Blessed are those who mourn

Matthew 5:4

Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

Are you mourning over the illness or death of a loved one?  Is there sorrow in your life due to damaged relationships, tension in the workplace, bullying at school, or broken promises?  In this Beatitude Jesus is apparently pronouncing a blessing on those that mourn, and the blessing is the comfort he can bring. 

I have seen some of the newer versions translate the word "blessed" to mean "happy."  John Stott notes that a great paradox begins when we understand Jesus is saying here, "happy are those who are unhappy." The idea of the first Beatitude where those who were poor in spirit would inhabit the kingdom of heaven, continues when we see the paradox of this second Beatitude. 

What kind of sorrow or mourning is the kind that brings the joy of Christ's blessing? We noted several instances above, but in all honesty, the mourning which Jesus is referring to in verse 4 applies to even more than those who experience the sorrow from the loss of a loved one. It just as easily applies to those who mourn over their own spiritual condition, or perhaps over the loss of their integrity, or their self-respect. More than being a sorrow of bereavement, it is a sorrow of repentance. 

Stott says, "It is one thing to be spiritually poor and acknowledge it, yet another thing to mourn over it. Confession is the beginning, but then contrition is added to it."

We also need to understand here that Jesus is not pronouncing a blessing on those who intentionally look for things to grieve about. He isn't suggesting that Christians always wear a frown.  J. I. Packer indicates the sense of mourning in this verse is not unhealthy, but rather the natural response of one who finds himself in a less than spiritual condition, and in need of the comfort only God can bring. 

The blessing associated with this Beatitude is one of comfort. It is further expressed and described in the Amplified Bible, "Blessed and enviably happy [with a happiness produced by the experience of God’s favor and especially conditioned by the revelation of His matchless grace]"

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