But in those few short moments after my mourning was allowed space to breathe, I was caught by surprise by the emotion that accompanied and enveloped my wailing. But if the blessing of the kingdom of heaven belongs only to those who repent and trust Jesus, the Beatitudes are not promises for everyone.
Of course, as believers we do experience God’s consolation in times of loss, but this is just one way the promise of the second beatitude is fulfilled. Judging from the tone in his voice and the look in his eyes, the middle-aged man wasn’t looking for answers. This experience of mourning over sin is part of what it means to be “poor in Spirit,” tying the second beatitude nicely to the first one. The Next 500 Years: 2017 National Conference, Show Me Your Glory: Understanding the Majestic Splendor of God, La Biblia de Estudio de La Reforma (Spanish Edition), Naming Ligonier the Beneficiary of a Bank or Investment Account, Gifts That Provide Income and Tax Benefits.
Through mourning, we linger over the effects of our sin on others, including the Son of God. Curious, he began reading what Zach had been reading. First, we may experience the deep conviction of the Holy Spirit and mourn for our sin and its offense against our holy Creator.
Mourning can bring us into a deeper understanding of the gospel. Clearly “blessed are those who mourn” does not mean we are happy in our sorrow because our sorrows, losses, pains, or sadnesses are not real or deeply felt. I had felt it coming as the series of circumstances unfolded during the previous week. I held it in throughout the morning visit. The second of the Beatitudes is, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted” (Matthew 5:4). It came from the realization that my pain was pulling me into a story greater than our own small story of tragedy — a story of a Father who had endured the suffering of His own Son and who felt, who understood, who could sympathize with and comfort me in my pain. in all its fullness to as many people as possible. I sobbed uncontrollably. Yet the world is also full of sin, death, injustice, suffering, and evil.
Even the funeral that followed focused on celebrating life, rather than mourning death and the brutal suffering that preceded it. The rooms inside looked like calming bedrooms. The eruption of emotion, more intense than anything I had ever experienced, was in many ways predictable. On those few occasions when I should have mourned — like after my grandfather died — it seemed everything that could be done to numb the pain of death was done already. Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. This, in turn, will help us to I was in no position to talk about the blessed sacredness of mourning. How can you be “filled with the oil of gladness?” Blessed are those who mourn “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” Matthew 5:4. Jesus Promised: “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted” ( Matthew 5:4 ). Though somber, the vigil truly was a gift. Evil and death are not just at work out there in the world; they exist inside of me. Indescribable in that instance, it became clear later in the day. “Have you ever suffered? Fix that problem! Have you ever really mourned?”, A conference attendee pelted me with these questions after I finished speaking on the second beatitude of Jesus’ famous Sermon on the Mount, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” (matthew 5:4). There are other reasons that the Lord’s people mourn in Scripture, and His promise to comfort our mourning applies to these situations as well.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted… If you notice, this verse “ Blessed are those who mourn, ” is very emphatically present tense and ongoing. I’m still no expert on mourning, but the blessedness of God’s comfort — the sense of peace, unshakable joy, love, consolation, life, and communion — did not and could not circumvent the pain of mourning. Should Christians Display the Confederate Flag? The privileged life that had insulated me from pain, suffering, death, and mourning ended that day. Berean Study Bible. He was making a statement. I added that even though I had not yet experienced great loss, I was quite confident that one day I would.
Understanding that Christ begins the Beatitudes with a promise that the kingdom of heaven belongs only to those who recognize their poverty of spirit and thus repent and believe the gospel (Matt. Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering” (Isaiah 53:3-4). 5:4). When God became incarnate, He dignified the material world by making it the dwelling place of His holiness. New International Version 4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Verse 4 says, "Blessed are they who mourn, for they shall be comforted." I surrendered to an uncontainable sorrow. English Standard Version. Mourning acknowledges both good and evil in the world. we will one day see our mourning is not in vain. Zach’s school opened up their gymnasium that afternoon for a prayer vigil. In Matthew 5:3 he says, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” The poor in spirit are those who recognize their need for Jesus as Savior. You turn to Christ for the comfort that He alone can give. Pat McLeod is the coauthor of Hit Hard: One Family’s Journey of Letting Go of What Was—and Learning to Live Well with What Is. We waited until Zach’s condition stabilized and he woke from his medically-induced coma before we flew her home to visit him in the hospital. The mission, passion and purpose of Ligonier Ministries is to proclaim the holiness of God New International Version (NIV), Upgrade to Bible Gateway Plus, and access the NEW, NIV, Beautiful Word Bible Journal, Acts, Comfort Print, NIV, Biblical Theology Study Bible, Comfort Print: Follow God’s Redemptive Plan as It Unfolds throughout Scripture, NIV, Story of Jesus: Experience the Life of Jesus as One Seamless Story, NIV, Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible, Red Letter Edition: Bringing to Life the Ancient World of Scripture, NIV, Beautiful Word Bible Journal, Romans, Comfort Print, NIV, Beautiful Word Bible Journal, Luke, Comfort Print. The Sermon on the Mount is wellknown outside the church, and the Beatitudes are often embraced as promises of God to all people, regardless of their religious convictions. suffer for the sake of the kingdom of heaven in the here and now.
