Blessed are Those Who Mourn
Matthew 5:4
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SERMON SUMMARY: It seems odd to say "happy are the sad," but that's essentially what Jesus says in this beatitude. Yet, when we understand what Jesus means by that, we'll see that those who mourn are indeed the most blessed souls in all the earth. |
Message begins at approx. the 39 min mark.
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"Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
Matthew 5:4 ESV
Matthew 5:4 ESV
I invite you to turn with me in your Bibles once again to the book of Matthew. Last week we began looking at the introduction to the Sermon on the Mount. We noted it was the greatest introduction of the greatest message ever preached. It grabs your attention because it deals with one of the most consuming topics of men’s minds: It’s the idea of being blessed, or happy.
And we looked at the first of these beatitudes: that of being poor in spirit. Those who are blessed and truly happiest are those who are spiritually bankrupt. Of course, it’s those who admit they are spiritually bankrupt. Everyone falls into that category; for we know that all have fallen short of the glory of God. But not everyone confesses their sin and admits that they have no moral grounds upon which to stand before God. But the one who is blessed is that one who sees himself as a beggar in need of righteousness, and cries out for mercy.
And he is blessed because he receives the kingdom. He is happy because God makes him a prince in his land and gives him all the rights and privileges. In sum, he’s happy because he goes from nothing to everything.
This morning we are dealing with the second of these beatitudes. And you’ll notice what it says there in verse 4: Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
You’ll notice we make a transition between the verses. We go from the streets or the marketplace where we were depicted as a beggar, to now being in the grave yard where we are mourning. Jesus takes us from the slums and puts us in by a sepulcher.
And we have something of an oxymoron. Happy are the mourners.
Now some of you may remember what we talked about last week. We talked about how some people take the idea of being “poor in spirit” as a way of talking about sad people—depressed people. They are impoverished emotionally. And I kind of poked fun at that idea. Happy are the sad. That doesn’t make sense.
Now you might come to this verse and say, “Well, what gives?” Is this not saying, “happy are the sad?”
Of course, we have to understand that it is taking about a specific kind of sadness. And I think you’ll understand as we go along what I mean.
So, what we want to do, then, is identify exactly who is it that is blessed? If we are going to understand their elation, we need to get a right grasp on who it is that Jesus is talking about.
I. Who are the blessed?
And, as we did last time, it is necessary that we begin by understanding who it is not talking about. We will understand who it is if we first peel away who it isn’t.
It is not those who are morose.
I’m glad to say I don’t think there’s a real problem with such people in this congregation. The overall spirit of our crew is a joyful one, and the jovial spirit of our group is evident most every time we gather together. As I’ve mentioned on occasion, sometimes I am reluctant to start the services because I enjoy hearing the laughter and comradery that goes on among us when we gather together on Sunday mornings.
However, I understand that some of you young people may be whisked away from us to other parts of the country. At some point in your life you may find yourselves in some other church. And you’ll need to be aware of this. There are some people who have a mournful countenance. They do not have a jovial carriage about them. Their face is somewhat serious; sometimes even dark (or grim) looking.
And you understand, I’m talking about Christian people. They think it is a badge that they are duty bound to wear as a follower of Christ. They think that it is a mark of a true Christian to have a melancholy spirit. And, as a result, they rarely smile or let any sort of brightness be expressed on their faces. And I think you will recognize that jokes and joking around are pretty much prohibited.
They walk around like the living dead because they believe it is biblical to have a grim disposition. And mind you they think this is justified by Scripture.
For instance, they will point to texts like 1 Peter 5 which says, “Be sober minded, be watchful; for your adversary the devil roams around like a raging lion seeking whom he may devour.” The whole idea of being sober-minded is mistaken to mean “somber-minded.”
To have a sober mind means that you exercise prudence and seek to demonstrate moderation in the things that you do. For instance, a drunkard or a glutton is someone who indulges in drink or food. He does not show any kind of moderation, but instead goes on an all-out binge until he is lost all capacity to think or function.
Being sober is a lot different than being somber. You can be sober and exercise restraint in the things you do without being sullen and sad. As a matter of fact, if you are sober, you should very much enjoy the things that you do have. As you live with the proper prudence, you can do whatever you are doing with great happiness and joy.
