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| Those That Mourn/Be Comforted By Roger A. Scully, Jr. |
Without doubt the greatness of God is beyond comprehension and His ways past finding out (Rom 11:
33). It was Zophar who correctly stated, “Canst thou by searching find out God? Canst thou find out the
Almighty unto perfection? It is as high as heaven; what canst thou do? Deeper than sheol; what canst thou
know?” (Job 11:7-8). Habakkuk in speaking of the greatness of God wrote, “the Lord is in his holy temple: let
all the earth keep silence before him” (Hab 2:20); and it was God Himself who said, “will ye not tremble at my
presence” (Jer 5:22). It is no wonder, then, that our God is able to bring happiness and comfort to those who
mourn.
While it is true that God brings comfort and joy to him that mourns, it is often misunderstood as per the
method that is used in bringing this about. There are some, such as Benny Hinn; Creflo Dollar; Jesse
Duplantis; Joel Osteen and others profess what is termed the Health and Wealth Gospel or the Prosperity
Gospel. They reason that happiness lies in some type of physical accomplishment and gain. They use terms
like, “Name it and claim it,” and say things like, “The crown of thorns on the head of Jesus means the curse of
poverty has been broken.” On Benny Hinn’s website one can participate in a debt cancellation prayer, and
read articles which state: “The wealth has been reserved for the righteous.” These are all lies spread by
those who deceive. True happiness can only come from an inner peace which is achieved by having peace
with God (Rom 5:1). For this cause, in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus calls attention to what is on the inside
of man, teaching us that true happiness belongs to those who can weep—those who are truly pricked in their
heart, who cry out through the tears, “what shall we do!”
In this study it is proposed that the second beatitude be examined in order that we might all learn that
true happiness can only come to those who mourn from contrition.
Claim…
The claim is seen in the term used nine times in the Beatitudes—“blessed.” The term is translated from
the Greek word makarioi, which is an adjective used to describe one who possess a particular characteristic.
The term means: happy, congratulations, and/or rejoice. The word is used over forty-nine times in the Greek
Testament (its cognates appear six times) and is translated as “happy” five times in the King James Version of
the Scriptures. In John 13:17 Jesus said, “If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them;” and again in
Acts 26:2 Paul said, “I think myself happy…” The term modifying those who are happy is “they,” (autoi) which
is emphatic, meaning: they, just them, they alone.
What follows is a most interesting paradox, for the claim of happiness is attached to one who bears the
character of mourning. How is it that one who mourns is called happy? Answering this question is the burden
as we proceed to examine this passage.
Characteristic…
The characteristic used to describe those who are happy is one of contrition, “they that mourn.” A man
with a contrite spirit is the man for whom God looks, “…but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and
of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word” (Isa 66:2). The word “mourn,” in our text, finds its translation in
the Greek word penthountes, which literally means: to lament, being sorrowful, weeping. A word picture of
penthountes is found in Mark 16:10 where we read that the disciples “mourned and wept” over the death of
Jesus. Hence, the term is descriptive of the type of mourning that comes upon a person when facing the
death of a loved one. Yet here, as with all the Beatitudes, we are dealing with the inner man, hence the
spiritual; therefore the mourning about which Jesus speaks is not over a physical loss, but rather because of
a spiritual recognition—that being, of course, the recognition of sin, the helpless state in which it places man
and its consequences. As Lenski says:
- “Do our sins inflict no loss upon us? Do they not rob us of what is dearer than relatives, money, or
other goods? Instead of excluding sorrow for sin, this is the chief part of the lament…Behind this sorrow
of the godly lies the recognition of the merciless power of sin and of our helplessness to ward it off and
to escape. Hence this mourning is a constant cry to God in distress. The substantivized participle is the
present tense and thus characterizes the godly as mourning constantly.” [Lenski, R.C.H., The
Interpretation of St. Matthew’s Gospel, [Augsburg Publishing House: Minneapolis, MN, 1943, pgs.186-
187].
