Those Who Mourn

Blessed Are Those Who Mourn

Nine different Greek words are used in the New Testament to speak of the sorrow that can afflict a man’s soul. The word that is used here by the Lord is the strongest of them all. It refers to a deep, intense, and heartfelt grief. The word was usually reserved for the grief that a person felt at the death of a loved one. The Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Old Testament, used this word to describe Jacob’s grief when he was handed Joseph’s bloody coat and he believed that his son had been torn to pieces by a wild beast. We read, “Then Jacob tore his clothes, put sackcloth on his waist, and mourned for his son many days. And all his sons and all his daughters arose to comfort him; but he refused to be comforted, and he said, “For I shall go down into the grave to my son in mourning.” Thus his father wept for him” (Genesis 37:34-35). I believe that you will agree that this was a strong and severe grief.

Now that we understand the depth of the word, we need to understand the specific application that Jesus was making. It seems clear that Jesus was speaking of spiritual grief and not physical grief. He was using the strongest word available to speak of mourning over sin. Just as God is with us in our physical grief (2 Cor. 1:3-4; John 11:35), He is with us when we mourn over spiritual things. He is near those who have hearts broken over sin. David declared, “The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart, And saves such as have a contrite spirit” (Psalms 34:18). David knew that a heart broken over sin was the sacrifice that God most wanted. Again, we read, “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and a contrite heart—These, O God, You will not despise” (Psalms 51:17). Those who truly mourn over sin are comforted by God. They are blessed and comforted in the knowledge that their sins have been removed and are remembered no more (2 Sam. 12:13; Jer. 31:31-34; Heb. 9:26).

As we get ready to worship this week, let us mourn over sin as we would mourn over the death of a loved one. Let’s remember what our sin cost God (John 3:16). If we will come with broken hearts, we will leave with healed hearts. God will comfort us in the knowledge that our sins have been removed through the blood of His Son (Eph. 1:7).

Originally written by Wade Webster.