Sometimes these people will point to Jesus as another one of their proof texts. They say, “Jesus was a ‘man of sorrows.’” We know that we are to pattern our lives after Jesus. We are to be conformed to the image of the Son of God. And we know that the Bible never tells us that he was involved in any kind of jocularity. So we must mimic the Savior and have that same solemn carriage. To be sure, we wish to let the joy of the Lord show, but not in any way or fashion that may be mistake us to be truly being happy.
Now, it is true (at least on the surface) that we do not have examples of Jesus telling any knock knock jokes or playing any fun pranks on his disciples. He is presented in the Scriptures as a Man of Sorrows. But let’s remember he was bearing the sorrows of sin. His life was a life of suffering; He was living under the wrath of God from the moment he hit the womb. That’s why he is called a man of sorrows. Sorrow was his lot in life as the one who was the sin bearer.
But it would be foolish to think that Jesus did not crack a wide grin and enjoy a good belly laugh from time to time. We must remember the Jesus came to fulfill the 6th commandment, part of which means maintaining a cheerful spirit.
And there are places in Scripture which hint at the fact that he was a man who radiated with gaiety. Jesus would recline at table with his disciples and he would go to parties. To recline at table was something of a time of recreation. It was a time where people would relax and enjoy themselves. You cannot think that Jesus was such a magnetic figure, attracting all kinds of people to himself by going around looking morose.
And think, he welcomed little children to himself. It would be foolish to think that he did so with a grave look upon his face. The children would not wish to draw near to such a fellow who did not have the capacity to laugh and have a warm, welcoming demeanor.
Above all, let us remember that the Scripture says that He makes his face to shine upon those who are his people. That’s a metaphor of his favor and blessing, but it is one drawn from the fact that a face is radiating with the fullness of pleasure.
I think I’ve shared with you before the quote by Charles Spurgeon. He was giving advice on how to be expressive when you preach. And he said, “When you speak of the gospel and the blessings of heaven, your face should shine with the radiance of their glories. And when you speak of hell and its terrors, well, your normal face will do.”
Let’s not let Spurgeon’s quip be characteristic of us. Let us do everything in our power to show the joy of the Lord and the cheerful spirit that he wants us to have.
That being said, and recognizing that this beatitude does not call us to a morose demeanor, we should ask, what exactly does Jesus mean then? When he says “blessed are those who mourn” who is it that he is talking about? If it is not the morose looking, who is he describing?
We will get an idea when we remember the context. Jesus has just said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit.” And you may remember that we said that the poor in spirit are those who recognize their sinfulness. It is speaking about that spiritual poverty we have before God, because of the fall and because of all the transgressions that we commit.
When we come to the second beatitude, then, we understand that he is talking about those who mourn their sin. They are people who understand how offensive their sin is to God. It is talking about the people who after, reflecting on their actions, are grieved that they have transgressed God’s law. When they think about how they regularly break the commandments of God, they are utterly sickened.
Now, again, let’s be clear. This is not describing someone who is merely a little sad about their mistakes. This is describing someone who is distraught. This is describing a person who sees the real heinousness his actions are and is truly broken by it.
You understand this by zeroing in on the word “mourn.” There are several words in the Greek language which carry the idea of sadness. There is a word which means to be a little down or to have inward grief (lypein). But the word used here is pentheo, which means “to wail.” It is passionate lamenting. It is loud and outwardly expressed grief.
It is the mourning that accompanied the death of a loved one. And mind you, in the world of Jesus, people would hire professional wailers for funerals. It was a sign of your status if you had people wailing. It means that you were loved and were of great value to people.
But think if you suddenly lost a child or someone who was close to you. Think of how much grief you’d have. Think of how you might not be able to contain it and you might break loose in loud cries of lamentation.
That’s the kind of mourning being spoken of here. This is describing a person who is utterly cut to the heart because he, by his sin, has offended the most high God. He is at a loss because, though he loves the Lord and sees him as worthy of all glory, he has yet again failed to live up to the calling.
This, I would surmise, does not characterize a lot of people who go by the name Christian. I find that there are many who are quite okay with their lives and do not see any reason to be so aroused by their failings. Sure, they have done some things wrong and yes, it was not good, but, you know, life goes on. God will forgive me. We don’t need to get upset; we can all be on our jolly way again.
