When Jesus teaches His disciples… “Blessed  are those who mourn.” we really have to question what He means.  Mourning is a sign of sorrow. We all have occasions to be sorrowful.  Losing a loved one, a severe illness,  perhaps a broken friendship, divorce.  I’m sure you can think of many times in your life that  you have experienced great sorrow. You mourned.  It is a natural response to the tragedies that come upon us.  Then how could the Lord say that we are blessed or perhaps even happy?  Did He mean something else?  In what way should a mourner feel “happy” and when will mourners find this promised consolation?

Jesus says, “Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted.” (Matthew 5:4)  This comes from the Lord’s famous sermon given to His disciples and those who followed Him up the mountain.  The English language provides no adequate word to translate the original Hebrew behind Jesus’  beatitudes.  Various translations render it as: “fortunate,”  “joyful,”  “blessed,” or even “happy.”  The Hebrew expression implies something closer to “deeply contented.” (from my Hebrew Dictionary)

So in what way are the “poor in spirit, the mourners, the down-trodden, and the persecuted”  to be understood as glad and deeply contented? This seems to be a contradiction in terms of what the gospel means……..”Good News!”  But reading further, the Lord says, “Theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.”  That is so say…  their hope and ours is the coming of a New Kingdom.  There will be a New Heaven and New Earth.  Therefore the kingdom is not just the church…..although that is part of the promise……but something far greater.  The restoration of the world that was lost when our first parents committed the sins for which we now “mourn”.  Therefore we rely on God and His promises about the kingdom being our reward instead of the sorrow of this present world.  That’s the secret to inner peace……Our reward will be great in heaven…or the world to come.

The Master says… “Blessed are you who weep now for you shall laugh” (Luke 6:21). The Psalmist says “Our mouth was filled with laughter……..those who sow in tears shall reap with joyful shouting. (Ps, 128) The coming kingdom offers hope  for the brokenhearted and bereaved.

But then Jesus goes on to say that the powerful and elite of society such as the Romans, the Herodians, and the Sadducees (we might include the atheists and agnostics here also) “Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep.” (Luke 8:25)

Jesus is bringing the good news of comfort for the afflicted…..those of us who mourn.  The messianic mission is “to bring good news to the afflicted….to bind up the brokenhearted to proclaim liberty to the captive and freedom to the prisoners….to comfort all who mourn……to bring the oil of gladness instead of mourning. (Isa 61:1-3).

In this way the beatitudes of Jesus bring hope and good news……the Gospel!   Although this might seem strange and rather confusing to our minds…….the Lord is telling us that something far greater is coming.  For this world will pass away……….but God has a wonderful new world that awaits  those whose faith and trust is in Him!

We  know the promised day will come when all will be made new and “God himself will be with his people;He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain any more, for the former things have passed away.” (Rev 21:4-5)

Enjoy God’s blessings to you now for each new day is a gift.  We share in the love of our families, our community of believers and our love of county.  May God’s face shine upon us and may His blessings flow into our lives.  Never fear for tomorrow.  God is with us all the way!