Matthew 5:4 - Blessings in Grief and Sorrow.
Mat.5:4: Blessings in Grief and Sorrow.
Mat 5:4 (CWR) "Happiness comes from grieving when you sin.
Confess your sins and you will be forgiven and peace will spring up in
your soul.
DEVOTIONAL PEARL
The mourning here brought to view is true heart sorrow for sin.
Jesus says, "I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men
unto Me." John 12:32. And as one is drawn to behold Jesus uplifted on
the cross, he discerns the sinfulness of humanity. He sees that it
is sin which scourged and crucified the Lord of glory. He sees
that, while he has been loved with unspeakable tenderness, his life
has been a continual scene of ingratitude and rebellion. He has
forsaken his best Friend and abused heaven's most precious gift. He has
crucified to himself the Son of God afresh and pierced anew that bleeding
and stricken heart. He is separated from God by a gulf of sin that
is broad and black and deep, and he mourns in brokenness of heart.
Such mourning" shall be comforted." God reveals to us our guilt
that we may flee to Christ, and through Him be set free from the
bondage of sin, and rejoice in the liberty of the sons of God. In true
contrition we may come to the foot of the cross, and there leave our
burdens.
The Saviour's words have a message of comfort to those also who
are suffering affliction or bereavement. Our sorrows do not spring
out of the ground. God "doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the
children of men." Lamentations 3:33. When He permits trials and
afflictions, it is "for our profit, that we might be partakers of His
holiness." Hebrews 12:10. If received in faith, the trial that seems so
bitter and hard to bear will prove a blessing. The cruel blow that
blights the joys of earth will be the means of turning our eyes to
heaven. How many there are who would never have known Jesus had not
sorrow led them to seek comfort in Him!
The trials of life are God's workmen, to remove the impurities
and roughness from our character. Their hewing, squaring, and
chiseling, their burnishing and polishing, is a painful process; it is hard
to be pressed down to the grinding wheel. But the stone is brought
forth prepared to fill its place in the heavenly temple. Upon no
useless material does the Master bestow such careful, thorough work.
Only His precious stones are polished after the similitude of a
palace.
The Lord will work for all who put their trust in Him. Precious
victories will be gained by the faithful. Precious lessons will be
learned. Precious experiences will be realized.....
Christ lifts up the contrite heart and refines the mourning soul
until it becomes His abode. MB10-13
THE FOLLOWING IS FOR THOSE WHO DESIRE DEEPER STUDY:
CONTENT; What's in the verse; Translations; Paraphrase; Word
Study:
Mat 5:4 (KJV) Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be
comforted.
Mat 5:4 (CWR) "Happiness comes from grieving when you sin.
Confess your sins and you will be forgiven and peace will spring up in
your soul.
BLESSED
Each beatitude tells how to be blessed. "Blessed" means more
than happiness. It implies the fortunate or enviable state of those
who are in God's kingdom. The Beatitudes don't promise laughter,
pleasure, or earthly prosperity. To Jesus, "blessed" means the experience
of hope and joy, independent of outward circumstances. To find hope
and joy, the deepest form of happiness, follow Jesus no matter what
the cost. [Life Application SB]
Blessed: The Greek word was used in Greek literature, in the
Septuagint, and in the New Testament to describe the kind of happiness that
comes from receiving divine favor. [Nelson SB]
The beatitudes in effect say, "O the bliss of being a Christian!
O the joy of following Christ! O the sheer happiness of knowing
Jesus Christ as Master, Saviour and Lord!" . . . In Christianity there
is a godlike joy.
The Greek for blesses describes that joy which has its secret
within itself, that joy which is serene and untouchable, and
self-contained, that joy which is completely independent of all the chances and
the changes of life. The English word happiness gives its own case
away. It contains the root hap which means chance. Human happiness is
something which is dependent on the chances and the changes of life,
something which life may give and which life may also destroy. The
Christian blessedness is completely untouchable and unassailable. "No
one," said Jesus, "will take your joy from you" (Jn 16:22). The
beatitudes speak of that joy which seeks us through our pain, that joy
which sorrow and loss, and pain and grief, are powerless to touch,
that joy which shines through tears, and which nothing in life or
death can take away.