I have even witnessed people say, “Oh, you should not worry too much about having committed this or that sin. It’s not good to be upset. You need to get yourself together and keep your head up.”
Mind you, this is how much of the Christian world operates. They do not have a real feeling of guilt and they do not truly sense the awfulness of their sin.
Now, I’m not saying that this is the way a Christian must act all the time. Again, we are called to have a joyful spirit. But a real Christian will find this grief buts in from time to time. And there will be times where his joy is interrupted and he will ache over his sin. There will be times when he weeps because he senses how wretched it is. And there will be seasons where he is so frustrated by how he continues to fall into the same old sin that he cries out in disgust.
Let me say, at the very least, this is what it really means when you say to someone, “I’m sorry.” Those can be the two most trite words that we ever speak, can’t they? But we should never forget that when you say, “I’m sorry” what you really mean is “I sorrow.” I sorrow over the fact that I have wronged you. I grieve the fact that I broke God’s law by becoming angry with you and lashing out at you. I mourn the fact that I have acted this way and violated our sacred bond. And I want you to forgive me of that.
This is the attitude that Jesus speaks of. That’s the kind of person who is blessed.
II. Why are they blessed?
But do you know why the mournful can be happy? Because they will assuredly received that which their heart longs for. They can be happy because the Lord will soothe their afflicted spirits with his divine pardon.
This is the consolation: that they, when the last day comes and they stand before the Lord, they can be assured that the Lord will acquit them of all their wrongs and not hold against them any one of the least of their transgressions. They will be comforted because his grace and forgiveness will be granted to them.
Now, as I think about this, I cannot help but think of that parable that Jesus told about the Pharisee and the tax collector. Remember how the tax collector was described by Jesus. He was described as one who was mournful for his sin. He went to the temple, but he could not stand up like the Pharisee to offer his prayers. He found a little corner and he dared not even look to heaven. Instead he bowed his head and beat his chest. Out of frustration with himself—out of frustration with his conduct he physically thumped his chest: as if to say, “This heart of mine is out of order; it’s not functioning right.” You know when you are frustrated with the computer because it’s not working and so you give it a whack? That’s what he was doing. He’s exasperated at the evil pent up within himself. And as he agonized over the wickedness of his sin he cried out, “Lord, forgive me, a sinner.”
This man was mourning his sin. And you know what Jesus says? Jesus said, “This was the man who went home justified.” It wasn’t the Pharisee. It wasn’t the religious guy. It wasn’t the guy who seemed to have it all together. It was the guy who was grieved at how he had offended God. That was the one who went home justified. Though he was filled with sorrow, the Lord granted him the great comfort of his pardon.
And that is the great consolation that every person who truly grieves their sin and repents of it. God’s promise is that you will be forgiven. This is what you can bank on. There are many people who weep over their sins and they are wallowing in misery because they do not see how God could ever show them mercy. But the size or volume of your misdeeds are no issue. God can and will forgive.
And maybe that’s your consolation right now. It’s knowing that God’s grace is more powerful and of greater measure than your sins ever could be. So you can be assured that when it is your time to stand before him, and the books are opened, and the court of God has been called to order, you at that moment do not need to worry. For the Lord will find nothing but a large red stain upon those pages. The blood of Christ will be so thick and dark that not one of those things which you have done will be able to be seen by his divine eye. All will be forgiven.
But do not make a mistake. The pardon you gain is only a small part of the comfort you will have. The real comfort will be in the person you enjoy.
The word for comfort is one that is highly interesting at this point. It is the word “Parakaleo.” Literally it means to call to one’s side or come along side of. It is the same word that Jesus uses to describe himself and the Holy Spirit in John 14. In that passage Jesus says, “I will pray to the Father and he shall give you another ‘parakaleo.’ Some versions call it a helper or an advocate. Some versions use the word comforter.
That’s what the Holy Spirit is. He is one who comes along side of you. He comes to you and relates personally to you, in order to sustain you and uphold you.
And that’s the same sort of thing that we see going on right here in this second beatitude. Jesus says that you will be comforted. You will be called to the side of Jesus Christ. And there you will be with the Savior himself. You will no longer be separated from the one you have offended. You will rather be reconciled and brought into his very presence.
