5:4
In another seeming contradiction in terms, Jesus explained that “God
blesses those who mourn, for they will be comforted.”
Tied with the beatitude in verse 3, this means that humility
(realization of one’s unworthiness before God) also requires sorrow
for sins. Whether Jesus’ followers mourn for sin or in suffering,
God’s promise is sure that they will be comforted. Only God can
take away sorrow for sin; only God can forgive and erase it. Only God
can give comfort to those who suffer for his sake because they know
their reward in the Kingdom1
Blessed
are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted” (v. 4). Most
commentators see this as a particular type of mourning, one so
specific that it does not include a broader understanding of
mourning. The first beatitude qualifies the poor as the poor in
spirit, so scholars assume that Jesus is talking about those who
mourn over their sin in broken contrition. I think that element is
present, and we will look at that briefly in a moment, but the
application is broader than simply sorrow for sin.
Mourning
Those who mourn but remain alienated from God will never
receive the comfort that is promised here. The promise of comfort for
those who mourn is not universal. Nevertheless, mourning was
something that sounded a discordant note in the lives of the Jewish
people in the Old Testament. Theirs was often a difficult lot as they
suffered oppression from many nations, and poverty and disease
abounded. Mourning was such an integral part of their lives that the
Scriptures make this observation: “The heart of the wise is in the
house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth”
(Eccles. 7:4). Herman Melville once observed, “Until we understand
that one grief outweighs a thousands joys, we will never understand
what Christianity is trying to make us.” Our Lord was known as a
man of sorrows, and He was acquainted with grief. There is a mourning
beyond the mourning of sin that is part of the believer’s life even
to this day.
When Joseph and Mary brought Jesus to the temple for the
dedication of the infant and Simeon saw the Babe, he said, “Lord,
now You are letting Your servant depart in peace, according to Your
word; for my eyes have seen Your salvation” (Luke 2:29–30). That
was a marvelous moment in redemptive history. Just prior to this
recounting, we read that Simeon was a just and devout man who had
been waiting for the Consolation of Israel (v. 25). If you look at
that verse in your Bible, you will see that “Consolation” is
capitalized. The term was a Jewish title for the coming Messiah,
because they were looking to the Messiah as their redeemer and as
their consolation.
The New Testament speaks frequently of the ministry of
the Holy Spirit, who brings that consolation and dries the tears of
God’s people. When we lose a loved one, we mourn, but we mourn
knowing that that mourning will turn to joy and comfort on the day of
resurrection. Therefore, if we wish to qualify this beatitude, we
have to do so by saying, “Blessed are the godly who mourn, for they
shall be comforted,” with respect to every pain that they
experience in this world.
The experience of comfort on a human level is a
Christ-less experience. I have boyhood memories of getting hurt while
playing in the street and suffering insults. When so wounded I would
come home crying. My mother, busy working in the kitchen, would take
the edge of her apron and wipe away my tears. I think of that every
time I read the promise in the book of Revelation, that in heaven the
Lord will wipe away all of our tears once and for all (Rev. 21:4). As
comforting as it was to feel the edge of my mother’s apron on my
cheek, I would later cry again; but when the comfort that is promised
here in Matthew is fully accomplished, it will be an everlasting
comfort that will be the end of all tears.
There is also the element of mourning over our sin. In
theology we make an important distinction between two types of
repentance. One type is called “attrition,” which may be defined
as repentance that is motivated from a fear of punishment. It is the
kind of repentance your children express when their hands are caught
in the cookie jar and they say, “Please don’t punish me. I won’t
do it again.” That is different from authentic repentance, which is
defined by what we call “contrition.” Real repentance over sin is
generated by a profound sorrow from the soul in which we are heartily
sorry for our sins. When Christ sees the righteous person who is
broken by the conviction of the Holy Spirit, who reveals to us our
sins so that our pillows are wet with our weeping, then we know what
true contrition is from which God promises His comfort. Those who
acknowledge their sins in a glib manner reflect the kind of
repentance that Esau had, which was not real. A truly godly person
mourns not only the loss of his loved ones or his health but also his
sin before God.
