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Blessed are they that Mourn

We look at Beatitude number two in Matthew 5:4, this morning, “Blessed are those who mourn, For they shall be comforted.” Jesus really sets us to thinking. How can mourning bring a blessing? What does Jesus mean by mourning? Is Jesus teaching there is a blessing in being a basket case or that the more you weep the greater your reward? We know better! 

Many mourners down here will be weeping and gnashing their teeth through eternity. The Jamieson, Fausset and Brown Commentary suggest: “This ‘mourning’ must not be taken loosely for that feeling which is wrung from men under pressure of the ills of life, nor yet strictly for sorrow on account of committed sins. Evidently it is that entire feeling which the sense of our spiritual poverty begets; and so the second beatitude is but the complement of the first. The one is the intellectual, the other the emotional... It is poverty of spirit that says, "I am undone"; and it is the mourning which this causes that makes it break forth in the form of a lamentation--"Woe is me! for I am undone." Hence this class are termed "mourners in Zion," or, as we might express it, religious mourners, in sharp contrast with all other sorts (Isa 61:1-3; 66:2). Religion, according to the Bible, is neither a set of intellectual convictions nor a bundle of emotional feelings, but a compound of both, the former giving birth to the latter…. The mourners shall be "comforted." 

Even now they get beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness. Sowing in tears, they reap even here in joy. Still, all present comfort, even the best, is partial, interrupted, short-lived. But the days of our mourning shall soon be ended, and then God shall wipe away all tears from our eyes. Then, in the fullest sense, shall the mourners be ‘comforted.’" 

Some grief is self-centered; some spiritually motivated. All mankind suffers financial reverses, sickness, distress, adversity, the loss of loved ones, et cetera. Meanwhile, we know God is the “Father of mercies and the God of all comfort; who comforts us in all our tribulation,” but now, the Beatitudes are a package deal for a special people. 

The mourner of Jesus’ sermon is not the perpetual pessimist who puts the worst possible construction on all he sees and hears; who constantly whines, murmurs and complains – “Woe is me!” HIS wounds are often self-inflicted! “Blessed are those that MOURN,” not blessed are those that MOAN. Moaning is self-centered and carnal; mourning is God-centered and spiritually rehabilitating. Jesus illustrates the difference in Matthew 6:16, “Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.” There is nothing spiritual about a scowl! 

Some mourn over unfulfilled lusts like Amnon, David’s son, who was sick in sorrow over his halfsister, Tamar, refusing his immoral advances. Amnon, was like Ahab who pouted and refused to eat because Naboth refused to sell the family vineyard. Sometimes, like a spoiled child, we drown in self pity when we don’t get our way. Meanwhile, others are worse off physically and financially, and, more importantly, others are dying in sin. There is no blessing in such self-centered mourning. “Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted.” But first, enjoy our song… 

Of the nine New Testament words for sorrow, the word “mourn” Jesus uses here is the strongest, representing deep inner agony. Look at 2 Corinthians 7:10, “Godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death.” In other words, some mourning is destructive; some is productive. Actually, godly sorrow is what Jesus refers to in Matthew 5:4. We are not blessed by mourning alone, but by the forgiveness that follows the repentance triggered by godly sorry. Consider Psalm 32:1-2, “Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, Whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man to whom the LORD does not impute iniquity, And in whose spirit there is no deceit.” 

All struggle with weaknesses and temptation. Twenty-five years ago I used to enjoy golfing on sunny, 70 degree August afternoons in Ventura, CA. One afternoon I was grouped with three young men in their late teens. After we got acquainted and they learned I was a preacher. One of them spoke of his mother’s wholesome Christian influence and his background as a believer. He was trying to put that behind him. He said, “I don’t see what the big deal is in being a Christian.” He followed up, “We all sin, don’t we? You sin, don’t you?” I answered, “Yes, I do.” He said, “You sin, I sin, we all sin. What difference does it make?” Maybe you are wondering about the same question. Our beatitude, really, provides the answer. 

There are good, moral people in the world. In fact, some Christians have likely committed more overt sins than some people in the world. What makes the Christian any better than the man in the world? There is a BIG difference! The Christian mourns over HIS sins. Men in the world revel in their sin, others dismiss their sin with indifference, and many fail to recognize their sin at all. The Christian, however, (he who has been born of water and of the Spirit) agonizes over his sins and strives against sinning as he learns to abhor and to hate his sin. 

