RSS Feed |
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
'Blessed are those who mourn sin ...'
Nowhere is this power any plainer than in the paradox of the second "beatitude," where only the sad are said to be truly happy. Read Matthew 5:4. "Blessed are those who mourn ..." Christians are blessed because Christians know how to cry. But not all crying, not all mourning, is under this particular banner of Christ's blessing. Remember that Jesus' words in this sermon are spiritual. They are deep and richly rewarding. But they require some digging. Jesus is not promising blessedness to those who cry crocodile "Tammy Faye tears" of selfish pride or material loss. He will not bless those who grieve without hoping in him (1 Thessalonians 4:13). Keeping things in context, Jesus is pronouncing spiritual blessedness to those who are deeply saddened and concerned over spiritual badness. The short word for such spiritual badness is "sin." Blessed are those who mourn over sin, who see sin the way God sees it, who are distressed about the offense it gives to the lord and the effect it has upon the human race. This mourning can be broken down three ways: Blessed are those who mourn over personal sin A disciple is a person who is painfully aware of his or her own sin. The more you grow in grace, the more you know you need it (note Paul's progression and John's advice). True conviction and concern - another definition of "mourning" in this verse - makes no excuses and asserts no blame. And, it leads to blessing. Blessed are those who mourn over corporate sin and dysfunction. There must be no delight when a brother or sister falls, only a shared sense of disgrace that pleads for fresh grace. There can be no satisfaction when the church steps outside the parameters of scripture, only a desire for godly correction. Such conviction can lead to blessing. Blessed are those who mourn over sin in the world. How do you really feel about abortion, abuse, divorce, homosexuality and other societal sins? Why do you feel that way? God is dishonored and people are hurt. Therefore we must mourn. This mourning, too, leads to the blessing of a new morning. Jesus is teaching that hearts that are broken are hearts that will be blessed. He himself was a "man of sorrows ... familiar with suffering" (Isaiah 53:3). He looked old for his age (John 8:57), often mourned, and actually wept (John 11:35). He was more than qualified to say, "Blessed are those who mourn," because he knew what he would do for them. "... for they will be comforted." The promise is not that we will be comfortable, but comforted. The Christian life is not supposed to be comfortable, as many presume. But there are deep and abiding blessings, even comforts, for those who risk it all to follow Jesus Christ. Here the power of paradox kicks in for faithful followers. We know of the bigger picture that tells of the agony of the cross and the adoration of the crown. We know of the struggle of conviction that comes with the splendor of conversion. Now we must know with confident assurance that for every drop of mourning there will be a vast ocean of comfort. There is comfort for those who mourn over personal sin. It is called repentance and it results in forgiveness. Think of verse two of the towering hymn, "It Is Well With My Soul" states: My sin - oh, the bliss of this glorious thought! - My sin, not in part, but the whole, is nailed to the cross and I bear it no more, praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul! Think of the power of 1 John 1:8-9 in the daily Christian life. Excuses will not bring about this blessing. Blame will not bless, either. Only mourning over personal sin leads to the blessedness of repentance and forgiveness. There is comfort for those who mourn over corporate sin in the church. There is the comfort of discipline and restoration, reformation and truth. A church is not a true church when it is unwilling to lovingly confront members living in sin. If we care, we will mourn. If we mourn, we will act. If we act, we will be comforted to know that we are honoring God, protecting the purity of the church and providing a purer and more powerful witness to the world. The status quo is not equipped with blessing. Only those who mourn and dare to discipline, dare to change, will be blessed. There is comfort for those who mourn over worldly sin at large. There is the comfort of the power of the gospel and the promise of the return of Christ. There is the comfort of knowing that God is sovereign. There is the comfort that he is and he will make everything right. Progress can be made now, but perfection is coming for the true believer and follower of Jesus Christ. Revelation 21:4. Church, we need to learn the value of spiritual crying, of mourning as Jesus commanded.
We need to stop sweeping sin under the rug. We need to confess to God something is wrong. We need to be forgiven. We need to be held, helped and loved by the Lord. Then, we will be "blessed."
|
for larger version       |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