Therefore, when our Lord said, “Blessed are those who
mourn,” the blessing is not in the mourning; it is in the comfort.
The comfort God’s people can expect, in part now but in full at the
final day, is that spoken by the prophet: “ ‘Comfort, yes,
comfort My people!’ says your God. ‘Speak comfort to Jerusalem,
and cry out to her, that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is
pardoned; for she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all
her sins’ ” (Isa. 40:1–2).2
Happy
are they that mourn.
This statement is closely connected with the preceding one, and is a
sort of appendage or confirmation of it. The ordinary belief is, that
calamities render a man unhappy. This arises from the consideration,
that they constantly bring along with them mourning
and grief. Now, nothing is supposed to be more inconsistent with
happiness than mourning.
But Christ does not merely affirm that mourners
are not unhappy. He shows, that their very mourning
contributes to a happy
life, by preparing them to receive eternal joy, and by furnishing
them with excitements to seek true comfort
in God alone. Accordingly, Paul says, “We glory in tribulations
also: knowing that tribulation produces patience, and patience
experience, and experience hope: and hope maketh not ashamed,”
(Rom. 5:3–5.)
Those
that mourn … shall
be comforted. The
depth of the promise of these statements is almost inexhaustible.
Those who mourn for sin shall be comforted in confession. Those who
mourn for the human anguish of the lost shall be comforted by the
compassion of God.3
When
you realize you’re a sinner and when you mourn over your sin, the
Lord will come to you and say, “I don’t condemn you. Go your way
and sin no more.” That’s what the woman caught in the act of
adultery heard, as did the prostitute who fell at the feet of Jesus
weeping. “Leave her alone, Pharisees,” Jesus said. “The one who
is forgiven much loves much.” In the state of realizing our poverty
and in our mourning, we truly enter into the kingdom and are
comforted.4
Title :
MacArthur's New Testament Commentary: Matthew 1-7
Edition : First
Copyright : Copyright © 1985 by The Moody Bible Institute of Chicago Electronic Edition STEP Files Copyright © 1997, Parsons Technology, Inc.
The faithful child of God is constantly broken over his sinfulness, and the longer he lives and the more mature he becomes in the Lord, the harder it is for him to be frivolous. He sees more of God’s love and mercy, but he also sees more of his own and the world’s sinfulness. To grow in grace is also to grow in awareness of sin. Speaking to Israel, the prophet Isaiah said, “In that day the Lord God of hosts called you to weeping, to wailing, to shaving the head, and to wearing sackcloth. Instead, there is gaiety and gladness, killing of cattle and slaughtering of sheep, eating of meat and drinking of wine.” Following the world’s philosophy, which still prevails today, God’s ancient people said, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we may die” (Isa. 22:12-13). We follow that philosophy vicariously, if not actually, when we laugh at the world’s crude and immoral jokes even though we do not retell them, when we are entertained by a sin even though we do not indulge in it, when we smile at ungodly talk even though we do not repeat the words. To joke about divorce, to make light of brutality, to be intrigued by sexual immorality is to rejoice when we should be mourning, to be laughing when we should be crying. To “rejoice in the perversity of evil” is placed alongside “delight in doing evil” (Prov. 2:14). To take “pleasure in wickedness” (2 Thess. 2:12) is to be a part of the wickedness, whether or not we commit the specific sin. Much of the church today has a defective sense of sin, which is reflected in this defective sense of humor. When even its own members make the church the butt of jokes, make light of its beliefs and ordinances, caricature its leaders as inept and clownish, and make its high standards of purity and righteousness the subject of humorous commentary, the church has great need to turn its laughter into mourning. The Bible recognizes a proper sense of humor, humor that is not at the expense of God’s name, God’s Word, God’s church, or any person, except perhaps ourselves. God knows that “a joyful heart is good medicine” (Prov. 17:22), but a heart that rejoices in sin is taking poison, not medicine. The way to happiness is not in ignoring sin, much less in making light of it, but rather in sorrow over it that cries to God.