Here again we recognize the very depth of the gospel. It is not just that you are given pardon and allowed to go about your business. That would be a hollow consolation. It would be nice in that you know you will not be tried and sentenced for your deeds. But that does not constitute the fullness of what you had lamented.
You had lamented not just the fact that you had incurred guilt and are now liable to a punishment. The lamentation was foremost on the loss that was incurred by the sin. It was the broken relationship.
But here you see that you are brought back into relationship. You not only are forgiven and do not suffer the consequences, but you experience a full blown repair of the thing.
Think of it this way. A man messes up his relationship with his wife. By his repeated folly, he ends up alienating her and causing a division in their relationship. When he comes to terms that she has left him and found a new place to live, it hits him. He realizes what a fool he’s been. He truly recognizes that his actions have caused a rift in their relationship. And now they are on the brink of divorce he goes to her and he confesses his sin and he expresses his deep regret. He admits that he does love her and that he is terribly sorry for having neglected her and acted so irresponsibly.
Now she sees his repentance. She is able to tell that this is no show. In so far as she can discern, she knows that this is a true confession and expression of true sorrow. And so she forgives him…and she says that she will not require him to pay any alimony. Because he has rightly mourned his acts she’s going to leave him the house and the car. She’s not going to take any of it. He can have it all. But she’s still not coming back to him.
Now what would you say about that? Would you say that is any real comfort? There may be some luxuries. There may be some benefits that he reaps, but the real desire of his heart isn’t met, is it? The pardon and the perks really don’t mean all that much at this point. They really do not comfort because that was not the thing that he was most unhappy about. He mourned for having offended her and turned her away.
But if she came to him and said, “I forgive you” and she embraced him and took his hand in hers—if she nestled up beside him, that would be an altogether different thing, would it not? If she vowed not to leave him, wouldn’t he be comforted then? Think about the joy that would fill his heart. He might be so overwhelmed by her kindness and so overwhelmed that she would offer such a great degree of love, that he might not be able to control himself. He’d be overcome with gratitude.
That my friends is the kind of thing that the Lord promises to those who mourn their sin. He promises true and full reconciliation with him.
And that is what the gospel is all about. The good news is that God has promised to call repentant sinners to his side. It is the good news that you may be with him forever and ever.
And that is the real comfort that the mournful have. That’s why they are happy. They are happy because the great hope that the Lord gives them. They will have what they crave.
And we looked at the first of these beatitudes: that of being poor in spirit. Those who are blessed and truly happiest are those who are spiritually bankrupt. Of course, it’s those who admit they are spiritually bankrupt. Everyone falls into that category; for we know that all have fallen short of the glory of God. But not everyone confesses their sin and admits that they have no moral grounds upon which to stand before God. But the one who is blessed is that one who sees himself as a beggar in need of righteousness, and cries out for mercy.
And he is blessed because he receives the kingdom. He is happy because God makes him a prince in his land and gives him all the rights and privileges. In sum, he’s happy because he goes from nothing to everything.
This morning we are dealing with the second of these beatitudes. And you’ll notice what it says there in verse 4: Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
You’ll notice we make a transition between the verses. We go from the streets or the marketplace where we were depicted as a beggar, to now being in the grave yard where we are mourning. Jesus takes us from the slums and puts us in by a sepulcher.
And we have something of an oxymoron. Happy are the mourners.
Now some of you may remember what we talked about last week. We talked about how some people take the idea of being “poor in spirit” as a way of talking about sad people—depressed people. They are impoverished emotionally. And I kind of poked fun at that idea. Happy are the sad. That doesn’t make sense.
Now you might come to this verse and say, “Well, what gives?” Is this not saying, “happy are the sad?”
Of course, we have to understand that it is taking about a specific kind of sadness. And I think you’ll understand as we go along what I mean.
So, what we want to do, then, is identify exactly who is it that is blessed? If we are going to understand their elation, we need to get a right grasp on who it is that Jesus is talking about.
I. Who are the blessed?
And, as we did last time, it is necessary that we begin by understanding who it is not talking about. We will understand who it is if we first peel away who it isn’t.
It is not those who are morose.
