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Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. (Matthew
5:4)
The second saying of Jesus has to do with a proper perception of
reality. The person who is "blessed" will be in mourning over the status
quo. If there are problems, there will be mourning (and there are always
problems!) Whether or not the mourning is a result of sin, the devil, or
of a fallen world, the blessed person is moved with grief. It is from
this mourning that a vision of a better future emerges. Think of your
family, friends, neighbors, coworkers, the poor, those suffering
unjustly -- what is God's vision for them? How will they be comforted?
This Beatitude is where identification with the plight of the world
takes place. Nonbelievers need to know that their Christian friends
understand them well enough to be trusted. When they see the things
which are breaking their own hearts also breaking the hearts of
Christians, they will willingly listen to the vision they present. They
won't listen if they don't sense empathy.
Jesus again is the model here. Isaiah says of Him, “He was despised and
rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering.” (Isaiah
53:3) It is because Jesus suffered that we identify with Him and deem
Him a worthy savior. None of us could relate to him if He hadn't. Don't
be afraid to mourn. Jesus says we are blessed (also translated "happy"!)
when we mourn. God will provide the comfort when we do.
In the shadow,
Mike
eDevotions written by Mike Sares. © 2005. |
