Blessed Are They Who Mourn

Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted. Matt. 5:4

Those who allow themselves to be distracted by things, as stated last week, are rarely as in touch  with their need for God, as those who suffer or mourn. Jesus, addressing the crowd of disciples, knows they can relate to poverty and mourning, it surrounded them every day. Yet Jesus promises that they will indeed be comforted.

What should we mourn about?  I believe it is sin. Personal and social.

First, if we can’t grieve over our own personal sin and repent, turning back to God, then mourning over social sins will be impossible! When was the last time we prayed for the conversion of an abortion doctor, a homosexual, a drug addict?  When was the last time we prayed or displayed God’s love to any of these people ? And yet, every above mentioned sin has an effect on each one of us.

I had a huge disconnect with this, until recently. I used to think my personal sin, effected no one but myself. But I was wrong. My personal sin effects my family, friends and faith community all, at one level or another. We are the people of God, His family, if I suffer we all suffer, if I am honored we all rejoice (1 Cor. 12:26).

If I cannot mourn over social sins and pray for God’s grace, and actively offer God’s grace to this fallen world, then I need to go back  to the first beatitude and recognize who I am before God.