Blessed are Those who Mourn

      Little Bobby’s across the street neighbor was a recently widowed elderly gentleman. One day, when Bobby’s mom stepped outside to call him home, she saw him sitting on the neighbor’s porch. The neighbor’s arm was draped around Bobby’s shoulder and Bobby’s arm was reaching up the man’s back trying to rest on his shoulder.

      When Bobby got home, his face was a little blotchy, his eyes were puffy and his nose was a little runny. She asked, “What were you doing over there?”

      He replied, “Mr. Stephens misses his wife and is very sad.”

      “I know,” his mom said, “But what were you doing with him?”

      “He just needed somebody to cry with him.”

      I don’t know why, but Jesus’ second statement in the Sermon on the Mount jumped out at me this week. “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted” (Matthew 5:4, ESV). I understand this mourning is not about the loss of a loved one. But the passage did not jump out at me because of the purpose for the mourning. It jumped out at me because of the permission to mourn.

      Over my life, I developed the unhealthy and unscriptural belief that I am supposed to be happy all the time. If some other emotion is crowding in on my happiness, I must not be pursuing righteousness and spirituality enough. Thus, if I get sad or angry, feel lonely or upset, I immediately work to turn those emotions off. After all, I am a Christian. How can I be sad when Jesus died for me? How can I feel lonely when I have God?

      But look at Matthew 5:4. It says I am supposed to mourn. Ecclesiastes 3:4 claims there is a time to weep and mourn. Romans 12:15 tells us to weep with those who weep. It doesn’t tell us to cheer up those who weep. It doesn’t tell us to advise those who weep. It tells us to weep with them.

      No doubt, the fruit of the Spirit is joy. As we grow in Christ we will have increased joy because of God’s love for us and our hope in Him. However, this doesn’t change that there are times to mourn.

      We must not feel emotions other than joy are ungodly. If we push them aside without expressing them, sharing them and working through them, Satan will gain a foothold as he promises to take our pain away through the comfort of sin.

      Instead of pursuing Satan’s pitiful comfort, let us enjoy God’s. Let us reach out to one another, weeping with one another. Let us comfort one another with God’s promises. Let us grow into Christ’s joy by recognizing our times of sadness and connecting with those God has given to weep with us.

Edwin L. Crozier