As Messiah started His longest sermon recorded in Scriptures, the first words spoke of comfort, and yet, their meaning must have been strange and puzzling to some.

Last week, in the second part of this blog series, we dove into the deep meaning of Jesus’ first beatitude: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven.” You can find that message by clicking HERE.

As He continues, Jesus talks about a concept that would have reminded His followers of words of prophets of old like Isaiah, Jeremiah and Zechariah:

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” Matthew 5:4

The Greek word for “blessed” here, makarios, is translated as “happy” and was used in pagan Greek literature to describe the state of happiness and well-being such as the gods enjoy. But in the beatitudes, makarios is given a strong spiritual content, containing a congratulatory concept, as a note in Weymouth’s New Testament suggests: ‘People who are blessed may outwardly be much to be pitied, but from the higher and therefore truer standpoint they are to be envied, congratulated, and imitated.’

Therefore, Jesus’ concept of happiness as expressed in the beatitudes transcends those things that make us smile and laugh. Jesus, the Man of Sorrows, invites His followers to experience the joy that is found by obeying the Father.

Jesus’ concept of happiness as expressed in the beatitudes transcends those things that make us smile and laugh. #Jesus, the Man of Sorrows, invites us to experience the joys of obedience.
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There are two concepts of mourning that need to be addressed to understand this beatitude:

The first one is intrinsically related to the first beatitude: “Blessed are the poor in spirit” … Mourners in this instance are those who, unlike the Pharisees, realize their unrighteousness, mourn for their sin, and express their mourning by repenting.

“All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away.” Isaiah 64:6

And again, as Paul quotes Psalm 14 and 53:

As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one;” Romans 3:10

These “blessed” mourners are Jesus’ followers who, realizing that their sin grieves the heart of the Father, repent and turn from them. These mourners will find the happiness of being comforted by Yahweh’s boundless forgiveness and grace.

Furthermore, these mourners mourn for the sins of others.

They have a zeal for the lost, and for sharing the Good News of salvation with the dying world around them.

I am so thankful for these types of mourners. They are like my youngest aunt, who, being the first person in my family who became a born-again believer, cried out to God for my salvation for many years. She was comforted… as God’s grace reached down, drawing me to repentance and salvation almost a decade later.

Are you that type of mourner?

Do you mourn for those in your family and friend circle who are lost? Do you weep before the Father, fully realizing what your loved one’s eternal destiny truly is, if they die without Christ?

Do you mourn for those in your family and friend circle who are lost? Do you weep before the Father, fully realizing what your loved one’s eternal destiny truly is, if they die without Christ?
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I confess that I do not mourn enough. Not as deeply as I should.

Jesus’ words convict and remind me that He still answer prayers for the salvation of others. Yes, He is faithful to comfort those type of mourners…

Just as He comforted me when I came to the cross, repentant … and filled me with the joy of His presence.

Or as He comforted me by saving my mom after seven years of prayers… and when my dad accepted Christ soon after that.

Or as He comforted me when my brother prayed to receive Christ during a devotional time with me in 1999, and when my best friend prayed to accept Jesus as her Savior, over the phone on December 22, 2002 – my Christmas gift that year.

Those who mourn for the lost will be comforted… and blessed.

The other concept of mourning implied in this beatitude is the promise of comfort for those faithful believers who suffer in this present age, nevertheless remaining faithful to the Father. These are the steadfast believers who go through the sorrows of life with unwavering faith.

The cancer patient whose doctor shakes his head when all human resources for cure are exhausted… and whose soul can soar above the bad report to sing: It is well with my soul…

The father who loses his job, draws the last unemployment check and still believes: Jehovah Jireh, my Provider, will come through…

Those mourners, who keep their eyes anchored on the Rock of Ages, will be comforted by the One who sat upon the Mount that day.

What a blessed promise! What a challenge to my heart today!

Mourn for your sins… mourn for the lost… mourn for your pain… for Jesus, the Grace Giver, promises to pour comfort and supernatural joy upon your weary soul

Mourn for your sins… mourn for the lost… mourn for your pain… for Jesus, the Grace Giver, promises to pour comfort and supernatural joy upon your weary soul.
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Join me next week for the continuation of The Sermon of the Mount Blog Series

The post Another Strange Blessing {The Sermon of the mount Blog Series – Part 3} appeared first on Soaring With Him Ministries.

She was, in a word, special.

And today, we were all there celebrating her home-going.  There was standing room only in the church.  Evidence of a life well-lived, yes, but it was so much more.  It was a life that was saturated with the glory of the Savior.  His glory shone so brightly in her earthly life. It flitted into that funeral service today and soothed every heart that had the privilege of knowing her.

She was not there.  No.  She was otherwise occupied worshiping Jesus face to face.  But the fragrance of Christ she left behind was still as poignant as ever.

She was, in another word, beautiful.

As I sat there today thinking of her, I kept crying for the loss we all felt, and then smiling for the joy that I knew she was experiencing at that very moment.

And there you have it. Mourning with hope.  I know, as good as I know my own name, that she is alive. That’s a fact, not a “hope so”.  II Corinthians 4:14 says:

Knowing that He who raised the Lord Jesus will

raise us also with Jesus and will present us with you.

 The void she leaves in the lives of those that were close to her will remain a tender wound for many years to come.  But because of II Corinthians 4:14, I know we will see her again.  I know it because this rock-solid truth has its footings set and cemented in the blood of Jesus Christ.  If He died and rose again, she rose again Saturday morning when she exhaled for the last time on this earth.

And we will too.  Mourning with hope.

If you are a believer in Christ, I’m not saying anything you don’t already know. In fact, if I’m not careful, I realize I run the risk of sounding trite and over-spiritual in a painful situation.  I only hazard saying these things because I know my friend.  I know what she would say if I could call her and ask her about it right now.

I remember one distinct time when my heart was broken over loss of ministry, loss of friendship, loss of direction.  My heart had been broken one time too many, it seemed, and I was in the process of just giving up.  She didn’t even know I was going through any of that and just “randomly” reached out to me me in a text one day that went something like this:

“Hey sweet friend.  The Lord just had you on my heart today and I felt impressed to tell you to keep going.  You may not feel like it, but your ministry is glorifying to the Lord.  You have something to say for the Lord, girlfriend!  Don’t give up.”

So, you see, I only say these things about mourning with hope, not to be trite or “hyper-spiritual”.  I say them because my beautiful friend said, “You have something to say for the Lord, girlfriend!”  She’d tell me, in her endearing southern twang,

“Say it, Alison! Tell ’em!  Yes! I’m more alive than I have ever been, and there is hope! I have gained everything because Jesus paid it all! And tell ’em there’s hope for everyone if they’ll just give their lives to Jesus too!  Tell ’em!”

And then she’d tell me to back it up with Scripture just cause she was sassy that way 🙂

 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep.  I Thessalonians 4:13-14

I wrote this song a few years ago the night my grandmother died.  I got to thinking about what my granny would say to me from heaven if she could. I had the overwhelming honor of singing it today at the precious celebration honoring my extraordinary friend.  Maybe it will comfort you and give you some perspective if you are hurting over a great loss.

Yes, we mourn….so very deeply.  But, in Jesus, never ever without hope.

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