BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO MOURN
Matthew 5:4
The first beatitude confronted us with our deep need. "Blessed are the poor in spirit." The first step towards God is the recognition that we are sinners in desperate need of a Savior. That idea is frowned upon by the world today. However it is the first step in becoming a blessed person.
The second beatitude is also frowned upon by the world. "Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted." Once again the world considers this as utterly ridiculous. "Happy are those who mourn." Why this is crazy! Why would anyone think that mourning is a key to happiness. Yet Jesus gave this beatitude as one of the keys of a blessed life.
Note the progression. The first step of a blessed life is the recognition that we are poor in spirit, that we have a deep need in our lives, a need caused by our sin. The second step is to mourn over our sin.
As we meditate on this verse, I want us to look at mourning from at least three different directions.
I. THERE IS THE MOURNING CAUSED BY PERSONAL LOSS.
All of us, at least those of us who have been around for a while know what it is to mourn over some personal loss. Many of you have grieved more than once in your life. Many people in Florida are grieving over the loss of their homes because of hurricane Opel.
Perhaps you grieved at the death of a parent, a child, a mate, a friend. Others of you have grieved over the loss of a job, or a personal rejection, or a loss of health. It could be sorrow over the death of a pet. I remember crying when my cat killed my canary.
When I was a child I hated wearing glasses. Yet I cried when my uncle stepped on them and broke them.
Many of the heroes in the Bible knew what it was to grieve.
King David grieved deeply when his rebellious son Absalom was killed in battle. He cried over and over "O my son Absalom-my son, my son Absalom-if only I had died in you place! O Absalom my son, my son!" As a father who has lost a son in death, I can identify with his deep pain.
Many Christian parents are in grief over the rebellion of their children.
Yet the good news is that Jesus came to heal the broken hearted. Jesus quoted Isaiah 61:1 which says "The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, because the Lord has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted....."
The psalmist said, "Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning."
"You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; you have put off my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness...."
Psalm 30:5a; 11.
II. THERE IS THE MOURNING CAUSED BY THE SIN - SORROW - AND SUFFERING IN THE WORLD.
One of our problems today is that we have become to desensitized to the problems of the real world. For example, we have seen so many bloated stomachs of starving children, we are no longer moved by their tragic plight. We have become so desensitized to gory violence on television and in the movies that many could care less for human life. We even go so far as to make heroes out of those who commit such horrible acts. We have come to the place where those who really care about human life have become the enemies of society.
Listen to what Jeremiah said about his day. "Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? No! They were not at all ashamed; nor did they know how to blush. Therefore they shall fall among those who fall; at the time I punish them, they shall be cast down,"says the Lord." (Jeremiah 6:15; 8:12)
Jeremiah was known as the weeping prophet. It seems that he was about the only one who literally wept over the persistent sin and the coming destruction because of that sin. He wrote "Oh, that my head were waters, and my eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night, for the slain of the daughter of my people."
Our Lord also grieved over his world. The Bible never tells us that Jesus laughed. He became angry, hungry, thirsty, sorrowful, etc. On at least two occasions Jesus wept.
1. Jesus wept at the death of a friend. Lazarus had died and he wept with Mary and Martha. He enters into our pain. Do we weep with others in their sorrow and pain.
2. Jesus wept over a lost city. (Luke 19:41-44) "Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it, saying, ’if you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for you peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. For the days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and close you in on every side. and level you, and your children within you, to the ground; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, BECAUSE YOU DID NOT KNOW THE TIME OF YOUR VISITATION."
Jesus wept over the city of Jerusalem because they rejected the opportunity to experience His peace. He wept because they remained in their lost condition. As a result of their rejection of Him they faced impending judgment. Because of this Jesus wept. Do we weep over the things that caused Jesus to weep?
Jesus was moved by the plight of the multitudes: "When He (Jesus) saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd." Are we moved by the things that moved Jesus?
We live in a world that is lost but somehow we who are Christians have forgotten that people are lost without Jesus Christ. Years ago, someone preached a sermon entitled, "A DRY EYED CHURCH IN A HELL BOUND WORLD." Is that an accurate description of the church today?
Where are the believers who weep over the lostness of our world?
"Those who sow in tears shall reap in joy.
He who continually goes forth weeping,
Bearing seed for sowing,
Shall doubtless come again with rejoicing,
Bringing his sheaves with him."
Psalm 126:5-6
III. THERE IS THE MOURNING CAUSED BY OUR OWN SIN.
It is not only the sins of others that should cause tears, for we have our own sins to weep over as well. Our sins grieve God and therefore should grieve us as well. None of us who are saved really want to sin. We really want to live pure lives before God and before the world.
But we try and fail. What makes us behave the way we do. We don’t want to get irritable but we do. We want to control our temper but sometimes we fail. We don’t want to speak unkind words but they just seem to come out of us. Why does there seem to be such a war in us.
Even Paul faced the same struggle. In Romans 7 he wrote of his struggles even as a believer. "O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Then he added, "I thank God-through Jesus Christ our Lord! (Romans 7:24-25)
The very fact that we can still grieve over our sin is a good sign because that godly grief will lead us to repentance.
In the Old Testament, God was grieved over the sins of His people. Prior to the flood the Bible said, "And the Lord was sorry that he had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart." (Genesis 6:6)
Jesus was "a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief." (Isa 53:3) Yet, Our Lord grieved over our sins for he had no sins of His own.
Moreover, the Holy Spirit can be grieved. Paul writes, "And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption." (Ephesians 4:30) The surrounding verses contain a list of the things we allow in our lives which grieve the Holy Spirit. Lying, anger, stealing, corrupt communication, bitterness, wrath, clamor, evil speaking, all kinds of malice. These things plus many others cause grief to the indwelling Holy Spirit. Are we grieved over the indwelling sin in our own lives, in our church? Are we grieved over the things which grieve Him?
The man or woman who can no longer grieve over sin is in a serious condition. The person whose heart is broken because of sin is ready to be comforted.
This is true for the lost person. His sorrow over sin drives him to the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.
This is true for the believer who sins. He sins, and is guilty. He feels cast down and remorseful. He mourns over his sin. This drives him back to Jesus in repentance. Peace returns, Joy is restored. His spirit is revived and he is comforted. He can say with David, "Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered...." (Psalm 32:1)
The first step in repentance and restoration is recognition of our sinful condition before God. Step two is to mourn, to grieve, to sorrow over it. Such "godly sorrow" drives us to Jesus.
Paul wrote "Godly sorrow produces repentance to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death." Repentance brings the comfort of restoration to fellowship with God.
CONCLUSION: Would you be free from this burden of sin? Would you know the comfort of forgiveness?
Jesus said "blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted." The reason those who mourn are blessed is because of the comfort available. Our grief and our sorrow drives us to the source of all comfort, our Lord himself who gives us the comforting presence of the Holy Spirit.
The good news is that you and I don’t have to continue mourning over our own sins. We can come to Jesus.
Out of my bondage, sorrow, and night,
Jesus I come, Jesus I come;
Into Thy freedom, gladness and light,
Jesus I come to Thee.
Out of my sickness into Thy health,
Out of my want and into Thy wealth,
Out of my sin and into Thyself,
Jesus I come to Thee.