This is in harmony with what the Spirit says in James 4:7-10, “Submit yourselves therefore to God...Draw
nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double
minded. Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to
heaviness. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.” Notice carefully that in the
process of “sinners” becoming purified in order to be lifted up by God is the prerequisite of mourning. Thus
Boles comments:
- “Not every sort of mourning can claim these blessings; the sorrows of disappointed ambition, the tears
of wounded pride, have no claim on the blessings referred to here.” [Boles, H. Leo, A Commentary on
the Gospel According to Matthew, [Gospel Advocate Co: Nashville, TN, 1979 reprint, p.121].
- What is it, then, that brings about a spirit of contrition, causing one to mourn? Let it be suggested, in the
first place, that mourning can, and should, be caused by recognition of one’s own hopeless condition in sin.
What am I without my Great God in heaven? What can I do on my own? You see: the “wages of sin is death”
(Rom 6:23a), and because I have sinned (Rom 3:23; 1 Jn 1:5ff), I am set to face a separation from God for all
eternity (Isa 59:1-2; 2 Thess 1:8-9). It is not possible that I can save myself, “for the way of man is not in
himself, it is not in man that walketh to direct his own steps” (Jer 10:23). Should I try to save myself I am
nothing more than a fool, for “he that trusteth in his own heart is a fool” (Prov 28:26). Just as Adam and Eve
could not cover themselves in the garden, neither can I cover myself from my sin. So, like the apostle Paul, I
cry out “O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death?” (Rom 7:24). The answer
is found in the next verse, “I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord…” So, though I mourn over my helpless
condition, I can rejoice—I can be “blessed” because God “loved me” and gave His Son Jesus “for me” (Gal 2:
20). Hence, John 3:16 embodies, as has been noted many times before, the greatest things known to man:
- The Greatest Being: God
The Greatest Thing: Love
The Greatest Number: World
The Greatest Gift: Only Begotten Son
The Greatest Faith: Believe
The Greatest Tragedy: Perish
The Greatest Blessing: Everlasting Life.
- I can rejoice because there is a flip side of Romans 6:23; “…but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus
Christ our Lord.”
Another expression of the mourning person being blessed, as relates to his recognition of his helpless
state and God’s provisions, is seen in Ephesians 3:17-19, where the Spirit speaks of God’s love in terms of
its: (1) “breadth,” because it reaches to all men, no matter their condition; (2) “length,” because it comes from
eternity; (3) “depth,” because it reaches down from heaven to men in their lowly state; and its (4) “height,”
because it raises men to be priests and kings. No wonder he who mourns is blessed.
In the second place, mourning is caused by a realization of what I have done to another who was undeserving
(the sufferings of our Lord, Jesus). The Bible is clear in teaching us that Jesus suffered for us, for Paul wrote
that Christ “loved me and gave himself for me” (Gal 2:20). Again in Philippians 2 the inspired pen wrote of
Jesus that He “existing in the form of God, counted not the being on an equality with God a thing to be
grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men; and being
found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, becoming obedient even unto death, yea, the death of the
cross” (vs.6-8, ASV). While His physical suffering is beyond comprehension, let us not forget His true
suffering, His true sacrifice, which is seen in that He gave up equality with the Father for all time (cf. 1 Cor 15:
28). Thus, we read of our Great Savior hanging on Calvary’s Cross and asking, “My God, My God, why hast
thou forsaken me?” (Matt 27:46). The reason? Because of ME…B-E-C-A-U-S-E of ME! Because of me he was
“scourged” (Matt 27:27); stripped (v.28); had a crown of thorns placed on His head (v.29); was spat upon (v.
30); was struck by men’s hands (v.30); was crucified (vs.31-35); had His garments taken and divided (v.35);
and was forsaken (v.46). Jesus, “who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him”
became “sin for us” (2 Cor 5:21). If this does not bring one’s heart to being a heart of contrition, then what will
I do not know?