I’m glad to say I don’t think there’s a real problem with such people in this congregation. The overall spirit of our crew is a joyful one, and the jovial spirit of our group is evident most every time we gather together. As I’ve mentioned on occasion, sometimes I am reluctant to start the services because I enjoy hearing the laughter and comradery that goes on among us when we gather together on Sunday mornings.
However, I understand that some of you young people may be whisked away from us to other parts of the country. At some point in your life you may find yourselves in some other church. And you’ll need to be aware of this. There are some people who have a mournful countenance. They do not have a jovial carriage about them. Their face is somewhat serious; sometimes even dark (or grim) looking.
And you understand, I’m talking about Christian people. They think it is a badge that they are duty bound to wear as a follower of Christ. They think that it is a mark of a true Christian to have a melancholy spirit. And, as a result, they rarely smile or let any sort of brightness be expressed on their faces. And I think you will recognize that jokes and joking around are pretty much prohibited.
They walk around like the living dead because they believe it is biblical to have a grim disposition. And mind you they think this is justified by Scripture.
For instance, they will point to texts like 1 Peter 5 which says, “Be sober minded, be watchful; for your adversary the devil roams around like a raging lion seeking whom he may devour.” The whole idea of being sober-minded is mistaken to mean “somber-minded.”
To have a sober mind means that you exercise prudence and seek to demonstrate moderation in the things that you do. For instance, a drunkard or a glutton is someone who indulges in drink or food. He does not show any kind of moderation, but instead goes on an all-out binge until he is lost all capacity to think or function.
Being sober is a lot different than being somber. You can be sober and exercise restraint in the things you do without being sullen and sad. As a matter of fact, if you are sober, you should very much enjoy the things that you do have. As you live with the proper prudence, you can do whatever you are doing with great happiness and joy.
Sometimes these people will point to Jesus as another one of their proof texts. They say, “Jesus was a ‘man of sorrows.’” We know that we are to pattern our lives after Jesus. We are to be conformed to the image of the Son of God. And we know that the Bible never tells us that he was involved in any kind of jocularity. So we must mimic the Savior and have that same solemn carriage. To be sure, we wish to let the joy of the Lord show, but not in any way or fashion that may be mistake us to be truly being happy.
Now, it is true (at least on the surface) that we do not have examples of Jesus telling any knock knock jokes or playing any fun pranks on his disciples. He is presented in the Scriptures as a Man of Sorrows. But let’s remember he was bearing the sorrows of sin. His life was a life of suffering; He was living under the wrath of God from the moment he hit the womb. That’s why he is called a man of sorrows. Sorrow was his lot in life as the one who was the sin bearer.
But it would be foolish to think that Jesus did not crack a wide grin and enjoy a good belly laugh from time to time. We must remember the Jesus came to fulfill the 6th commandment, part of which means maintaining a cheerful spirit.
And there are places in Scripture which hint at the fact that he was a man who radiated with gaiety. Jesus would recline at table with his disciples and he would go to parties. To recline at table was something of a time of recreation. It was a time where people would relax and enjoy themselves. You cannot think that Jesus was such a magnetic figure, attracting all kinds of people to himself by going around looking morose.
And think, he welcomed little children to himself. It would be foolish to think that he did so with a grave look upon his face. The children would not wish to draw near to such a fellow who did not have the capacity to laugh and have a warm, welcoming demeanor.
Above all, let us remember that the Scripture says that He makes his face to shine upon those who are his people. That’s a metaphor of his favor and blessing, but it is one drawn from the fact that a face is radiating with the fullness of pleasure.
I think I’ve shared with you before the quote by Charles Spurgeon. He was giving advice on how to be expressive when you preach. And he said, “When you speak of the gospel and the blessings of heaven, your face should shine with the radiance of their glories. And when you speak of hell and its terrors, well, your normal face will do.”
Let’s not let Spurgeon’s quip be characteristic of us. Let us do everything in our power to show the joy of the Lord and the cheerful spirit that he wants us to have.
That being said, and recognizing that this beatitude does not call us to a morose demeanor, we should ask, what exactly does Jesus mean then? When he says “blessed are those who mourn” who is it that he is talking about? If it is not the morose looking, who is he describing?
