"Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted." Matthew 5:4 (CSB)
Comfort.
How often do we seek this? In
this case, we are defining it as the easing or alleviation of a person's
feelings of grief or distress. When we are in areas of distress, we seek to
find a way to comfort ourselves. Often we feel the need to comfort someone
around us. So, how are we tying this into the concept in this second Beatitude?
Our reward for being one who
mourns (not moans) is comfort.
Paul writes of Christ’s comfort
in us in 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 (CSB) – “Blessed be the God and Father of our
Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort. He comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to
comfort those who are in any kind of affliction, through the comfort we
ourselves receive from God. ”
The words used for comfort in
this passage is parakeo or a derivative. Paraphrased this verse can read – “To be well off, rich,
better than others is God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of
mercies and God of all consolation or solace, who encourages and strengthens us
in all our pressures and distress, that we may be able to come alongside and
strengthen those who are in any trouble, with the solace and encouragement with
which we ourselves are strengthened by God.”
This is the same root word that Christ uses in
the Book of John for the Holy Spirit – our Comforter.
When we mourn over our condition – God will
send the Holy Spirit to encourage and strengthen us. That is our reward. We are
assured of the Holy Spirit comforting and strengthening us. What a powerful way
to find true comfort in a sinful and devastated world.
A side thought for today - Jesus is not saying that we are to go around
with a “sucking on a dill-pickle” scowl. Too many Christians look like they
have been baptized in pickle juice. No, understand that we Christians go to one of two
extremes –
Always “happy, happy, happy” no matter what.
Or, dragging their bottom lip to appear pious
and religious before others.
God wants us to be real.
So today, BE REAL.
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