“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted” (Matthew 5:4, NASB 1995).
Matthew 5:4 is an echo of Isaiah 61, where God’s people mourn over the devastation that sin has caused in the world. When you read through Scripture, you find that those who mourn are God’s people who find their current situation intolerable or incomprehensible. This means Jesus is referring to those who mourn the death of loved ones, yes, but also those who mourn over the wickedness present in our world, as well as those who mourn over life-changing circumstances out of their control. Jesus says those who mourn will be blessed, they will be blessed because they will be comforted by the Holy Spirit (a comfort we, as Christians, have today), and blessed because they will be comforted on the Day of the Lord.
Last week, my heart broke for a family in our church that experienced a tragic and sudden death. I knew something had been swiftly broken and that there was nothing I, or anyone else, could do to pick the pieces back up and put them together again. In an instant their family had gone into mourning.
Jesus, Who knows all things and Who suffered and died as our substitute for sin, rising from the dead on the 3rd day in victory over death, has said that this family is blessed in that they will be comforted. That God Himself is able and will put the pieces back together, and will wipe away every tear from their eyes. How wonderful it is to know that God keeps His promises and that He has promised to make all things right!
May God help each and every one of His followers to be an extension of His presence, to be His ambassadors, to those who are broken-hearted and mourning. May the Lord comfort mourners as only He can, assuring them of His promises, helping His people to minister to them, and giving them an incredibly strong sense of His presence now and throughout the rest of their lives.
Chase Thompson 