Blessed Are They That Mourn
Matthew 5:1-12
I want to preach a pastoral message to you this morning.
I really struggled coming to a decision on what to preach.
The past few weeks I have found a text from the daily Bible reading that arrested my attention.
If you have just finished Leviticus with us, you can probably understand that I have not had such a direction this week.
I almost wanted to find one of the most difficult passages and preach from it just because I can.
Maybe something about leprosy or the year of Jubilee.
But what would that benefit us this morning, besides me just showing off?
I do not want you to leave thinking, “My, what a clever preacher.”
I want you to leave saying, “The Lord knew I needed that this morning!”
I want to speak from the common human experience this morning.
Job said this about life while trying to reckon with all that had befallen him:
Job 14:1 Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble.
Anyone have “days full of trouble” lately?
I don’t need a show of hands to know the answer.
I have talked with many of you, and I know the hardships and heartaches you are going through.
I talked a few days ago with a friend of mine, a preacher that God is really using right now.
He pulled back the curtain a little – I saw the physical pain and the burdens he had been carrying for himself, his staff, and his people.
I spoke with someone else that was watching a tragedy unfold.
They asked, “How could God let this happen?”
I really don’t have a good answer for that.
I have twice in the past few weeks prayed at a hospital bedside, where I wanted to feel hope and confidence that God would heal, but inside my heart was fearful at what may have come.
I have spoken with people that are having trouble with their jobs.
I am saying all this because it is obvious that life just is not fair sometimes.
Sometimes it is full of trouble.
Sometimes, even when all may be calm around us, our hearts are full of trouble.
Does that mean that God is displeased with us?
Does that mean that we lack faith?
I cannot speak for every situation of life, but I honestly feel that in most cases neither of those is true.
Life is just hard sometimes.
It stinks sometimes.
When Adam and Eve sinned, sin entered this world and corrupted and infected it.
Ever since it has been a struggle to survive.
Ever since it is either tears or sweat dropping down our faces as we make our way through this life.
Now, it would be easy to give in to hopelessness.
It would be easy to despair
I was doing some research last night into the philosophy of nihilism.
Nihilism says that life has no purpose.
It says that there is no good or evil, no morality, no truth.
That idea is infecting our culture today.
People are giving into hopelessness and despair.
Thet get online to find support and community.
Instead they link up with others in despair and they all sink lower together.
Our nation needs a revival of hope today.
The world is not ending.
The economy is not collapsing.
The government will keep right on.
Wait, that doesn’t sound hopeful!
The hope that our nation needs is rooted in truth.
That truth is mocked and shunned by the multitudes and the media.
You won’t hear it on the six o’clock news.
That is where churches come in.
That is where Christians come in.
We have truth.
We have hope.
We have the answer.
We know that there is one true God.
We know that He loves and cares for us.
We know that Christ came to save us, dying on the cross, rising from the dead.\
We know that God has control over all that happens.
We know that nothing happens without His approval.
We know that He is working all things for His glory and for ultimate good.
We know that He will transform the broken sinner into a new creature.
We know that He gives victory where all hope seems lost.
We know that He will not refuse any that come to Him in humility and faith.
I want us to focus on just one verse this morning.
I did a series through the Beatitudes a few years ago, and highlighted how they model what a mature Christian should be.
For today, it is just verse 4
Mat 5:4 Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
What a glorious promise this is!
Those that mourn will be comforted!
Yes, life stinks.
Yes, heartaches come.
Yes, hopelessness may creep into our heart.
We may mourn – but there is comfort to be found.
It is a promise woven into the fabric of truth in the Bible.
Let me give a few examples:
Psa_34:18 The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.
Psa 40:1 . I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.
Psa 40:2 He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.
Psa 40:3 And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD.
Psa 40:4 Blessed is that man that maketh the LORD his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.
Psa 126:5 They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.
Psa 126:6 He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.
Isa 12:1 And in that day thou shalt say, O LORD, I will praise thee: though thou wast angry with me, thine anger is turned away, and thou comfortedst me.
Isa 12:2 Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation.
Isa 12:3 Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.
Mat 11:28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Mat 11:29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
Mat 11:30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
2Co 1:4 Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.
2Co 1:5 For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ.
2Co 1:6 And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer: or whether we be comforted, it isfor your consolation and salvation.
2Co 1:7 And our hope of you is stedfast, knowing, that as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so shall ye be also of the consolation.
Rev 21:4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
Psa 30:1 I will extol thee, O LORD; for thou hast lifted me up, and hast not made my foes to rejoice over me.
Psa 30:2 O LORD my God, I cried unto thee, and thou hast healed me.
Psa 30:3 O LORD, thou hast brought up my soul from the grave: thou hast kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit.
Psa 30:4 Sing unto the LORD, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness.
Psa 30:5 For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.
Isn’t that good stuff?
If you sow in tears you will reap in joy.
If you weep in the night, you will find joy in the morning.
We find rest and comfort in the arms of Christ.
There will come a day when all heartaches are passed away.
I have just two points to make quickly for you.
First – We all will mourn.
Solomon said it this way:
Ecc 3:4 A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
I have played around in my head for years with an idea for a poem.
It is my heart as a parent to my children.
It just never has come together for me, but the idea starts something like this:
If I could take away the heartaches,
If I could take away the hurt,
If I could take away the pain,
If I could, I would.
Like I said, it needs a lot of work.
But it captures my heart for my children, my wife, my family, my friends, my brothers and sisters in Christ.
I wish I could say that life will always be fair and all will be happiness ahead.
I wish I could tear those burdens away from you and carry them myself to save you the struggle.
But I cannot.
Life stinks.
It is not fair.
But this is not the end of the story:
Second – We Will Be Comforted
The second part to the little poem I want it say something like:
If I could, I would.
But I can’t.
But I know the One that will carry you through.
I know the One that says He will forgive our sins and give us eternal life.
I know the One that says He will never forsake us.
I know the One that will never fail.
I know the One whose love has no limit and who strength has no bounds.
I know the One that notes every tear.
I know the One that gives grace and strength to take each step we must take.
I know the One that promises that He will return and gather us to a land of no more tears, no more sorrow, and no more crying.
This is why the mourner is blessed.
He is blessed because he witnesses first-hand the love and power of God.
He is blessed because God walks alongside him, holding him up.
He is blessed because one day his mourning shall end.
He SHALL be comforted.
CONCLUSION
- I hope this has been a comfort to you this morning.
- Whatever the heartache, whatever the burden, take them to Christ.
- Never fear that He will turn you away.
- These promises are limited to those who come to Christ for salvation.
- Do not delay!