Message Eighteen: Blessed Are They That Mourn

Matthew 5:4
A little fellow was down in the dumps. “What’s the matter?” asked his neighbor. “I’m at the awkward stage,” he sighed. “I’m too old to cry and too young to cuss.”

I hope you’ll always be too young to cuss, but never too old to cry, for our Lord said in Matthew 5:4, “Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.”

“What?” you ask. “Does happiness come from a heart that’s pierced? How can crying and cheer go together? That’s a contradiction: ‘Happy are they that mourn.’” But it’s not!

The Lord Jesus didn’t mean, “Blessed are the miserable.” Neither did He say, “Good for you who are gloomy.” Quite the contrary. One day He said to His followers, “When you fast, do not look gloomy like hypocrites: they make their faces unsightly so that other people may see that they are fasting. I tell you this: they have their reward already.”

That reminds me of the remark: “Some people’s religion is like a man with a headache - he can’t afford to give up his head, but it hurts him to keep it.” That’s not the religion of our Redeemer. Jesus wasn’t joyless, and He doesn’t want His Christians to be crybabies.
What, then, did He mean when he said, “Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted!” Let’s see.

The word “mourn” is one of the strongest expressions for mourning in the Greek language. It’s a sorrow that cuts the heart to tears. Not only is it felt in the soul but it’s seen in the face and heard in the words. It’s a sorrow that can’t be hidden, and with such a broken heart comes the bliss of God.

It speaks of the mourning for sin. As Isaiah looked to the Lord he saw his own loathsomeness. He cried, “Woe is me! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips and I dwell among a people of unclean lips; yet with these eyes I have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.” After he cried, after he confessed his sin, he was cleansed. From heaven came the promise, “Your iniquity is removed, and your sin is wiped away.” Before he scaled the heights of spiritual glory, he sank into the depths of sincere grief. There is always the remorse before there is the rejoicing. Listen to David. He cried, “My body wasted away with moaning all day long. For day and night Thy hand was heavy upon me, the sap in me dried up as in summer drought. Then I declared my sin. I did not conceal my guilt. I said, ‘With sorrow I will confess my disobedience to the Lord;’ then Thou didst remit the penalty of my sin.” But he didn’t stop there. He went from sobbing to singing, for he shouted, “Rejoice in the Lord and be glad.”

This verse, “Blessed are they that mourn,” speaks of the mourning in sympathy. One day our Lord received a letter telling Him that a friend whom He loved was ill. When He arrived at his home He found Lazarus had already been four days in the tomb. Mary and Martha came to Him, and when He saw them crying He was deeply moved. “Where have you laid him?” He asked. “Come and see,” they replied. Then, the Bible says, “Jesus wept.” Do you weep with those who weep? It was Lincoln who said, “I am sorry for the man who can’t feel the whip when it’s laid on the other man’s back.”

The verse, “Blessed are they that mourn,” speaks of the mourning in soul-travail. One of his congregation had disobeyed the Lord. When he heard about it, this pastor, Samuel, cried all night to the Lord. Do you sob over the sins of your family and friends? Do you weep over their worldliness and waywardness? Paul did. Hear him as he says, “I am speaking the truth as a Christian, and my own conscience, enlightened by the Holy Spirit, assures me it is no lie: in my heart there is great grief and unceasing sorrow. For I could even pray to be outcast from Christ myself for the sake of my unclean lips and I dwell among a people of unclean lips; yet with these eyes I have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.” After he cried, after he confessed his sin, he was cleansed. From heaven came the promise, “Your iniquity is removed, and your sin is wiped away.” Before he scaled the heights of spiritual glory, he sank into the depths of sincere grief. There is always the remorse before there is the rejoicing. Listen to David. He cried, “My body wasted away with moaning all day long. For day and night Thy hand was heavy upon me, the sap in me dried up as in summer drought. Then I declared my sin. I did not conceal my guilt. I said, ‘With sorrow I will confess my disobedience to the Lord;’ then Thou didst remit the penalty of my sin.” But he didn’t stop there. He went from sobbing to singing, for he shouted, “Rejoice in the Lord and be glad.”

This verse, “Blessed are they that mourn,” speaks of the mourning in sympathy. One day our Lord received a letter telling Him that a friend whom He loved was ill. When He arrived at his home He found Lazarus had already been four days in the tomb. Mary and Martha came to Him, and when He saw them crying He was deeply moved. “Where have you laid him?” He asked. “Come and see,” they replied. Then, the Bible says, “Jesus wept.” Do you weep with those who weep? It was Lincoln who said, “I am sorry for the man who can’t feel the whip when it’s laid on the other man’s back.”

The verse, “Blessed are they that mourn,” speaks of the mourning in soul-travail. One of his congregation had disobeyed the Lord. When he heard about it, this pastor, Samuel, cried all night to the Lord. Do you sob over the sins of your family and friends? Do you weep over their worldliness and waywardness? Paul did. Hear him as he says, “I am speaking the truth as a Christian, and my own conscience, enlightened by the Holy Spirit, assures me it is no lie: in my heart there is great grief and unceasing sorrow. For I could even pray to be outcast from Christ myself for the sake of my brothers, my natural kinfolk.” Only he who sobs as he sows the seed will return with rejoicing, for the Bible says, “He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.”

If you mourn in these ways, the Bible says you’ll be “comforted.” If you go to God in grief over your sins and over the sins and sorrows of others, you’ll be comforted. He’ll not only heal your heart, but He’ll help you. He’ll not only cleanse you completely, but He’ll continue with you constantly. For a long time I wanted to become a Christian, but I was afraid. I was afraid my friends would laugh at me. And I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to hold out. “Suppose I become a Christian,” I said, “and I go back and play for the nightclubs again and sin. Oh, that would be worse than not becoming a Christian at all.” But one night I was so convicted of my sins that I wept bitterly. I cast myself on the Lord for His mercy. He saved me, and with His mercy came His might. He not only comforted me, but He gave me courage. He took away my fears and gave me faith. I found that the verse is true. “Blessed are they that mourn; for they shall be comforted.”
copyright 2000 Guido Evangelistic Association

All Scripture verses are quoted from the New King James Version.

This series of messages on the books of the Bible were originally written for broadcast on Dr. Guido's radio program, "The Sower." They are collected and reprinted here for your enjoyment and spiritual edification. Go to the Sower's site for more at www.TheSower.com.