The world justifies sin. The world plays the “nobody is perfect” card. Those with Bible knowledge emphasize the universal sinfulness of man, downplay the holiness of God and count on the grace of God to gloss it all over. Jesus, though, says you cannot be truly contented until you mourn over your sin, confess your sin and forsake your sin. We see this truth elaborated on in James 4:8-10, “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.” This is the mourning Jesus addresses. 

Jeremiah’s great anguish over the sins of Israel represent the kind of mourning Jesus referred to in Jeremiah 9:1-2, “Oh, that my head were waters, And my eyes a fountain of tears, That I might weep day and night For the slain of the daughter of my people! …For they are all adulterers, An assembly of treacherous men.” Even better is the woman who came to wash Jesus’ feet with her tears, in deep anguish over her sins. Jesus said of her in Luke 7:47, ‘Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.’" Can you see the strong link between loving God and mourning over sin? How about you? Have you really mourned over your sins?  The message from the cross is sobering: sin crucified the Son of God; sin grieves the Holy Spirit. 

This beatitude is not designed to be a downer. “Blessed are those who mourn, For they shall be comforted.” Jesus is describing the special blessedness He offers. The gospel is not all “gloom and doom.” The Bible says in Proverbs 17:22, “A merry heart does good, like medicine…” Jesus told His disciples repeatedly to “be of good cheer” (Matthew 14:27; John 16:33; Acts 23:11). No doubt, Jesus had joyous times with the disciples, but we don’t read about Jesus the jokester or Christ the comedian. We read instead of the “man of sorrows, acquainted with grief” (Isaiah 53). The spiritual state of man tore Him up on the inside. Before we experience the joy and blessedness Jesus came to bring, we must come to terms with our sins and mourn over them. 

Remember, “salvation is free, but it ain’t cheap!” Some preachers sell a guilt-free gospel – a gospel minus the mourning over sin. They are peddling a gospel where you don’t have to deal with your sin - - where you don’t have to change your life. 

Consider the domino effect of biblical mourning: godly sorrow produces a change of heart (that’s repentance!); the change of heart leads to a change of life (that’s reformation!); the change of life leads to rejoicing. Mourning manifests itself in an “about face” and “forward march.” Repentance is not a forty-five or ninety degree turn, but a total reverse of direction. Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” Many enter the Kingdom only to put up “no trespassing signs” once they arrive. They tell God in effect, “You have no jurisdiction in these areas.” Really?! Oh, no! That won’t work! God expects total and complete surrender. 

The mourning that accompanies being poor in spirit, demands that when we “add Jesus, we subtract sin.” Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 6:9-11, “ Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. And such WERE SOME OF YOU. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.” What obstacles hinder genuine repentance? The Spirit tells us in Hebrews 12:1, “…let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us…” Repentance means laying down weights and sins – those behaviors that slow us down and trip us up. 

One barrier to the mourning of genuine repentance is addiction to sin. Sin entices. Sin enslaves. Sin can be fun for a while, but there is a nasty aftertaste. The Hebrew writer describes this as the “pleasures of sin for a season.” Did you see the Peanuts cartoon where Lucy holds the football and Charlie Brown tries to kick it? They go back and forth as Lucy attempts Charlie Brown to take another kick. Finally, Lucy breaks down in tears. “Charlie Brown, I’ve been so terrible to you over the years, picking up the football like I have when you try to kick it, but I’ve seen the error of my ways. I’ve been so wrong. Won’t you give a poor penitent girl another chance?” Moved by her passionate apology, Charlie Brown responds, “Sure, I’ll give you another chance.” When she pulls the football away again and Charlie Brown goes flying onto his back, Lucy declares, “Recognizing your faults and changing your ways are two different things, Charlie Brown.” Confession is one thing, contrition is another. 

Mere words are different than the deep heartfelt remorse and resolve of mourning. Many admit they have sinned, but never mourn like the Prodigal who turned his back on the far country, saying in Luke 15:18-19, “I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.’" Real repentance requires change! 

The mourning that brings true comfort and blessedness involves the principle articulated in Romans 12:9, “Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good.” It is NOT enough to say, “Sin is bad. I’m sorry I’ve sinned.” Mourning over sin involves learning to abhor, learning to hate the sin in our lives. This we must do to beat down the sin in our life. We must “mortify” or “put to death” the flesh (Romans 8:13; Colossians 3:5). Denial and self-deception deter the mourning of repentance that brings comfort. Some do not go to the Doctor because they don’t want to hear bad news. Some people avoid the Bible and church services for the same reason. 

