual interest, but a consuming desire.

And the word for “justice” in Greek is d??a??s??? (dikaiosyne)—translated elsewhere as righteousness. It means both personal holiness and social justice—living rightly before God and before others.

Psalm 42:1–2 (NLT): “As the deer longs for streams of water, so I long for you, O God. I thirst for God, the living God.”

Just as our bodies cry out for water, our souls cry out for righteousness—and only Jesus satisfies.

John 6:35 (NLT): “Jesus replied, ‘I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again.’”

Jesus Himself is the righteousness we seek. When we hunger for Him, He fills us with His Spirit, His truth, and His grace.

Tim Keller said: "Jesus is not just the one who gives bread—He is the Bread. The only one who satisfies the deepest hunger of the human heart."

I echo that. In Jesus, we don’t just get better behaviour—we get new hearts. We are not called to perform righteousness; we are called to hunger for Him who is our righteousness.

The Starving Prodigal

In Luke 15, the prodigal son is starving, longing to eat pig food. Then he remembers his father’s house, where even the servants are well-fed.

That’s us—spiritually starving in the far country until grace draws us home. And when we return, the Father doesn’t scold. He celebrates. He satisfies our souls.

The Gospel Proclaimed:

These Beatitudes point us to the cross. Why?

Because Jesus mourned sin—not His own, but ours.

Because Jesus hungered for righteousness—and fulfilled it perfectly on our behalf.