Those Who Mourn

Matthew 5:4, Luke 6:21b

To mourn is to express grief or sorrow because someone or something that is dearly loved is lost or absent.

What was Jesus referring to when He spoke Matthew 5:4 and Luke 6:21b?

The sting of the death of a much-loved person causes mourning. John 11:35, Acts 9:39-43

A fractured relationship with God or a loved one causes mourning. Genesis 3:23-24, Luke 19:41-44

Jesus may have been speaking of the grief Israel experienced while they were in exile and the comfort they experienced when they returned to Jerusalem. Isaiah 61:1-3

Mourning over the lack of godliness in the world today will change the way we judge and react to circumstances around us.

“The mourners belong to the kingdom not because they mourn, but because sorrow evokes Christ’s compassion.”
Thomas Beckett

Mourning the way Jesus describes in the beatitudes will result in comfort and salvation.
Romans 8:22-23, 2 Corinthians 7:10, Psalms 126