The world can win its joys, and the world can equally well lose
its joys. A change in fortune, a collapse in health, the failure of
a plan, the disappointment of an ambition, even a change in the
weather, can take away the fickle joy the world can give. But the
Christian has the serene and untouchable joy which comes from walking for
ever in the company and in the presence of Jesus Christ. [Barclay]
MOURN
Mourn: A word that generally denotes intense mourning in
contrast with lupeomai, a more general word meaning "to grieve".... it is a
deep sense of spiritual need that leads men to "mourn" for the
imperfection they see in their own lives... There is a message of comfort here
also for those who mourn because of disappointment, bereavement, or
other sorrow. [SDA Commentary]
SHALL BE COMFORTED
Shall be comforted: As God meets the sense of spiritual need
with the riches of the grace of heaven, so He meets the mourning over
sin with the comfort of sins forgiven. Except there be first a sense
of need, there will not be mourning for what one lacks--in this
case, righteousness of character. [SDA Commentary]
CONTEXT; What's around the verse; Overview; Topic:
Overview
Jesus announced blessings for citizens of His kingdom (5:1-12).
He expects citizens of His kingdom to do good deeds (vv. 13-16),
for He requires a righteousness that surpasses that of even the
zealous Pharisees (vv. 17-20). Christ looked behind the acts the Law
regulated to call for purity of heart (vv. 21-42) and that crowning
expression of kingdom righteousness: a love like the Heavenly Father's for
one's enemies (vv. 43-48). [The 365-Day Devotional Commentary]
SECTION HEADINGS
Jesus Teaches the People
The Sermon on the Mount; The Beatitudes
The Beatitudes
5:3-12 There are nine blessings listed in vs. 3-11. But vs. 10,
11, refer to the same aspect of Christian experience, and are
therefore to be considered one beatitude, thus leaving eight rather than
nine beatitudes. [SDA Commentary]
On these precious Beatitudes, observe that though eight in
number, there are here but seven distinct features of character. The
eighth one-the "persecuted for righteousness' sake"-denotes merely the
possessors of the seven preceding features, on account of which they are
persecuted (2 Tim. 3:12). Accordingly, instead of any distinct promise to
this class, we have merely a repetition of the first promise. This
has been noticed by several critics, who by the sevenfold character
thus set forth have rightly observed that a complete character is
meant to be depicted, and by the sevenfold blessedness attached to it,
a perfect blessedness is intended. [Jamieson, Fausset, And Brown
Commentary]
There are at least four ways to understand the Beatitudes. (1)
They are a code of ethics for the disciples and a standard of conduct
for all believers. (2) They contrast kingdom values (what is
eternal) with worldly values (what is temporary). (3) They contrast the
superficial "faith" of the Pharisees with the real faith Christ wants. (4)
They show how the Old Testament expectations will be fulfilled in the
new kingdom. These beatitudes are not multiple choice--pick what you
like and leave the rest. They must be taken as a whole. They describe
what we should be like as Christ's followers. [Life Application SB]
The Beatitudes are comprised of three elements: a pronouncement
of blessing, a quality of life, and a reason why the recipient
should be considered blessed. The first element is found in the word
Blessed (see Ps. 1:1), which introduces each beatitude. The second
element does not describe different groups of people, but a composite
picture of the kind of person who will inherit Christ's kingdom. The
third element looks ahead to some aspect of the coming kingdom.
[Nelson SB]
Our Saviour here gives eight characters of blessed people, which
represent to us the principal graces of a Christian [Matthew Henry
Commentary]
The Beatitudes are not primarily promises to the individual but
a description of him. They do not show a man how to be saved, but
describe the characteristics manifested by one who is born again.
[Wycliffe Bible Commentary]
The Beatitudes describe what we should be like as Christ's
followers. [Life Application SB]
The Beatitudes: These qualities Jesus mentioned are internal.
These come only when one is properly related to God through faith,
when one places his complete trust in God. [Bible Knowledge
Commentary]
The Beatitudes describe the inner qualities of a follower of
Christ. [Ryrie SB]
The Beatitudes describe the character traits of those accepted
as citizens of the kingdom of God and set forth both the present
and future blessings of those whose lives portray these virtues.
[Believer's SB]
The Beatitudes refer to both present and future blessings of the
kingdom. [Disciple SB]
5:1-12 Eight Characteristics Of Kingdom Dwellers
The Beatitudes (5:1-12) revealed eight characteristics that
should be true of the righteous remnant in the promised kingdom. The
truths implied in these characteristics all reflect pervasive themes in
the Old Testament. They revealed to the listeners what the lives of
people in the process of repentance should be like and caused them to
reflect upon their own character in relation to the character of God.
The Beatitudes were built upon an if/then logic and hidden in each
Beatitude was an if/then relationship. For example, the first Beatitude
says in essence, "If you are poor in spirit, then you will receive
the kingdom of God" (5:3). The Beatitudes both describe and demand.
They demand good character as they describe the "blessed" results of
following the demands of kingdom living.
