Mourners Comforted

The Sermon on the Mount was Messiah’s Mount Sinai of the New Covenant. It begins with seven characteristics of kingdom citizens who are found to be in the state of God’s favor—blessed. These beatitudes are in consecutive order, the latter building on the former. The first (poor in spirit) forms the foundation, “the rich soil in which alone other graces will grow and flourish” (J. R. Miller). 

There is a clear Jewish background to the sermon as well. The Jewish nation after four hundred silent years was longing for the fulfillment of God’s promises for restoration of the kingdom ruled by One in David’s dynasty. Jesus was that root of Jesse, the Davidic Messiah expected. He taught the yearning disciples that the kingdom was here, and that the kingdom was theirs.

The second beatitude involves those who mourned—who have an emotional reaction of sorrow to a sad situation, condition, or depressing circumstances. It does not mean to grieve over personal loss (expressed in a different word) but to mourn or lament the circumstances of that loss. This is illustrated in Matthew 9 where Jesus responded to John’s disciples inquiry as to why His disciples did not fast (a means of expressing lament): “Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them?” (v. 15). One does not lament the absence of the King when He is in their midst, at least temporarily. However, because of the hostility of the Pharisees, He would soon be taken from them. At that time, they would fast and mourn again.

The comfort promised the mourner would be the reversal of the circumstances of the lament. Of what would that comfort consist? Note, also, that the promised comfort is future—“shall be comforted.” While “theirs is the kingdom,” their comfort awaits future fulfillment.

For kingdom citizens (Christ followers) the new covenant age involves a present and future tension. The kingdom is now, but not yet. Thus, believers will constantly lament their circumstances as they seek to live out the kingdom principles in a foreign and very hostile world. Their Lord is with them through the Spirit (Romans 8:9, 10), but the Bridegroom is absent. His disciples lament His absence and long for His return to restore righteousness in a new earth (2 Peter 3:13).

Jesus charged the supposed leaders of God’s covenant people, the Pharisees, “You are of this world; I am not of this world” (John 8:23). Kingdom citizens must also take this same stance (1 John 2:15–17; James 4:4). We are in the world but not of the world (John 15:19). We cannot be comfortable in this world. Our hearts must be set on things above (Colossians 3:1). Our life in this age must be characterized by lament and longing. We lament over the spiritual decline that is accelerating by the hour and we long for Jesus to return and restore Eden on earth. We lament the constant battle with the flesh and indwelling sin, and we long to be transformed into His glorious likeness (James 1:25). We are truly saved but not yet fully.