In one of His most famous teachings, Jesus said,
"Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted,"
(Matthew 5:4).
But, and this is a big but (I can hear my children chuckling. Actually, it's me who's chuckling. I'm not mature enough for this game), I'll miss out on what a relationship with Jesus means for me today if I think that His promises are only for tomorrow. Could it be that God wants to meet me in this moment with an open heart that feels my hurt with me? That my hope isn't just for something far off?
The Greek word that Jesus uses for "mourn" here is transliterated: pentheo. In Greek writings, the word is often paired with the word klaio, which means, "to weep." According to W.E. Vine, this indicates that "pentheo is used especially of external manifestation of grief," (1).
Jesus is talking about grief that you can see. Grief that is intentional and outward and noticeable. Not covered up by a lifeless facade. This is not "keep your chin up" business.
Pain is so often invisible. It can be tempting to act like everything is ok just because it's easier than trying to get someone else to understand. It's not uncommon for people to put on a happy face all the time and pretend like nothing is ever wrong. Battling depression or temptation, put on a confident face in front of people, and pretend like nothing is wrong. Just had a fight with your spouse, slap on a fake smile, and walk into church. Life feels like it's falling apart, tell everybody you're great, and recite your best line about how you're blessed, even if you haven't ever stopped to think about what it really means for God to bless. Wouldn't want anyone to know that life has real challenges and that we face real struggles.
I love being a part of Northridge Church. One of the things that we say all the time is, "Life is better connected." When we make a point of doing life in relationships with people, when we are honest and open about our struggles, we can make invisible things visible and we can have people to walk beside us through everything. One of the very tangible ways that Jesus brings that comfort.
Not only is Jesus talking about visible mourning in this passage, but He is also speaking about the here and now. Blessed are.
"Blessing literally means 'happy, fortunate, blissful.' Here it speaks of more than a surface emotion," (2). A relationship with Jesus isn't just about someday. His salvation isn't just an admission ticket to heaven. It's an eternity, filled with hope, and it starts right now. Comfort for mourning. God is "the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God," (2 Corinthians 1:3b-4).
Present mourning and present comfort.
I never thought I would have to be intentional about mourning. I kind of assumed that if trouble hit me hard, I'd just do it. But I'm finding that mourning is a conscious decision. Slow down. Feel. Call a spade a spade. Loss hurts. Know that He feels it with you. And He will comfort you. Will you let Him? Have you ever noticed how hard it is to hug someone who clearly doesn't want to be touched? If I think I don't need comfort, it's a lot more difficult for me to receive comfort. I can't just look for tomorrow, because I'm in today. Blessed are those who take this necessary step to healing. Blessed are those who mourn. It's an open avenue for God's joyful blessing and for His very present comfort. I grieve, and He holds me.
I love this MercyMe song, The Hurt and the Healer. "I fall into Your arms open wide. When the hurt and the Healer collide..."
It's true. And it's for right now. In the arms of Jesus. "Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted," (Matthew 5:4).
(1) Vine, W.E., Vine's Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words, 1996, p. 418
(2) MacArthur, J. The MacArthur Bible Commentary, p. 1129
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