The attitudes of "poor in spirit," "mourning," and "meekness"
all draw upon Old Testament themes and underscore the need for human
responsibility and the work of divine grace. The basic element demanded by all
the Beatitudes was a right relationship with God. The Beatitudes
were intended to inspire Matthew's readers to think about the
character of the repentant person so that they also could follow the path
of repentance.
Matthew 5:3-16 should be seen as one single unit of thought. The
word "blessed" (5:3; etc.) literally means "happy." For "poor in
spirit" (5:3) see Psalms 40:17; 69:29-30, 33-34; and Isaiah 57:15; 61:1;
66:2, 5. This characteristic describes the inner attitude of a person
when confronted with the holy God and his demands. Being "poor in
spirit" means admitting that no one can have spiritual wealth in and of
themselves--that all are dependent on God alone for spiritual
salvation and daily
grace. Such a person aligns with God's will, even against the desires
of his own.
For the attitude of "mourning" (Matt. 5:4), see Isaiah 1:17, 23;
2:11, 17; 61:2. The afflicted were often seen as God's favorites in
contrast with the powerful. This "mourning" was a reaction to seeing all
that God had demanded for the kingdom and then seeing how far all of
mankind had fallen short.
For the attitude of "meekness" (Matt. 5:5) read Psalm 37:7-11
and Isaiah 57:15. Having the quality of "meekness" would result in
possession of the new heavens and new earth (cf. Isa. 66; Rev. 21-22). The
Beatitudes and the Sermon on the Mount as a whole continually looked
forward to the time of judgment and reward in the end times.
To "hunger and thirst for righteousness" (Matt. 5:6) was to seek
to live life as God intended for it to be lived. Concepts drawn
from Old Testament Wisdom Literature were being applied here (cf.
Prov. 8:22-36). For "pure in heart" (Matt. 5:8), see what it meant
under the old covenant (Deut. 6) as well as under the new covenant
(Jer. 31; Ezek. 36).
The "peacemakers" (Matt. 5:9) will be called "sons of God." They
will be heirs to God's kingdom of which "peace" will be an important
characteristic (cf. Isa. 9:6-7; 66:12-13; Mic. 4:3). Note the emphasis in 5:3,
4, 9, 10. In each of these verses, an implied contrast was being
made between those who would be blessed in the age to come and the
religious leaders of Jesus' day.
Those "persecuted because of righteousness" (5:10) would also be
heirs to the kingdom. This relates back to 5:3 regarding the kingdom
and to 5:6 regarding righteousness. The idea of this verse carried a
bit of irony. These people were being persecuted because they were
hungry and thirsty for righteousness. But their persecutors would be
the religious leaders of Israel, the ones who claimed to strictly
follow the way of righteousness.
Jesus made a personal elaboration (5:11-12) of the comments in
5:10. He would become the cause for the persecution of the righteous
("because of me," 5:11). The people who desired to be among the "blessed"
of the kingdom would not find their time on earth easy. Matthew
wrote for people who faced a time of persecution prior to the
establishment of the kingdom. There was a parallel drawn in 5:12 with the
prophets of the past who had suffered for the sake of righteousness. [New
Bible Companion]
Of all the virtues Christ commended in the Beatitudes, it is
significant that the first is humility being "poor in spirit" (v. 3). That
underlies all the others:
You cannot mourn (v 4) without appreciating how insufficient you
are to handle life in your own strength. That is humility.
You cannot be meek (v 5) unless you have needed gentleness
yourself. Knowing that need is humility.
You cannot hunger and thirst for righteousness (v 6) if you
proudly think of yourself as already righteous. Longing to fill that
spiritual appetite demands humility. In a parable that Luke recorded, a
humble tax collector prayed, "God, be merciful to me a sinner!" He went
away justified, unlike a proud Pharisee who boasted of his
righteousness (Luke 18:13).
You cannot be merciful (Matt. 5:7) without recognizing your own
need for mercy. Jesus said that it's the person who is forgiven much
that loves much (Luke 7:47). To confess your sin and ask God and
others for forgiveness takes humility.
You cannot be pure in heart (Matt. 5:8) if your heart is filled
with pride. God promises to exalt the humble, not the proud (James
4:10).
You cannot be a peacemaker (Matt. 5:9) if you believe that you
are always right. To admit your own fallibility takes humility Peace
results when both warring parties move toward each other.
