The Beatitudes
10 Truths
Blessed are those who mourn (Matthew 5:4).
Matthew's Beatitude 2
Matthew 5:4
Blessed are the mourners because they will be comforted.
Luke's Beatitude 3
Luke 6:20
Blessed are you who weep now because they will laugh.
When Jesus promises that those who mourn are blessed, it seems like a paradox. Blessing does not always come in this life. Perhaps a blessing of mourning is that we are not stuffing our feelings down or acting like we cannot properly mourn as Christians. God allows us to experience the full range of emotions that we should healthily and properly feel.
What kind of mourning is Jesus talking about?
There are different reasons to mourn. Some reasons include mourning for our sin, death of a loved one, the wickedness of this world, and loss. Matthew’s use of mourning suggests and ongoing state. These are people who are mourning for a time. The word Matthew uses can refer to mourning caused by grief.
What are appropriate ways to mourning and is it wrong?
Some people tell you it is wrong to mourn as a Christian. You should be happy all the time, they say. But that is not a healthy response to the causes for mourning.
It is healthy to mourn in appropriate situations. For instance,
- Mourning for sin caused by wickedness in the world or your weakness from temptation is a proper response. You should mourn for sin that is in the world or sin that is holding you back from maturity in Christ.
- Mourning the loss of a loved one because of death is entirely appropriate. We do not mourn as the world mourns (1 Thessalonians 4:13-14), We still mourn the loss of a loved one who knows Christ. We will meet them again in heaven, but they are not with us now.
- If you are mourning the loss of an unsaved loved one, it is appropriate to mourn the fact that they do not know Jesus before they died.
What’s the difference between mourning and weeping (Luke 6:20)?
Matthew uses a term for mourning or grieving while Luke uses a term for weeping and wailing. Both can refer to the types of causes mentioned above.
How does God comfort people who mourn? How can I comfort those who mourn?
There are two types of comfort in Matthew. Comfort comes from God. It can also come from other Christians and people. The ministry of comfort is a powerful one that can really make us feel close to God and His comfort through others.
The Bible tells us that God is the Comforter (2 Corinthians 1:3-4). He is close to the brokenhearted (Psalm 147:3) and takes care of those crushed in spirit (Psalm 34:18). You can always lean on Jesus in your sorrow and mourning.
We can comfort others who are mourning. If they are a Christian, sharing Scripture with them can help. If they are not a Christian, it may be an open door to share Jesus with them. People are often closer to accepting Jesus in crisis. This must be at the appropriate time and with the appropriate mood and wisdom.
Sometimes the best thing to do at the onset of grief is to give the person space. Let them know that it is okay to grieve. It is healthy to grieve the death of a loved one for up to a year.
Do not offer Christian platitudes like, “You are strong. You can handle this,” or “Just lean on Jesus and stop mourning because you will see them in heaven again.” These are not helpful and can guilt the person into a false sense of happiness.
What about Luke and those who weep now will laugh?
Luke approaches this from a different angle. He uses the word for weeping, which could refer to short-term grief. Luke often adds “now” to stress that weeping is a present action but not forever. Even in the worst of sorrow, we know that it is not forever. Times of laughter and happiness can return to us. This is the blessedness of weeping now. You will laugh again. As the psalmist says, “Even though a person weeps through the night, joy comes with the mourning” (Psalm 30:5). There is a time to weep and a time to laugh (Ecclesiastes 3:4).
Life Change
- Are you in a season of mourning? Seek God’s comfort in the comfort of others who care about you. Allow yourself proper time to grieve.
- Do you mourn because of sin you have committed out of temptation or the wickedness in the world? Sorrowful response to sin leads to repentance and God’s forgiveness.
- How can you comfort your friend or loved one who is mourning? What is God’s wisdom on how to approach them?
- What scriptures can you give someone who has experienced the loss of a loved one who is a Christian?
- Perhaps you have a friend who has been grieving for a long time and it has become unhealthy. How can you approach them or help them?