Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted (Matthew 5:4)

As we journey through life we all encounter trials and events which produce pain or sorrow in the very deep core of our being. Sometimes, the pain is so strong that it becomes almost unbearable. And yet, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ tell us that those who mourn are blessed!

But how, we ask, can we be blessed in our mourning?

Primarily, it is essential to examine the subject or origin of our mourning. For mourning can so easily stem from worldly desires such as the selfish longing for unattainable earthly wealth or from obsessions of success in everything we do. On the other hand, it can originate from that which is godly such as grief over the loss of loved ones or the sudden penetrating awareness of the destruction that our sin brings into our life and that of others.

Mourning originating from the lack of self-gratification or a kind of selfish sorrow can only lead towards a life of boredom and despair and can never qualify for heavenly comfort. Mourning accompanied by faith and love lived out of a righteous life opens the door to God’s healing, wholeness, freedom, joy and renewed strength. For as we find in Psalm 34:19 , “many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all” (Psalm 34:19)

Mourning is in itself a painful process, so we may have the tendency to deny it or escape it through alienation such as increasing our work or finding means to get more distracted. But mourning has to be faced. If not, the subject of our mourning will have authority over us and may control our behavior, relationships and actions.

As we face our mourning we enter into the healing process. It is at the point when we let the tears flow and allow others to listen to our pain that the moment of blessing can be experienced. It is the moment of restoration by supernatural grace. Perhaps the best way of understanding this is to contemplate on Jesus’ own mourning process in Gethsemane.

Jesus suffered a most dreadful pain in Gethsemane. For he was aware of the futility of so much of his pain. He knew the indifference, the ingratitude and the open hostility of his people. He speaks out his pain in Matthew 26:36-46 “My heart is nearly broken with sorrow”, a pain that made him cry out “Father, you have power to do all things. Take this cup away from me.” But then came his magnificent resignation “But let it be as you would have it, not as I”

Amidst his deepest mourning, Jesus found comfort in knowing that he remained faithful to his Father’s will till the very end. It was at that point of total surrender that Jesus received his Father’s fresh anointment giving him strength to endure what had to come.

It is the same with us. In tears we do not despair but speak our heart to God. To the depth and degree that we own the brokenness in our individual lives, to the same depth and degree we will experience the blessedness of God’s comfort, healing and consolation. As we pray with greater fervour, therein we find strength and even joy. (Gordon Vassallo)