Learning to Mourn

"Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted."
Matthew 5:4

Why did Jesus include this verse in the Beatitudes? Most of the Beatitudes are about character traits or attitudes; mourning is a response to circumstances. It doesn't seem to fit. What is it about mourning that qualifies us for blessing?

People mourn because they have lost something that they can't get back. It may be a relationship, a pet, a job, or a family heirloom. Whatever it is, it's gone, beyond recovery, and the loss hurts.

So if we're all supposed to mourn, what have we all lost? The list could go on and on. Everyone, at one time or another, has lost loved ones, friendships, and opportunities. We have lost hopes, dreams, dignity, and illusions. Each of us, somewhere along the way, has lost our innocence.

The problem is that we have lost so many things in this fallen world that we hardly feel the loss anymore. We lost our innocence so long ago that we've gotten used to its absence. After all, one can't mourn forever. Maybe we should try. Maybe we should take more seriously the admonition of James: "Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom." (James 4:8-9)

The bottom line is that our sin does not bother us very much. If it did, we would stop. Oh, we feel bad and wish we would do better, but we typically manage to get over it and go on about our business without any radical changes. There is little weeping, and no lamentation. We no longer mourn.

Because we no longer mourn, we no longer receive comfort. That's the blessing for those who mourn. Mourning leads to brokeness, which drives true repentance. God responds to repentance with grace, mercy, and forgiveness. All of our sin can be forgiven. Our lost innocence can be restored. We can be washed clean and made right, better than we ever were before.

But first we must learn to mourn.