The Beatitudes (2)

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” Matthew 5:4
Following on from the previous Beatitude concerning the poor in spirit, we read, “Blessed are those who mourn.” This is not mourning for someone or something that is lost, as the world mourns. Rather, it is mourning in our hearts over our sin and the pain that we have caused God. Just as being humble and poor in spirit is to be an ongoing attitude in the life of a Christian, so too is this kind of mourning – since we continue to sin. “Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret” (2 Cor. 7:10).
This is to be an attitude of heart, not an attitude of mind. Christians are not supposed to be depressed or miserable. After all, Jesus was called “a man of sorrows” (Isa. 53:3). As we mourn over our sin and seek God’s forgiveness, He grants it to us and the Holy Spirit comforts us. We are comforted in that we can know our sin has been paid for through the cross of Jesus Christ.
Before the Holy Spirit can fill us with comfort, He must first empty us. As we are convicted over our sin, we are led to repentance. Then He can start to work in our lives.
There is also a future application: the promise that one day all the sin of the whole world will be dealt with. We look at the world around us in despair, wondering how God can stand it. But one day He will make everything right. No wonder it is called “the blessed hope” (Tit. 2:13).