Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
Before we dive too deeply into the verse, let's first look at a couple of the key words and their definitions.
Mourn - pentheĊ:
wail and cry
passionate expression of grief or sorrow
Comforted - parakaleĊ:
to console, to encourage and strengthen by consolation, to comfort
to encourage, strengthen
So in order to Love like Jesus, you must mourn, Mourn for whom? Yourself? I've heard this verse used many times to comfort those who have suffered loss or were going through very tough times. A reminder that you will find comfort. But how does that help you love like Jesus? Mourning over your own loss or suffering?
It doesn't.
And this got me to thinking, Why would Jesus provide instructions for something you don't have to try to do? Why would he include it here? He was detailing the way you should act. In other words, the Beatitudes were behaviors you have to strive for. Not just something you do instinctively or re-actively. Why would this one be different than the others? And I don't believe it is different. I believe many of us have just looked at it incorrectly in the past.
Remember that your love is to be expressed toward God, Others, and yourself lastly. So who are you to mourn and for what are you mourning?
Look at it from God's point of view. We are to strive to be Christlike, right? So, obliviously you should mourn like Christ, right? And what would that look like and what would Christ mourn?
First, your heart must break for that which breaks God’s heart. Ask yourself what might break God's heart? Your first indication would be found in John 3:16. "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him, shall not perish, but have everlasting life."
These are what breaks God's heart.
Lost Souls
Suffering of Others
Your (our) sin
It is not about mourning your own suffering or trouble. It is about mourning the suffering and trouble of others. Love your neighbor as yourself. You see sin in someone - mourn for their lostness as God does.
Then you will be comforted.
What if everyone loved everyone else unconditionally? The world would be great, right? But you probably are thinking, “that won’t happen, Rob.” Aren't you? And you are right. With sin in the world, everyone will not love everyone else unconditionally.
But why does that stop YOU from loving everyone unconditionally?
He didn’t ask you to make the world love each other. He commanded you to love. You need to mourn your lack of love as well as the world’s lack of love.
Lack of Love is the greatest sin. In Matthew 22:37, when Jesus was asked what the greatest commandment is, He says,
"Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind. And the second is like it. Love your neighbor as yourself. All the laws and prophets hang on these two."
If the greatest commandment is to Love God and Love Others - then obviously the greatest sin would be to not do that.
Mourn the lack of love.
What does mourning others look like in your day to day life? And how would you do it? To explore that, let's look at a recent event (within the last couple of years) and reflect on how this event effected you emotionally (heart), intellectually (mind), and spiritually (soul) - both then and now.
As you know, there was a mass push of immigration at the American southern border. In this process, many children were separated from their families - some for very long times and under very negative circumstances. Here is a video from one year ago if you'd like see a short clip from PBS about the detention centers.
My question to you is this - when this occurred or when you watched the video, what came into your mind? How did it make you feel? Did you respond like I saw from others at the time? Did you say to yourself, "the parents put those kids in this position by trying to get in illegally". Did you say, "they made it hundreds or thousands of miles to get there, why now is it a big deal?" Did you jump on the bandwagon of "illegal immigration will ruin our country or our economy or whatever."
Do you think Jesus cares about borders or economies or any of that? Don't your think he cares more about the suffering of his children (which in this context is everyone, not just the kids in the video). Do you think he mourned for those kids?
Let me share Matthew 25:41-46 with you.
41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’
44 “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’
45 “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’
46 “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”
Now after reading that - was your response to the original events or the video from Jesus' perspective? Did you mourn the suffering of others or did you focus on how it might effect you?
So, if you want to love like Jesus - then you must mourn like Jesus. It doesn't matter your political affiliation, social status, or economic desires. Mourn the suffering of others - regardless of the circumstances.
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