Then, there is the reality of the pain that I have caused the One who loves me more than anyone can
possibly love me. We often view sin in an improper manner, as that which simply makes God angry. The truth
is told that my sins hurt my God, just as a parent is hurt by a child who fails to do that which is right, or a
spouse who is betrayed (cf. Jer 3). Ephesians 4:30 teaches us that we can “grieve” the Spirit of God through
sin. Knowing that I have caused grief to my heavenly Father does indeed bring me to mourning.
In addition we can also include, as McGarvey says,
- “…those righteous persons who mourn over the follies and perversities of men, and who sigh under the
bereavements of life; they shall be comforted as Lazarus was when received into Abraham’s bosom.”
[McGarvey, J.W., Commentary on Matthew and Mark, [Gospel Light Publishing Co., Delight, AR: 1875,
p.49].
It is truly paradoxical to think that a person is made happy by weeping. Yet, it is this great paradox that
helps us understand how we can receive “beauty for ashes” (Isa 61:1-3).
Consequence…
Because of the mourning which is brought about by a spiritual recognition of my hopeless condition, what
I have done to my Lord, and the pain I have caused my God, I turn to the One who can comfort me, “for godly
sorrow worketh repentance to salvation” (2 Cor 7:10), for it is “the goodness of God” that “leadeth thee to
repentance” (Rom 2:4). My sorrow causes a change of mind (repentance), which then causes a change of
action (fruit meet for repentance, cf. Prov 23:7), which brings me comfort in the arms of my Savior, because
He has given me hope for a home in heaven (Titus 1:2), and can calm the storms of my life (cf. Mrk 4:35-41).
Though many people look to God for health and prosperity, the truth must be made known that God has
promised me spiritual comfort in place of my spiritual mourning (cf. Eph 1:3).
A look to Isaiah the prophet is most appropriate in discussing this particular beatitude. In Isaiah 61 we
read prophetic statements as per Jesus, the Christ of God. We know these verses speak of Him because after
reading them Himself in Luke 4 He said, “This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears” (v.21). In this
prophetic passage Isaiah wrote that Jesus would “bind up the brokenhearted.” We know what the broken
heart is—a spirit of contrition. But in what way is it bound up? He continued by writing, “to provide liberty to the
captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound.” Well, we know that sin is that which binds us
(Rom 6:16), and that every time Israel found themselves in bondage it typified man’s bondage to sin (cf. 1 Cor
10:6, 11). The way of escape from this bondage, which is found in Jesus, is through gospel obedience. Note
that the Spirit wrote, “But God be thanked, that ye were servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart
that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of
righteousness” (Rom 6:17-18). The doctrine about which Paul wrote is identified in 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 as
the death, burial and resurrection of Christ. Because it is not possible that a person obey the death, burial
and resurrection of Jesus itself, we have been given a “form” of it which we can obey. To understand the form
we look back in Romans 6 to verses 3-5, “know ye not that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ
were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was
raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we
have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection.”
Through gospel obedience, which is made possible by Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection, and which I am
led to by a contrite spirit, we can have our broken hearts bound, and be set free from the prison of death.
Verse 2 of Isaiah 61 speaks of comfort being given to those who mourn; hence the reason to rejoice, or
be happy. Mourning was manifest in ancient times by sitting in ashes, and even pouring ashes on one’s head
(ISBE). The statement “beauty for ashes” bespeaks of this fact. The term “beauty” is translated from the
Hebrew word peer, which literally means a precious head-dress (BDB). So, they who have a contrite spirit who
come to God will have the ashes cleaned from their head, and in the place of the ashes a beautiful head-
dress is placed. Truly, then, “blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.” Perhaps this is what is
meant when we read, “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes, and there shall be no more…sorrow,
nor crying”? (Rev 21:4).
In closing, we have seen the claim, the character and the consequence of this blessed beatitude. It is our
hope that the gospel will continue to prick hearts (Ac 2:37), even yours, and that by so doing men will mourn
in order to be comforted by receiving “beauty for ashes.”
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