PONDERING... Are You Glad To Be Sad? (Matthew 5:4)

Are You Glad To Be Sad? (Go Night Devotion)

Note: This was delivered as a short devotion during our outreaches to a nursing home and children’s ranch.

GIST: We can rejoice even when it hurts because we know where hope comes from.

SCRIPTURE: Matthew 5:4

The last time we were here, it was a tremendous blessing to us. Thank you for worshiping with us. Today, I want to continue our brief discussion of the first part of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. These beatitudes are a kind of progressive, or building summary of what it means to live a truly fulfilled, Christian life. This is what it means to be really happy.  Last time, we saw true happiness comes from realizing how much you need Jesus. Tonight, let’s just read one verse.

"4 "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted."

Like before, this doesn’t immediately look like a picture of happiness. Mourning is what we do when we’re...the opposite of happy! However, what we have here is this truth: We can rejoice even when it hurts because we know where hope comes from.

I. Happy Are Those Who Mourn

I know we’ve all mourned in this room. We’ve lost loved ones and experienced pain and disappointment. Like I said, these experiences don’t seem to point to happiness. I think there are at least two things to remember about this mourning.

First, He’s referring to→ grief over sin. One of the first steps to becoming a Christian is realizing the weight of your sin, seeing it for what it is. This isn’t just coming to an understanding that sin is bad and should be avoided, but seeing yourself as a sinner, someone desperately in need of saving because your personal sin is despicable. Understanding that isn’t just some negative, fatalistic perspective. It’s the perspective that makes you realize how beautiful this statement is: This is love,  while you were still a sinner, Jesus died for you! That sounds nice even if you haven’t really ever seen how serious your sin is, but when you see this, it’s the most beautiful, life-changing truth ever!

Secondly, this is about→ grief because of sin. Not only has sin impacted our hearts, but it has corrupted our world. This can be a dangerous and devastating place to live. Heartbreak will come. BUT we can look at all of this as just a light momentary affliction because we know there is so much more to life than the pain we’re facing now. In fact, that’s what makes mourning a blessing→

II. For They Shall Be Comforted

Notice two things here, as well. First, this is a promise. The verse doesn’t say they might be comforted, but that it will happen. Second, this comfort is a beautiful thing. The word comfort here implies “calling to one’s side”. TALK ABOUT COMFORT! We will be comforted because Jesus came and died and rose again for you, to forgive you of the sins that make you mourn, AND He draws near to all who draw near to Him!

You can face this world because you don’t have to face it alone! And you can face the results of sin both in your heart and in the world because this isn’t the end! In Heaven, we will experience this ultimate comforting as Jesus promises to wipe every tear from our eyes. We’re blessed when we mourn here because it points to a time when there will be no more mourning!

TAKEAWAYS

1. Do you realize the seriousness of your sin?

2. Are you broken by this world?

3. Have you experienced His comfort?