The Beatitudes 2

Matthew 5:4
Blessed are those who mourn, For they shall be comforted.

Commentators agree that Jesus was not referring here to those who are mourning the death of a loved one. Rather, He was speaking of those who feel intense grief over sin. They mourn because of their own sinfulness and are grieved by the sins of others. They also mourn over the fallen state of the world and all the human suffering that fallen state has produced. These shall be comforted.

But where does this comfort come from? It comes from the Gospel—the wonderfully consoling message that Jesus has taken upon Himself the crushing weight of the sins of the world, paying the price that should have been ours to pay, and making the gift of eternal life available to all who put their faith in Him. Comfort also comes through the Holy Spirit who reassures our hearts of God’s pardon from sin, who reveals to us His provision of all that we will need, and who reminds us of His promise to never leave us or forsake us.

It is instructive to note that Jesus did not promise comfort to those who fear or to those who despair.

Fear usually affects us in one of two ways. It can either paralyze us or stimulate us to sudden action. Our enemy uses both of these reactions to influence us to move out of God’s will for our lives. When God says wait, fear often motivates us to rush ahead. And when God is urging us forward, the fear of failure or the fear of other's opinions often holds us back. That’s why Jesus often said, "Fear not..." This was a reassurance to His disciples, but it was also a command. Fear prevents us from receiving God’s comfort.

Those who despair have lost all hope that anything or anyone will be able to change their situation for the better. As I’ve written before, hope that is real will endure. Otherwise, it is merely wishful thinking. What causes hope to endure is its object. We pin our hope on all kinds of things: other people, our abilities, luck, the weather. But the only hope that does not disappoint is hope in God. It is vital for us to maintain our hope. If faith is the assurance of things hoped for (Hebrews 11:1), then when we lose hope, our faith is crippled.

James 1:6-8 says, “he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; 8he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.” Fear and despair cause us to doubt, making it very difficult to for us to receive God’s comfort.

As we pray today, let’s…
· thank God for His comfort.
· ask God to help us deal with any fear or despair we may be feeling.