A self-righteous man told the preacher after every sermon, “You sure told ‘em today, preacher!” The sermon never penetrated his own conscience. The preacher prepared a sermon just for him and saved it until a snowstorm when only the self-righteous man showed. The preacher pulled out all the stops and preached the most pointed sermon of his life. Afterwards, the man said, “Boy, IF ONLY they had been here, you sure would have told ‘em!” And so, denial prevents some from mourning. 

Others procrastinate. Perhaps you know what it is required, but gamble that you will have enough time to take care of it in the future. But, you know, “If we put off repentance another day, we have one day MORE to repent of and one day LESS to repent in.” Why chance it? The Bible tells us in Hebrews 3:13 to “exhort one another daily, while it is called ‘Today,’ lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.” That’s just it; sin deceives by enticing us to think it will get easier to turn later. No, today is the day. Now is the accepted time! The devil desires delay. 

Consider the difference between the repentance that comes with mourning and the remorse and regret that falls short. Regret is the consciousness of sin only in the mind. When we move from regret to remorse, pain in the heart accompanies our consciousness of sin. Repentance, however, takes place when the weight of our sin affects NOT ONLY the mind and the heart, but also affects the will. In other words, the mourning of repentance Jesus promotes involves an abhorrence to sin that generates a firm resolve to break the bonds of sin. Had the Prodigal sat in the pigpen thinking how foolish he had been that would have been merely regret; emotional anguish over his sin would have been only remorse. But, when these feelings led the prodigal to “Arise and go,” he brought forth “fruits worthy of repentance…” 

“Blessed are those who mourn, For they shall be comforted.” There can be no true comfort, no genuine peace living in unrepentant sin. David says as much in Psalm 32:3-4, “When I kept silent, my bones grew old Through my groaning all the day long. For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; My vitality was turned into the drought of summer.” God got his attention; his conscience was pricked; David’s sin ate at him. When David repented, he found relief. Psalm 32:5, “I acknowledged my sin to You, And my iniquity I have not hidden. I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,’ And You forgave the iniquity of my sin.” 

Sarah of New Haven, CT, inherited $20 million plus $1000 a day in the late 1800’s. Sarah was rich, popular, powerful and MISERABLE! Her daughter died at five weeks old. Then her husband died. Guilt drove Sarah to San Jose, CA, where she bought an eight room farm house on 160 acres. She hired sixteen carpenters to work twenty-four hours a day for thirty-eight years on her mansion. Each window had thirteen panes, each wall had thirteen panels, each closet had thirteen hooks, and each chandelier had thirteen globes. Corridors snaked randomly, some leading nowhere. One door opened to a blank wall; another door opened to a fifty foot drop. One set of stairs led to a doorless ceiling. There were trap doors and secret passageways and tunnels. When the building ended at Sarah’s death, it covered six acres with six kitchens, thirteen bathrooms, forty stairways, forty-seven fireplaces, fifty-two skylights, over four hundred doors, ten thousand windows, one hundred sixty rooms and a bell tower. Legend has it the mansion was haunted by Indians and soldiers killed on the frontier by bullets from the most popular rifle in America – the Winchester. What brought millions to Sarah Winchester brought death to multitudes of Indians and soldiers! You don’t have to visit the Winchester mansion to see the effects of unresolved guilt. You know people haunted with guilt – by the worldly sorrow that brings death. What about you? Are you comforted or are you haunted by the guilt of the unresolved sin in your life? “Blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted.” Stay with us until after our song, and we’ll tell you how you can get a copy of this message… 

Thank you for watching Let the Bible Speak. If you’d like a free transcript or DVD of this sermon, #1287, “Blessed are They That Mourn,” please write the address to follow. We offer our free Bible study course by Ronny Wade to complete at home. Visit to watch full length videos of the program or ninety-second sermon video clips, to hear podcasts or read transcripts of these messages. Join our group page on Facebook for updates on the sermon airing each week and the daily Bible verse with brief explanation. We always welcome your comments and questions. Finally, we echo the sentiment of the apostle Paul when he wrote in Romans 16:16, “the churches of Christ salute you.” Until next week, good bye and God bless.

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