Matthew 5:4
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.”
In the early days of my new life in Christ, the Lord assured me of His forgiveness for my condition of sin but I was still processing the issue of the many wrongful things I had done. I began to dig deeper into scripture, grow in my faith, take stock of my past offenses, mourn over them, and finally was able to deal with them.
Jesus’ blessing of comfort for those who mourn is often misinterpreted. He is not speaking in the context of mourning over someone who has died, rather, it is mourning over our sin. Earlier in his gospel, Matthew wrote the account of John the Baptist preparing the way for Jesus’ arrival by preaching the need for all to come to repentance, “for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.” Jesus had chosen this same theme when He opened His mouth to preach the Sermon on the Mount.
Without repentance or grieving over our sin, there is no comfort! Just as the Lord encouraged me to deal with my sinful actions that brought comfort to my heart, He is encouraging all of us, as Christ-followers, to mourn over our sins, acknowledge them, and deal with them by confessing. Now, confession is one thing; contrition is another. The Bible says “rend your hearts.”
Be broken.
Heartbroken.
Jesus knows all about spiritual mourning over sin—even though He had no sins to mourn. He is heartbroken for us and mourns over our sins and those of a sinful world, and grieves over its devastating effect on us. In Christ, with mourning and repentance, we can be confident that we are forgiven, and we can walk with a new, clean heart, infused with hope that provides the comfort that only Christ can give.
Dear Lord, we thank and praise You for a fresh perspective and understanding of how seriously You take sin. As we come before You, grieved over our own sins, may we confess our sorrow and repent. You promise forgiveness for the sins that have grieved You. Thank you, Jesus, for the blessings You bestow out of our poverty and Godly mourning, and thank you for the hope of comfort that comes by Your grace. In Your gracious name, we pray. Amen.
~ painting by Michael Humphries
