“Blessed are those who mourn…” Matthew 5:3; the Greek here means to grieve or lament. Jesus is not necessarily or primarily speaking here of sharing the grief of someone that has experienced bereavement, although such sharing is taught in Scripture and definitely has its rewards. The mourning we see here is that of those who truly sorrow and grieve over their sins, this is a “godly sorrow (that) produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted” 2 Corinthians 7:10. The verse goes on showing that this is totally opposite of the grief and “sorrow of the world (that) produces death”; the Amplified Bible says “[The hopeless sorrow that is characteristic of the pagan world]”. The mourning of Matthew 5:4 is genuine sorrow for our sin, which is ultimately against God as is seen in Psalm 51:4, “Against You, You only have I sinned, And done this evil in Your sight”. It is a declaration with the Psalmist in 38:18, “I will declare my iniquity; I will be in anguish over my sin.” This sorrowful mourning over our sin is more than going down an aisle or through a religious ritual, it is a genuine turning away from those sins “to serve the living and true God” as seen in 1 Thessalonians 1:9. The heart change that results from this true mourning and repentance leads us to the second half of Matthew 5:4, “For they shall be comforted.” This brings the work of Jesus Messiah into operation within us, “To console (appoint) those who mourn in Zion, To give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness.” Isaiah 61:3. Isaiah 40 transitions from the judgments against Israel and Judah in the first part of the book to their return from captivity and looking forward the coming of Messiah (Jesus) so verse 1 says, “Comfort, yes comfort My people! Says your God.” This is the comfort you too can receive through Him.
Beatitudes (Part two)
By Rose Hill
Happy are those who of their sins repent,
And rejoice in the grace that God has sent.
For when we mourn because of our sins,
God causes us the victory to win.
Unless otherwise stated scripture quotations are from the New King James Version copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson Co. used by permission.