Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Matthew 5:4
Jesus moves from saying that the humble who know their need for God will be blessed, to saying that there will be blessings and comfort for those who mourn. So, the Creator of the universe is saying that, if you’re sad, you’re gonna be blessed? If your closest family member dies, it’ll be a blessing? If you lose everything in a fire or earthquake or tornado, you’ll be blessed by that?
Look up the verses, referenced below, from Isaiah 61. That chapter, and the associated verses, talks about the time when God would live among us. That chapter is also the one that Jesus later quoted in a synagogue when He said, “today, this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” In doing that, Jesus announced that He was Messiah, that He is God, come to live among men and to heal us from what ails us most (though not what we always think).
Isaiah 61:2-3 talks about how, when God arrived here, He would comfort those who mourn. Think about that. When someone you love dies, when you lose your job, when your relationship ends, when a fire or hurricane or vandals destroy your precious possessions, when your best friend rejects you, when you are hurting and mourning so much worse than you ever thought would be possible, Jesus arrives on the scene just to comfort you. He personally steps into your situation and mourns with you, hurts with you, tells your wounded heart what it needs most to hear, and imparts His peace into you.
No, it won’t bring your loved one back. No, it won’t repair every relationship. No, it won’t rebuild your house that burned. What Jesus’ comfort will always do is let you know that the God of the universe is always on your side. That He always loves you. That He will always be with you even when things are bad. That the blessings He has ahead of you in this life and the one to come will more than make up for the hurt you feel now. Jesus doesn’t promise to take away all the hurt and pain we experience in this life. Instead, He gives us the better promise to be with us and see us through it. To give us the opportunity to grow in Him.
Having that promise is the difference between anguish and hope, bitterness and forgiveness, hate and love, moving around or moving forward. At the other end of the pain, there is Jesus, blessing you more than you thought He ever could simply by standing beside you as King of Kings and the friend you finally always knew you had even when everything else went south.
For more reading: Isaiah 61:2-3, Luke 4:21, Matthew 5:5
Lord, You are my comforter. When I hurt and mourn, I will seek my comfort in You alone because only You are the true comfort, the true love of my heart.
Practical Proverbs 