Finally identifying with Christ no matter what the reaction of
others (vv. 10-12) demands a certain death to yourself and a
renunciation of your own rights. Standing up under persecution demands
Christlike Humility. [Word In Life SB]
Is it possible to live up to these standards? (5:3-10)
Even though the Sermon on the Mount has been called the
constitution for citizens of the kingdom of God, we will never see flawed
human beings, though they are Christians, reach this level of
perfection. Jesus begins the Beatitudes, the preamble to this constitution,
with our inability in mind - Blessed are the poor in spirit, for
theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Those who begin by admitting their
shortcomings are in the best position to experience God's blessing and enjoy
his kingdom.
Nevertheless, we cannot escape the fact that Jesus gave his
followers these lifestyle goals. Those who respond out of love for the
Lord, grateful for his grace in their lives, will better approach
these ideals. The Beatitudes are a model of perfection requiring our
declaration of dependence on God: we can't, but God can. Even when doing so
involves failure to follow perfectly, we're to press on in obedience.
The Beatitudes describe the quality of life God intended for
humanity from the beginning - a life of blessing. The word blessed can
also be translated happy, but it is something more than an emotion.
The closer we come to Jesus' standards, the more we experience the
blessing of God. [Quest SB]
When we first read the statements of Jesus they seem wonderfully
simple and unstartling, and they sink unobserved into our unconscious
minds. For instance, the Beatitudes seem merely mild and beautiful
precepts for all unworldly and useless people, but of very little
practical use in the stern workaday world in which we live. We soon find,
however, that the Beatitudes contain the dynamite of the Holy Ghost. They
explode, as it were, when the circumstances of our lives cause them to do
so. When the Holy Spirit brings to our remembrance one of these
Beatitudes we say--'What a startling statement that is!' and we have to
decide whether we will accept the tremendous spiritual upheaval that
will be produced in our circumstances if we obey His words. That is
the way the Spirit of God works. We do not need to be born again to
apply the Sermon on the Mount literally. The literal interpretation of
the Sermon on the Mount is child's play; the interpretation by the
Spirit of God as He applies Our Lord's statements to our circumstances
is the stern work of a saint. The teaching of Jesus is out of all
proportion to our natural way of looking at things, and it comes with
astonishing discomfort to begin with. We have slowly to form our walk and
conversation on the line of the precepts of Jesus Christ as the Holy Spirit
applies them to our circumstances. The Sermon on the Mount is not a set
of rules and regulations: it is a statement of the life we will
live when the Holy Spirit is getting His way with us. [My Utmost for
His Highest by Oswald Chambers]
CROSS REFERENCES; What's in verses elsewhere.
Psalm 40:1-3 (KJV) I waited patiently for the Lord; and he
inclined unto me, and heard my cry. [2] He brought me up also out of an
horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and
established my goings. [3] And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even
praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in
the Lord.
Psalm 51:10-12 (KJV) Create in me a clean heart, O God; and
renew a right spirit within me. [11] Cast me not away from thy
presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. [12] Restore unto me the
joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.
Psalm 69:29-30 (KJV) But I am poor and sorrowful: let thy
salvation, O God, set me up on high. [30] I will praise the name of God
with a song, and will magnify him with thanksgiving.
Psalm 126:5-6 (KJV) They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.
[6] He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall
doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.
Isaiah 12:1 (KJV) And in that day thou shalt say, O Lord, I
will praise thee: though thou wast angry with me, thine anger is
turned away, and thou comfortedst me.
Isaiah 25:8 (KJV) He will swallow up death in victory; and the
Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of
his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the Lord
hath spoken it.
Isaiah 35:10 (KJV) And the ransomed of the Lord shall return,
and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads:
they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee
away.
Isaiah 51:11 (KJV) Therefore the redeemed of the Lord shall
return, and come with singing unto Zion; and everlasting joy shall be
upon their head: they shall obtain gladness and joy; and sorrow and
mourning shall flee away.
Isaiah 61:2-3 (KJV) To proclaim the acceptable year of the
Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;
[3] To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them
beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise
for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of
righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified.
Jeremiah 31:9 (KJV) They shall come with weeping, and with
supplications will I lead them: I will cause them to walk by the rivers of
waters in a straight way, wherein they shall not stumble: for I am a
father to Israel, and Ephraim is my firstborn.
James 1:12 (KJV) Blessed is the man that endureth temptation:
for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the
Lord hath promised to them that love him.
Rev. 21:4 (KJV) And God shall wipe away all tears from their
eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying,
neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed
away.
COMMENTARY / APPLICATION: Moving From The Head To The Heart
What is God teaching here? What does it teach about Jesus?
This "mourning" must not be taken loosely for that feeling which
is wrung from men under pressure of the ills of life, nor yet
strictly for sorrow on account of committed sins. Evidently it is that
entire feeling which the sense of our spiritual poverty begets, and so
the second beatitude is but the complement of the first. The one is
the intellectual, the other the emotional aspect of the same thing.