We will get an idea when we remember the context. Jesus has just said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit.” And you may remember that we said that the poor in spirit are those who recognize their sinfulness. It is speaking about that spiritual poverty we have before God, because of the fall and because of all the transgressions that we commit.
When we come to the second beatitude, then, we understand that he is talking about those who mourn their sin. They are people who understand how offensive their sin is to God. It is talking about the people who after, reflecting on their actions, are grieved that they have transgressed God’s law. When they think about how they regularly break the commandments of God, they are utterly sickened.
Now, again, let’s be clear. This is not describing someone who is merely a little sad about their mistakes. This is describing someone who is distraught. This is describing a person who sees the real heinousness his actions are and is truly broken by it.
You understand this by zeroing in on the word “mourn.” There are several words in the Greek language which carry the idea of sadness. There is a word which means to be a little down or to have inward grief (lypein). But the word used here is pentheo, which means “to wail.” It is passionate lamenting. It is loud and outwardly expressed grief.
It is the mourning that accompanied the death of a loved one. And mind you, in the world of Jesus, people would hire professional wailers for funerals. It was a sign of your status if you had people wailing. It means that you were loved and were of great value to people.
But think if you suddenly lost a child or someone who was close to you. Think of how much grief you’d have. Think of how you might not be able to contain it and you might break loose in loud cries of lamentation.
That’s the kind of mourning being spoken of here. This is describing a person who is utterly cut to the heart because he, by his sin, has offended the most high God. He is at a loss because, though he loves the Lord and sees him as worthy of all glory, he has yet again failed to live up to the calling.
This, I would surmise, does not characterize a lot of people who go by the name Christian. I find that there are many who are quite okay with their lives and do not see any reason to be so aroused by their failings. Sure, they have done some things wrong and yes, it was not good, but, you know, life goes on. God will forgive me. We don’t need to get upset; we can all be on our jolly way again.
I have even witnessed people say, “Oh, you should not worry too much about having committed this or that sin. It’s not good to be upset. You need to get yourself together and keep your head up.”
Mind you, this is how much of the Christian world operates. They do not have a real feeling of guilt and they do not truly sense the awfulness of their sin.
Now, I’m not saying that this is the way a Christian must act all the time. Again, we are called to have a joyful spirit. But a real Christian will find this grief buts in from time to time. And there will be times where his joy is interrupted and he will ache over his sin. There will be times when he weeps because he senses how wretched it is. And there will be seasons where he is so frustrated by how he continues to fall into the same old sin that he cries out in disgust.
Let me say, at the very least, this is what it really means when you say to someone, “I’m sorry.” Those can be the two most trite words that we ever speak, can’t they? But we should never forget that when you say, “I’m sorry” what you really mean is “I sorrow.” I sorrow over the fact that I have wronged you. I grieve the fact that I broke God’s law by becoming angry with you and lashing out at you. I mourn the fact that I have acted this way and violated our sacred bond. And I want you to forgive me of that.
This is the attitude that Jesus speaks of. That’s the kind of person who is blessed.
II. Why are they blessed?
But do you know why the mournful can be happy? Because they will assuredly received that which their heart longs for. They can be happy because the Lord will soothe their afflicted spirits with his divine pardon.
This is the consolation: that they, when the last day comes and they stand before the Lord, they can be assured that the Lord will acquit them of all their wrongs and not hold against them any one of the least of their transgressions. They will be comforted because his grace and forgiveness will be granted to them.
Now, as I think about this, I cannot help but think of that parable that Jesus told about the Pharisee and the tax collector. Remember how the tax collector was described by Jesus. He was described as one who was mournful for his sin. He went to the temple, but he could not stand up like the Pharisee to offer his prayers. He found a little corner and he dared not even look to heaven. Instead he bowed his head and beat his chest. Out of frustration with himself—out of frustration with his conduct he physically thumped his chest: as if to say, “This heart of mine is out of order; it’s not functioning right.” You know when you are frustrated with the computer because it’s not working and so you give it a whack? That’s what he was doing. He’s exasperated at the evil pent up within himself. And as he agonized over the wickedness of his sin he cried out, “Lord, forgive me, a sinner.”