It is not just those who, from time to time, have an experience of … After singing two of Zach’s favorite songs and offering a moment of silent prayer and reflection, the organizers invited a few of Zach’s school friends to share a brief tribute to Zach. I grew up believing that you don’t deal with pain and loss by pouting or dwelling on it. Answer: Matthew 5 records the part of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount known as the Beatitudes. We may also mourn in the midst of suffering for the kingdom. 10 Family Discussion Starters about Halloween, This site is a proud member of the Salem Web Network, a subsidiary of, Copyright © 2020, Crosswalk.com. We see biblical examples of this in David’s repentance for his sin with Bathsheba (2 Sam. He clearly had no interest in having someone who had never really suffered loss dare to lecture him about mourning. God blesses those who mourn, for they will be comforted. For the first time in my life, I wailed and moaned in emotional anguish. What Does the Israel Peace Treaty and Third Temple Signify about End Times? Second, through mourning, we see ourselves as we really are — as those created in God’s image to know God and commune with Him in perfect love. He combines a love for teaching, coaching, and building teams with a passion for mentoring and ministering to the moral, spiritual, and religious lives of students. All rights reserved worldwide. Blessed Are Those Who Mourn In order to understand what Jesus meant when he said, “Blessed are those who mourn,” we need to look at the words immediately before. They are promises for Christians, for those who daily take up their crosses and follow Christ (Luke 9:23). The resulting sorrow leads to repentance and change. Mike — a leader on the football team — stood to speak. I walked into a funeral home that was made to look and feel like a normal home. Genesis 45Ecclesiastes 7:3–4Joel 2:12–27Luke 8:40–56. Article Images Copyright ©, Blessed are Those Who Mourn: Meeting God in the Midst of Suffering, How Wrestling with God Will Change You Forever, California - Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Though Jesus was a man of sorrows, He was able to endure suffering and 53:11). The Sermon on the Mount. Instead, I admitted, “No, not really.” He nodded disapprovingly and said, “That’s what I thought.”. “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. 12:1–4). He is also the director of Cru Boston, a caring community that is passionate about connecting people to Jesus. The Ligonier Ministries site requires Javascript, but you’ve got Javascript disabled. In the eleven years since our son Zach was disabled, three of the four most profound emotional, intellectual, spiritual, and even physical experiences of life have occurred in moments of intense mourning related to Zach’s injury. I had never really mourned. Ironically, I reiterated many of the same words I had said nearly eight years earlier at the conference where I had been confronted by the “You’re no mourning expert” conferee. For more information see patandtammymcleod.com. Donate Now. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem. And my grandfather, who lay there sleeping, was dressed more nicely and looked significantly better than the last time I had seen him. I admitted that I had always found it strange that Jesus would espouse such an obvious oxymoron. The blessedness of God’s comfort (the peace, joy, love, life) does not circumvent mourning.
Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan. They came through it and in the midst of it in several ways. We will never have to go through what Christ Since joining the staff of Cru in 1984, Pat has helped launch and lead campus ministries in California, Japan, Montana, and Russia. 10 Best Bible Apps for Kids That They'll Love. Whether you have suffered, are suffering, or one day will suffer, you can take comfort in knowing that our crucified God will be there in the midst of it. Reading this, we might immediately think it refers to God comforting us when we mourn a loved one’s death. 4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.(A). When I did experience suffering and loss, my heart would be able to take refuge in knowing what Jesus said about mourning. New Living Translation. Your gift enables our worldwide outreach. But one thing that I knew he did not mean was that grief, sorrow, and loss are not real or not painful. They are promises for Christians, for those who daily take up their crosses and follow Christ (Luke 9:23). 5:4). Third, and most important, moments of intense suffering and loss and the mourning that follows give us a glimpse of God as He really is — as the crucified God who “was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain.
Should Christians Be Concerned by the LGBTQ Direction in Hallmark Movies? In conclusion, mourning is a part of life. For the first time, I was mourning. did, but we can look to God’s promise of comfort as a similar guarantee that Noticing that Zach’s Bible slid off his lap and onto the floor, Mike picked it up. The casket resembled a fancy mahogany bed frame with a silk-lined memory foam mattress inside. pain because He knew that “out of the anguish of his soul” He would “see And my first experiential understanding of what Jesus meant by “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted” began.