The Beatitudes: Blessed Are Those Who Mourn

July 6, 2025
The Beatitudes: Blessed Are Those Who Mourn
5 DAY DEVOTIONAL

Blessed Are Those Who Mourn: Finding Comfort in Grief

Jesus' teachings in the Sermon on the Mount reveal the character of a true disciple. While we often think of blessings as connected to happiness, Jesus presents what might seem like a paradox: "Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted."

This second Beatitude might sound illogical at first. How can mourning be blessed? Shouldn't we seek happiness instead? Yet Jesus is revealing something profound about the spiritual journey and what it means to follow Him authentically.

Why Does Jesus Call Mourning "Blessed"?

Our culture often promotes a different message: "Blessed are those who comfort themselves so they don't have to mourn." We're encouraged to "eat, drink, be merry" and "don't worry, be happy." Some churches even promise they won't make you feel bad or talk about difficult topics.

But Jesus calls us to something deeper. One-third of the Psalms are laments - deep cries of the soul to God. Lament isn't just acknowledging that things are "kind of bad" - it's bringing our deepest pain to God and crying out for help.

What Types of Mourning Does Jesus Mean?

There are three primary types of mourning that Jesus may be addressing:

1. Mourning That Comes From Personal Loss

Most of us have experienced the hurt and heartache of loss:

  • Loss of something precious
  • Loss of a loved one
  • Loss of a job
  • Loss of health
  • Loss caused by injustice, abuse, or loneliness

David wept over his rebellious son Absalom. Jesus himself wept over his friend Lazarus. Scripture tells us that "the heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of pleasure."

God invites us to bring our tears to Him. As the Bible says, "He keeps track of every toss and turn through the sleepless nights. Every tear is entered into His ledger. Every ache is written in His book."

2. Mourning Over Sin's Effects in Our World

As Christ's representatives, we're called to grieve over the things that grieve God:

  • The 20,000 people who die daily from poverty
  • The 3.1 billion people living on $1.25 per day
  • The 100 million people who call the streets their home
  • The billions spent on war
  • The 3.1 billion people without access to the gospel
  • Inequality, exploitation, and the commodification of sexuality
  • When God's word is trampled and His name cursed

The prophet Jeremiah asked, "Are they ashamed of their loathsome conduct? No, they have no shame at all. They don't even know how to blush." He also said, "Oh, that my head were a spring of water and my eyes a fountain of tears. I would weep day and night for the slain of my people."

Jesus himself demonstrated this mourning when he approached Jerusalem: "As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it."

3. Mourning Over Our Own Sin

The apostle Paul cried out in Romans 7, "What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me?" This represents the deep lament over our own failings.

True mourning over sin involves:

  1. Honest examination of our lives
  2. Deep remorse (not just "I messed up" or "I got caught")
  3. Genuine repentance - turning to God

Paul wrote to the Corinthians: "Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret. But worldly sorrow brings death."

What Is the Comfort Jesus Promises?

When Jesus says "they will be comforted," He's not offering a quick fix or shallow consolation. The comfort comes from:

  1. God's presence - He is the "God of all comfort"
  2. The Holy Spirit - called the Comforter
  3. The promise of ultimate restoration

Without mourning, we can get stuck in:

  • Rationalization ("It wasn't my fault")
  • Justification of behavior
  • Bitterness and victimization
  • Isolation

But when we mourn authentically, God can transform our pain into purpose. Like Kristin Cain, who experienced abandonment and abuse but found healing in Christ and now works to free others from sexual exploitation.

The Promise of Ultimate Comfort

Revelation 21:3-4 gives us this beautiful promise: "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."

Those who mourn aren't just miserable, gloomy people. They're authentic believers who recognize "this is not the way it's supposed to be" while trusting that God will one day make all things right.

Life Application

This week, I challenge you to embrace authentic mourning as a pathway to God's comfort:

  1. Examine your heart: What losses or pains have you been avoiding or pushing down? Bring them honestly before God.

  2. Look outward: What injustices or suffering in our world break God's heart? Allow yourself to feel compassion rather than becoming desensitized.

  3. Confront your sin: Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal areas where you've fallen short, and practice genuine repentance.

  4. Share your burden: Find a trusted friend with whom you can be authentic about your struggles.

  5. Seek God's comfort: Remember that mourning isn't the end - it's the pathway to divine comfort.

Ask yourself:

  • Am I allowing myself to feel appropriate grief, or am I numbing myself through distraction and pleasure?
  • What areas of brokenness in our world should I be more concerned about?
  • How might God use my own pain and healing to minister to others?

Remember, blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. This is not a call to misery but an invitation to authenticity that leads to true comfort and transformation.