This man was mourning his sin. And you know what Jesus says? Jesus said, “This was the man who went home justified.” It wasn’t the Pharisee. It wasn’t the religious guy. It wasn’t the guy who seemed to have it all together. It was the guy who was grieved at how he had offended God. That was the one who went home justified. Though he was filled with sorrow, the Lord granted him the great comfort of his pardon.
And that is the great consolation that every person who truly grieves their sin and repents of it. God’s promise is that you will be forgiven. This is what you can bank on. There are many people who weep over their sins and they are wallowing in misery because they do not see how God could ever show them mercy. But the size or volume of your misdeeds are no issue. God can and will forgive.
And maybe that’s your consolation right now. It’s knowing that God’s grace is more powerful and of greater measure than your sins ever could be. So you can be assured that when it is your time to stand before him, and the books are opened, and the court of God has been called to order, you at that moment do not need to worry. For the Lord will find nothing but a large red stain upon those pages. The blood of Christ will be so thick and dark that not one of those things which you have done will be able to be seen by his divine eye. All will be forgiven.
But do not make a mistake. The pardon you gain is only a small part of the comfort you will have. The real comfort will be in the person you enjoy.
The word for comfort is one that is highly interesting at this point. It is the word “Parakaleo.” Literally it means to call to one’s side or come along side of. It is the same word that Jesus uses to describe himself and the Holy Spirit in John 14. In that passage Jesus says, “I will pray to the Father and he shall give you another ‘parakaleo.’ Some versions call it a helper or an advocate. Some versions use the word comforter.
That’s what the Holy Spirit is. He is one who comes along side of you. He comes to you and relates personally to you, in order to sustain you and uphold you.
And that’s the same sort of thing that we see going on right here in this second beatitude. Jesus says that you will be comforted. You will be called to the side of Jesus Christ. And there you will be with the Savior himself. You will no longer be separated from the one you have offended. You will rather be reconciled and brought into his very presence.
Here again we recognize the very depth of the gospel. It is not just that you are given pardon and allowed to go about your business. That would be a hollow consolation. It would be nice in that you know you will not be tried and sentenced for your deeds. But that does not constitute the fullness of what you had lamented.
You had lamented not just the fact that you had incurred guilt and are now liable to a punishment. The lamentation was foremost on the loss that was incurred by the sin. It was the broken relationship.
But here you see that you are brought back into relationship. You not only are forgiven and do not suffer the consequences, but you experience a full blown repair of the thing.
Think of it this way. A man messes up his relationship with his wife. By his repeated folly, he ends up alienating her and causing a division in their relationship. When he comes to terms that she has left him and found a new place to live, it hits him. He realizes what a fool he’s been. He truly recognizes that his actions have caused a rift in their relationship. And now they are on the brink of divorce he goes to her and he confesses his sin and he expresses his deep regret. He admits that he does love her and that he is terribly sorry for having neglected her and acted so irresponsibly.
Now she sees his repentance. She is able to tell that this is no show. In so far as she can discern, she knows that this is a true confession and expression of true sorrow. And so she forgives him…and she says that she will not require him to pay any alimony. Because he has rightly mourned his acts she’s going to leave him the house and the car. She’s not going to take any of it. He can have it all. But she’s still not coming back to him.
Now what would you say about that? Would you say that is any real comfort? There may be some luxuries. There may be some benefits that he reaps, but the real desire of his heart isn’t met, is it? The pardon and the perks really don’t mean all that much at this point. They really do not comfort because that was not the thing that he was most unhappy about. He mourned for having offended her and turned her away.
But if she came to him and said, “I forgive you” and she embraced him and took his hand in hers—if she nestled up beside him, that would be an altogether different thing, would it not? If she vowed not to leave him, wouldn’t he be comforted then? Think about the joy that would fill his heart. He might be so overwhelmed by her kindness and so overwhelmed that she would offer such a great degree of love, that he might not be able to control himself. He’d be overcome with gratitude.
That my friends is the kind of thing that the Lord promises to those who mourn their sin. He promises true and full reconciliation with him.
And that is what the gospel is all about. The good news is that God has promised to call repentant sinners to his side. It is the good news that you may be with him forever and ever.
And that is the real comfort that the mournful have. That’s why they are happy. They are happy because the great hope that the Lord gives them. They will have what they crave.