The second “beatitude” that Jesus spoke in his “Sermon on the Mount” (Mt.5-7) was, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted (Mt.5:4). If we truly reflect on this promise, it is very counterintuitive. Most of us who have mourned a loss or grieved in the midst of a tragedy have not felt blessed at all. If we equate blessedness with happiness, this verse becomes even more challenging. If we make happiness rather than blessedness the measure of God’s love, then many believers will live with a sense that God betrayed them when he didn’t give them what they thought would make them happy. We need to consider whether there is a difference.
Blessedness is, I believe, a state of peace, tranquility, or well being that comes over us when we are in the presence of God. It is a moment when we feel his goodness touching us and know that he is caring for us no matter how dark the season. When Moses stood on the top of Sinai, begging God to show him his glory, God agreed to show Moses his goodness.It is almost as if God is equating his glory with his goodness. Happiness seems to be about enjoying the moment when everything is going our way, while blessedness seems to be the assurance of God’s goodness which is made up of his love, care, and faithfulness for every moment.
As a pastor I have sat with many families in the midst of tragedy and crisis. In those dark moments, I have seen the grace of God bring peace and an assurance that the sun will shine again in the hearts of those overcome by sorrow. It truly is a peace that passes understanding. It is supernatural and it is a state of blessedness where the presence of God promises that weeping may remain for a night but joy will come in the morning (Ps.30:5; Lam.3:22-23). It is a presence that imparts hope when everything seems hopeless. It is a light shining in the darkness. It is grace that is poured out that enables God’s people to praise in the midst of sorrow.
So, how does that relate to “blessed are those who mourn?” On one level, it seems to be a promise that when we mourn we can expect the presence of God and the blessedness that comes from his presence because he is not unaware or indifferent to our pain. Jesus displayed that divine empathy when he wept at the tomb of Lazarus. Although he knew that Lazarus would step into the sunlight in just a few moments, he sensed the pain of those around him at a deep level and he was moved to tears. He felt what they were feeling. The notion of compassion is the idea that one person genuinely feels another’s pain. Scripture is full of promises that God is close to the brokenhearted (Ps. 34:18, 147:3; Isa. 61:1). With his closeness comes a blessedness that can only be imparted by the Holy Spirit.
On another level, I believe Jesus is also promising a blessedness for those whose hearts are tender. Standing opposite those who mourn are those who have hardened their hearts to avoid all pain and inconvenience. These individuals have placed such a protective coating around their hearts that they are indifferent to those in poverty, the abused, the orphan, the refugee, or the anguish of a parent whose child is enslaved to drugs. Not only do these individuals not feel the pain of others, but neither do they feel sorrow for sin in their own lives. There is no grief in them for their failings before God.
Jesus is our model. He felt compassion for the lost sheep of Israel, the widow whose only son had died, the sick, the poor, the lame, and the demon possessed. He crossed Galilee to free one man from demon possession and then returned to where he had come from. Interestingly, when the wind was just right, he could probably hear the anguished screams of the Gadarene across the lake at night in Capernaum, where Jesus often stayed. Jesus may well have been saying, “Blessed are those whose hearts can still be touched by the suffering of others.” Remember, he taught us to weep with those who weep and rejoice with those who rejoice.
This beatitude may be conveying a promise that God will bless those who express the compassion of Jesus through their own hearts, actions, and even tear ducts. As they express the heart of Jesus, the presence of Jesus will produce a state of blessedness. In a world so self-focused and too busy for the needs of others, we can quickly become the religious officials who scurried by the man beaten and left to die on the Jericho road until the Samaritan arrived. In a world of Narcissism, acute busyness, and indifference, may we never lose our capacity to mourn over sin, tragedy, and loss in our own lives or in the lives of others.
