Jesus' Commandments: Mourning
Whenever you read Jesus' statement, "Blessed are they who mourn, for they shall be comforted." Does it seem to prescribe a sour, sorrowful attitude as a key ingredient of spirituality? Does it paint a picture of the Puritanical Christian life in cold grays and blues? We like the statements about the merciful, pure in heart and peacemakers better, don't we?I hope to be able to share at least 4 benefits to mourning in this life--in a joyful way. Solomon says in Ecclesiastes 7:3-4 that the heart is made better by sorrow...and that the heart of the wise is in the house of mourning.
Again Jesus reminds us of the upside-down nature of our present world. It may initially sound depressing, as if God is a killjoy, but it is manifestly true that the surest path to ruin is to seek our own happiness first and foremost.
Luke 6 has a slightly different version of the Beattitudes, and this version shows us the eternal perspective side of things:
"blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh," and its counterpart, "Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep." (Luke 6:21,25, compared to Matthew 5:4).
We're to reflect that comfort and joy are coming for disciples who weep now. Jesus isn't saying it should be our aim to be sad all the time for sadness' sake! But that this world is going to bring us sadness--persecution, tribulation, sorrow, sickness and death--and that must not stop us in our mission--because it is the mission that will bring ultimate joy.
One more thing to note is that the sorrow itself brings us more grace here in this life; because He brings us personal comfort:
“praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer.” (2 Corinthians 1:3-6)
He's the God of all comfort! I once heard this passage summarized in an interesting way: "God never wastes a hurt."
There's another thing to remember about the effect of mourning on our relationship with God, if we respond in the way He wants us to. It develops our relationship when we unload our sorrows to Him. You know, He doesn't want us to just mope quietly. We can be prone to fatalism, especially if we have a very high view of God. "Whatever happens is going to happen anyway. I might as well deal with it. God means it for my good."
But when you read through the hymnbook of Israel, the Psalms, you realize David was not a fatalist. He groaned to God, he cried out! He made emotional challenges to God Himself! Not in a disrespectful way, but sometimes in surprising ways: "Why have you forgotten me?" (Psalm 42:9) "Why do you cast me off?" (Ps. 43:2) "Why are you sleeping? Why do you hide your face?" (Ps. 44:23,24), "Will the Lord cast off forever? Wil he be favorable no more? Has God forgotten to be gracious?" (Ps. 77:7)
God knows what we're feeling anyway. He wants us to open up to Him and talk to Him about it from the bottom of our hearts. This passage about "mourning" uses a word which doesn't describe an inner, hidden emotion, but one that is open and manifested---one that you can hear. God listens to our cries! In fact, David said He keeps a record of them. (Psalm 56:8)
No one was more acquainted with grief than the Man of Sorrows, our Lord Jesus Christ. (Isaiah 53:3) In Him, we have a High Priest who empathizes with us--in His life, He suffered everything we suffer--and at His death took on ALL our sufferings and sorrows (Isaiah 53:4)--and remained without sin. (Hebrews 4:15)
There's an old song about prayer called, "Just a Little Talk with Jesus" that urges us to "tell Him all about our sorrows." These are the things real relationships are built upon. Who, having an intimate friend, would not tell him or her about their deepest sorrows? Those who love you want to hear you express them in your own words.
To summarize, we have many reasons to have a contented serenity, or blessedness, when we reflect on sorrows that occur in this life:
Because it makes us long fo the comforts of Heaven.
Because it ensures our comfort in heaven will be all the sweeter.
Because it equips us to comfort others here on earth.
And because it gets us more grace; more comfort from God in the here-and-now. Intimate, personal attention from the God of the Universe.
by Study-Leader @ 12:34 PM
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