Edition : First
Copyright : Copyright © 1985 by The Moody Bible Institute of Chicago Electronic Edition STEP Files Copyright © 1997, Parsons Technology, Inc.
The faithful child of God is constantly broken over his sinfulness, and the longer he lives and the more mature he becomes in the Lord, the harder it is for him to be frivolous. He sees more of God’s love and mercy, but he also sees more of his own and the world’s sinfulness. To grow in grace is also to grow in awareness of sin. Speaking to Israel, the prophet Isaiah said, “In that day the Lord God of hosts called you to weeping, to wailing, to shaving the head, and to wearing sackcloth. Instead, there is gaiety and gladness, killing of cattle and slaughtering of sheep, eating of meat and drinking of wine.” Following the world’s philosophy, which still prevails today, God’s ancient people said, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we may die” (Isa. 22:12-13). We follow that philosophy vicariously, if not actually, when we laugh at the world’s crude and immoral jokes even though we do not retell them, when we are entertained by a sin even though we do not indulge in it, when we smile at ungodly talk even though we do not repeat the words. To joke about divorce, to make light of brutality, to be intrigued by sexual immorality is to rejoice when we should be mourning, to be laughing when we should be crying. To “rejoice in the perversity of evil” is placed alongside “delight in doing evil” (Prov. 2:14). To take “pleasure in wickedness” (2 Thess. 2:12) is to be a part of the wickedness, whether or not we commit the specific sin. Much of the church today has a defective sense of sin, which is reflected in this defective sense of humor. When even its own members make the church the butt of jokes, make light of its beliefs and ordinances, caricature its leaders as inept and clownish, and make its high standards of purity and righteousness the subject of humorous commentary, the church has great need to turn its laughter into mourning. The Bible recognizes a proper sense of humor, humor that is not at the expense of God’s name, God’s Word, God’s church, or any person, except perhaps ourselves. God knows that “a joyful heart is good medicine” (Prov. 17:22), but a heart that rejoices in sin is taking poison, not medicine. The way to happiness is not in ignoring sin, much less in making light of it, but rather in sorrow over it that cries to God.
Title :
MacArthur's New Testament Commentary: Matthew 1-7
Edition : First
Copyright : Copyright © 1985 by The Moody Bible Institute of Chicago Electronic Edition STEP Files Copyright © 1997, Parsons Technology, Inc.
How to Know if We Are Mourning as Christ Commands Knowing whether or not we have godly mourning is not difficult. First, we need to ask ourselves if we are sensitive to sin. If we laugh at it, take it lightly, or enjoy it, we can he sure we are not mourning over it and are outside the sphere of God’s blessing. The mock righteousness of hypocrites who make every effort to appear holy on the outside (see Matt. 6:1-18) has no sensitivity to sin, only sensitivity to personal prestige and reputation. Nor does the mock gratitude of those who thank God they are better than other people (Luke 18:11). Saul regretted that he had disobeyed God by not slaying King Agag and by sparing the best of the Amalekite animals. But he was not repentant; he did not mourn over his sin. He instead tried to excuse his actions by claiming that the animals were spared so that they could be sacrificed to God and that the people made him do what he did. He twice admitted that he had sinned, and even asked Samuel for pardon. But his real concern was not for the Lord’s honor but for his own. “I have sinned; but please honor me now before the elders of my people and before Israel” (1 Sam. 15:30). Saul had ungodly regret, not godly mourning. The godly mourner will have true sorrow for his sins. His first concern is for the harm his sin does to God’s glory, not the harm its exposure might bring to his own reputation or welfare. If our mourning is godly we will grieve for the sins of fellow believers and for the sins of the world. We will cry with the psalmist, “My eyes shed streams of water, because they do not keep Thy law” (Ps. 119:136). We will wish with Jeremiah that our heads were fountains of water that we could have enough tears for weeping (Jer. 9:1; cf. Lam. 1:16). With Ezekiel we will search out faithful believers “who sigh and groan over all the abominations which are being committed” around us (Ezek. 9:4; cf. Ps. 69:9). We will look out over the community where we live and weep, as Jesus looked out over Jerusalem and wept (Luke 19:41). The second way to determine if we have genuine mourning over sin is to check our sense of God’s forgiveness. Have we experienced the release and freedom of knowing our sins are forgiven? Do we have His peace and joy in our life? Can we point to true happiness He has given in response to our mourning? Do we have the divine comfort He promises to those who have forgiven, cleansed, and purified lives? The godly mourners “who sow in tears shall reap with joyful shouting. He who goes to and fro weeping, carrying his bag of seed, shall indeed come again with a shout of joy, bringing his sheaves with him” (Ps. 126:5-6).
