In Matthew 5:4, Jesus says, “Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted.” This is a line right in the middle of the beatitudes portion of His famous sermon on the mount. Each beatitude starts with a blessing. Another word for blessing here can be happy. Jesus is giving ways to live so that we can live the happy and blessed life. The world does not reward the kind of living Jesus is talking about, but God does! The world says are you blessed when all your dreams come true. You are blessed when everything goes your way. Jesus said happy are the sad and blessed are the broken-hearted.
We Grieve
Each one of us has a story. Divorce, abuse, job loss, a broken relationship, cancer, infertility, a terminal diagnosis. Everyone experiences natural sorrow. God made us with the capacity to cry. Many heroes of the faith cried in Scripture, including Jesus. Ecclesiastes 3:4 says there is a time to weep and a time to laugh. God uses tears to heal a broken heart. Well-meaning people may say, “Don’t cry,” but Paul said sorrow, but not as those who have no hope. In addition to natural sorrow, there is a supernatural or godly sorrow that leads to repentance (2 Cor. 7:10). Peter, Isaiah, and others grieved over their sin. Jeremiah wept over a nation. Jesus wept over Jerusalem. We should be saddened by the things that sadden God. Sin is no laughing matter. What breaks God’s heart ought to break our hearts as well.
We Grow
There is purpose in your pain. God never wastes our pain. In fact, there is blessing in our pain. I was recently reminded in a devotion that God blesses the broken. When Gideon broke the pitchers, the hidden light began to shine. When the poor widow broke the seal on the oil, God multiplied it and met her needs. When Esther broke etiquette and protocol risking her life, God saved the nation. When Jesus broke the five loaves, He fed the multitudes. When Mary broke her alabaster box, the fragrance filled the room. When Jesus was broken by a crown of thorns, nails, and spear, the blood was poured out that cleanses from all sin. God blesses the broken. Additionally, an old song by Andrae Crouch says, “I’ve had many tears and sorrows, I’ve had questions for tomorrow, there’s been times I didn’t know right from wrong. But in every situation, God gave me blessed consolation, that my trials come to only make me strong. Through it all, through it all, I’ve learned to trust in Jesus, I’ve learned to trust in God. Through it all, through it all, I’ve learned to depend upon His Word… I thank God for the mountains, and I thank Him for the valleys, I thank Him for the storms He brought me through. For if I’d never had a problem, I wouldn’t know God could solve them, I’d never know what faith in God could do.” Matthew 5:4 says “they shall be” comforted. There is no “may be” here. This is the promise of God! God promises reward to those who mourn. It will be worth it!
We Go
“…they shall be comforted.” What does the Bible teach us about comfort? 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 says, “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 receive from God.” The Greek word translated “comforted” is also used to describe the ministry of the Holy Spirit (Jn. 14:16). Like kids run to their parents when they get hurt, we can cry out to God for comfort. When we sin, we can cry out to him for forgiveness. Then, I love the way Pastor Derwin Grey puts it, “When we lament and repent, we are sent.” Some of the very reasons Jesus came were to bind up the brokenhearted and to comfort all who mourn (Is. 61:1-2). God has placed us here on earth, in our city and sphere of influence, at this time in history. We are His hands and feet. We are the body of Christ, sent to represent Him. Will you cry out to the God of all comfort today and let Him forgive your sin and heal your brokenness? Then, let Him use you to bring healing and comfort to those around you.