It is poverty of spirit that says, "I am undone"; and it is the
mourning this causes that makes it break forth in lamentation. The
spiritual life, according to the Bible, is neither a set of intellectual
convictions nor a bundle of emotional feelings, but a compound of both, the
former giving birth to the latter. Thus closely do the first two
beatitudes cohere. [Jamieson, Fausset, And Brown Commentary]
Those who, feeling their spiritual poverty, mourn after God,
lamenting the iniquity that separated them from the fountain of
blessedness. (Adam Clarke Commentary)
That godly sorrow which worketh true repentance, watchfulness, a
humble mind, and continual dependence for acceptance on the mercy of
God in Christ Jesus, with constant seeking the Holy Spirit, [Matthew
Henry Commentary]
Those are God's mourners, who live a life of repentance, who
lament the corruption of their nature, and their many actual
transgressions, and God's withdrawings from them; and who, out of regard to
God's honour, mourn also for the sins of others, and sigh and cry for
their abominations, . (Matthew Henry's Commentary)
Sin can take the loveliest life in all the world and smash it on
a Cross." One of the great functions of the Cross is to open the
eyes of men and women to the horror of sin. And when a man sees sin
in all its horror he cannot do anything else but experience intense
sorrow for his sin. [Barclay Commentary]
The mourning here brought to view is true heart sorrow for sin.
Jesus says, "I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men
unto Me." John 12:32. And as one is drawn to behold Jesus uplifted on
the cross, he discerns the sinfulness of humanity. He sees that it
is sin which scourged and crucified the Lord of glory. He sees
that, while he has been loved with unspeakable tenderness, his life
has been a continual scene of ingratitude and rebellion. He has
forsaken his best Friend and abused heaven's most precious gift. He has
crucified to himself the Son of God afresh and pierced anew that bleeding
and stricken heart. He is separated from God by a gulf of sin that
is broad and black and deep, and he mourns in brokenness of heart.
Such mourning" shall be comforted." God reveals to us our guilt
that we may flee to Christ, and through Him be set free from the
bondage of sin, and rejoice in the liberty of the sons of God. In true
contrition we may come to the foot of the cross, and there leave our
burdens.
The Saviour's words have a message of comfort to those also who
are suffering affliction or bereavement. Our sorrows do not spring
out of the ground. God "doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the
children of men." Lamentations 3:33. When He permits trials and
afflictions, it is "for our profit, that we might be partakers of His
holiness." Hebrews 12:10. If received in faith, the trial that seems so
bitter and hard to bear will prove a blessing. The cruel blow that
blights the joys of earth will be the means of turning our eyes to
heaven. How many there are who would never have known Jesus had not
sorrow led them to seek comfort in Him!
The trials of life are God's workmen, to remove the impurities
and roughness from our character. Their hewing, squaring, and
chiseling, their burnishing and polishing, is a painful process; it is hard
to be pressed down to the grinding wheel. But the stone is brought
forth prepared to fill its place in the heavenly temple. Upon no
useless material does the Master bestow such careful, thorough work.
Only His precious stones are polished after the similitude of a
palace.
The Lord will work for all who put their trust in Him. Precious
victories will be gained by the faithful. Precious lessons will be
learned. Precious experiences will be realized.....
Christ lifts up the contrite heart and refines the mourning soul
until it becomes His abode. MB10-13
A sense of anguish for sin characterizes the blessed man. But
genuine repentance will bring comfort to the believer. [Wycliffe Bible
Commentary]
The way to the joy of forgiveness is through the desperate
sorrow of the broken heart. [Barclay Commentary]
O the bliss of the man whose heart is broken for the world's
suffering and for his own sin, for out of his sorrow he will find the joy
of God! [Barclay Commentary]
The mourners shall be "comforted." Even now they get beauty for
ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the
spirit of heaviness..... the days of our mourning shall soon be ended,
and then God shall wipe away all tears from our eyes. Then, in the
fullest sense, shall the mourners be "comforted." (Jamieson, Fausset,
and Brown Commentary)
Those that grieve over sin; that sorrow that they have committed
it, and are afflicted and wounded that they have offended God, shall
find comfort in the gospel. Through the merciful Saviour those sins
may be forgiven. In him the weary and heavy-ladened soul shall find
peace ; and the presence of the Comforter, the Holy
Spirit, shall sustain them here , and in heaven all their
tears shall be wiped away, . ( Barnes' Notes)
"Mourning" of the present age and the "comfort" of the coming
age. (UBS Translator Handbook Series)
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