Edition : First
Copyright : Copyright © 1985 by The Moody Bible Institute of Chicago Electronic Edition STEP Files Copyright © 1997, Parsons Technology, Inc.
How to Know if We Are Mourning as Christ Commands Knowing whether or not we have godly mourning is not difficult. First, we need to ask ourselves if we are sensitive to sin. If we laugh at it, take it lightly, or enjoy it, we can he sure we are not mourning over it and are outside the sphere of God’s blessing. The mock righteousness of hypocrites who make every effort to appear holy on the outside (see Matt. 6:1-18) has no sensitivity to sin, only sensitivity to personal prestige and reputation. Nor does the mock gratitude of those who thank God they are better than other people (Luke 18:11). Saul regretted that he had disobeyed God by not slaying King Agag and by sparing the best of the Amalekite animals. But he was not repentant; he did not mourn over his sin. He instead tried to excuse his actions by claiming that the animals were spared so that they could be sacrificed to God and that the people made him do what he did. He twice admitted that he had sinned, and even asked Samuel for pardon. But his real concern was not for the Lord’s honor but for his own. “I have sinned; but please honor me now before the elders of my people and before Israel” (1 Sam. 15:30). Saul had ungodly regret, not godly mourning. The godly mourner will have true sorrow for his sins. His first concern is for the harm his sin does to God’s glory, not the harm its exposure might bring to his own reputation or welfare. If our mourning is godly we will grieve for the sins of fellow believers and for the sins of the world. We will cry with the psalmist, “My eyes shed streams of water, because they do not keep Thy law” (Ps. 119:136). We will wish with Jeremiah that our heads were fountains of water that we could have enough tears for weeping (Jer. 9:1; cf. Lam. 1:16). With Ezekiel we will search out faithful believers “who sigh and groan over all the abominations which are being committed” around us (Ezek. 9:4; cf. Ps. 69:9). We will look out over the community where we live and weep, as Jesus looked out over Jerusalem and wept (Luke 19:41). The second way to determine if we have genuine mourning over sin is to check our sense of God’s forgiveness. Have we experienced the release and freedom of knowing our sins are forgiven? Do we have His peace and joy in our life? Can we point to true happiness He has given in response to our mourning? Do we have the divine comfort He promises to those who have forgiven, cleansed, and purified lives? The godly mourners “who sow in tears shall reap with joyful shouting. He who goes to and fro weeping, carrying his bag of seed, shall indeed come again with a shout of joy, bringing his sheaves with him” (Ps. 126:5-6).
1
Barton, B., Comfort, P., Osborne, G., Taylor, L. K., & Veerman,
D. (2001). Life Application New Testament Commentary (p. 23).
Wheaton, IL: Tyndale.
2
Sproul, R. C. (2013). Matthew (pp. 79–81). Wheaton, IL:
Crossway.
3
Hindson, E. E., & Kroll, W. M. (Eds.). (1994). KJV Bible
Commentary (p. 1884). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
4
Courson, J. (2003). Jon Courson’s Application Commentary
(p. 25). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson.
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