“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” (Matthew 5:4)
“My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here and watch with me.” – Jesus (Matthew 26:38)
Over the last week we have come to understand that to be “poor in spirit” involves the emptying of the self. It involves the death of the rebellious attitudes of self preservation and self reliance. This death does not come without a sense of loss. The loss of something that we have held dear for so long can be devestating. Even though it is necessary there is still a sense of grief that comes with it…a spiritual mourning.
So, it makes sense that Jesus follows the first beattitude, which calls us to die to ourselves, with a beattitude that offers the comfort needed as we “mourn” our condition. He is saying, “Yes, I know that it hurts, but I will comfort you through this.”
You see, Jesus understands mourning. He knows grief first hand. He can relate to the sorrow we experience when we feel isolated from God. When we resolve to follow His will no matter the consequences. When putting our personal agendas aside for the good of the Kingdom brings a holy sorrow. He knows this kind of sorrow because He experienced it on the cross.
The cross not only carried poverty with it; it carried grief. Jesus describes His sorrow in the Garden of Gethsemane just moments before His arrest that night. He spoke these words in the Scripture above and then fell on His face and prayed the agonizing prayer we know so well…”not my will, but Thine be done”. The cross reveals to us the broken heart of our loving Father. The God who poured Himself out for us…became “poor” for us that we might become rich. Yes, He knows how hard it is to “present ourselves as a living and holy sacrifice” (Romans 12:1).
But, He also knows the blessedness of being “poor in spirit” and the blessing of being “comforted” when we are mourning. How could the negative experiences of these first two beattitudes be considered a blessing?
Throughout the Bible this is the kind of brokeness that invites the presence of God into our lives. It is not all the religious rituals or our constant efforts to please a demanding diety. King David said it like this,
“The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.” (Psalm 51:17)
Maybe you are hurting today. Maybe you are experiencing a certain brokeness…a mourning as you are realizing your spiritual poverty before the Almighty God who created you. Take heart… “blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven and blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted”.