Blessed are Those Who Mourn
Blessed are those who mourn is one of those phrases that make us believe Jesus was doing more in the Beatitudes than telling us how our attitude should be. A key to interpreting the Bible well is for us to remember that the Bible was written FOR us, but not TO us. In other words, whenever we read the Bible, we have to look at it in its own context. When Paul wrote the book of Romans, he wasn't writing it to Hillside Wesleyan Church in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. When Jesus preached the sermon on the Mount, He wasn't thinking about Kory Kleinsasser in 2009. I can learn from what He taught, but Jesus was saying something very specific to the people around Him.
In many ways, we always assume Jesus is talking to us--the middle class Americans. I think Jesus' message in the Beatitudes does have something to say to us, but he wasn't really talking to us. So whenever we read we should try to figure out who He's talking to and what are the issues He's addressing. We can learn a lot about a passage when we try to learn about the history and culture surrounding any given teaching.
When we hear the phrase "blessed are those who mourn," we often just move on to the next "beatitude" because unlike the other beatitudes we really can't think of why mourning would actually be a virtue to Jesus. Well, just like the rest of them, Jesus isn't saying that mourning is a virtue-that somehow you're better off in the Kingdom if you're always sad about something.
Remember when Jesus says "blessed are" you can substitute the words "good news!" So Jesus is saying, "I've got good news for you who are poor in spirit. I have good news to those of you who are mourning!" Of course, what is the Gospel if it isn't good news?
Jesus comes proclaiming good news to those who mourn. In Jesus' day and age we can be certain that this was the majority of your average, everyday people. In fact, when we look over the course of history in most societies, pain, suffering and mourning are the rule rather than the exception. We tend to forget this (or intentionally forget this) because mourning is the exception in our American society today.
People in most societies throughout history have lived in close relationship with death. Infant mortality rates were high life expectancy was low. Disease and war were rampant and grotesque. We have been "blessed" (for lack of a better word) in our society that suffering and death is very seldom a part of life. When we do face death, it tends to be hidden or sanitized. We've used our technology to distance ourselves from suffering.
But it's not just our society today that's done this. Anywhere at any time, if people could do the same thing, the would. There were rich people in Jesus' day that could, to some degree, separate themselves from pain and suffering as well. But there are always those who cannot get away from suffering, pain and mourning. To those people, Jesus says, "Good news! The Kingdom comforts people like you."
The question we have to ask then is "how?" How does the Kingdom comfort mourning people? My temptation is to answer that question by talking about heaven. Sure there is pain and suffering here on earth, but if you just keep your faith, when you die you'll have the rewards of heaven. I believe that's true and it should be a consolation to all of us who suffer here. But I also see a couple of problems with dismissing the question in such a trite way.
The first problem is the struggle we have with the idea of fairness. Sure, heaven is a reward for people who suffer here on earth. But there are some people here on earth who suffer very little in comparison to others and yet, they too get to go to heaven. Where is the equity in that? If you can go to heaven without all the suffering, why does anyone need to suffer? So while there is consolation in the hope of heaven, its not necessarily the answer to the question of how the Kingdom comforts those who mourn.
The second problem with jumping right to heaven is that Jesus taught the Kingdom is not just "out there" but He taught that the Kingdom is "HERE." How is the Kingdom a present comfort to those who mourn now? I think the answer comes when we think about the idea of "blessing."
How often do we pray and thank God for the many blessings He has given us? If you're like most Christians probably at every meal and when your church takes the offering on Sunday morning. Actually, we often stop to thank God for the way He has "blessed" us. But if that's all we think about blessing, we don't have a Biblical view of blessing.
In the Bible (Old and New Testament) we find that blessings are not just for us to enjoy. Take the blessing God promised to Abraham for instance. God promised to make Abraham a "great nation" -- his descendants would be like the sands on the beach. Of course, this would have made Abraham a happy guy. But what was the real reason for Abraham's blessing? Was it for him to enjoy? Genesis 18:18 says this: "Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and all nations on earth will be blessed through him."
So you see the blessing Abraham received had a purpose that was greater than just Abraham's enjoyment. He was blessed to bless others. Over time, Israel forgot this purpose as we're all prone to do. Not only this, but it's usually the blessing itself (i.e. money, leisure, good health, etc.) that keeps us from being the blessing to others.
The point I'm making here is that the Kingdom of Heaven is good news to those who mourn because God blesses people in order to bless others. Kingdom people with good health, are healthy in order to bless the sick. Kingdom people with wealth are wealthy in order to bless those who are poor. Kingdom people who are happy are happy in order to bless those who mourn. In the Kingdom, it's about the relationship.
Too often, instead of using our wealth to care for those who are poor or those who mourn, we use it to avoid pain. We think we are blessed in order keep ourselves from pain or at least inconvenience. But any glance at the teachings of Jesus should tell us that Kingdom living requires that we enter into the suffering of others. (e.g. Matthew 25) We are blessed to be a blessing to those who may not be. I'll get more into Matthew 5:13-16 in a later post, but read these verses now with a mind toward the beatitudes. Why do you think Jesus talks about our status as salt and light right after the beatitudes?
Are the beatitudes true because of you? Are you working toward fulfilling Kingdom purposes in the world? Do you use the time when you're not mourning loss to identify with and bless those who are mourning? How are you using your wealth to insulate yourself from the suffering of others? How can you change this?
In many ways, we always assume Jesus is talking to us--the middle class Americans. I think Jesus' message in the Beatitudes does have something to say to us, but he wasn't really talking to us. So whenever we read we should try to figure out who He's talking to and what are the issues He's addressing. We can learn a lot about a passage when we try to learn about the history and culture surrounding any given teaching.
When we hear the phrase "blessed are those who mourn," we often just move on to the next "beatitude" because unlike the other beatitudes we really can't think of why mourning would actually be a virtue to Jesus. Well, just like the rest of them, Jesus isn't saying that mourning is a virtue-that somehow you're better off in the Kingdom if you're always sad about something.
Remember when Jesus says "blessed are" you can substitute the words "good news!" So Jesus is saying, "I've got good news for you who are poor in spirit. I have good news to those of you who are mourning!" Of course, what is the Gospel if it isn't good news?
Jesus comes proclaiming good news to those who mourn. In Jesus' day and age we can be certain that this was the majority of your average, everyday people. In fact, when we look over the course of history in most societies, pain, suffering and mourning are the rule rather than the exception. We tend to forget this (or intentionally forget this) because mourning is the exception in our American society today.
People in most societies throughout history have lived in close relationship with death. Infant mortality rates were high life expectancy was low. Disease and war were rampant and grotesque. We have been "blessed" (for lack of a better word) in our society that suffering and death is very seldom a part of life. When we do face death, it tends to be hidden or sanitized. We've used our technology to distance ourselves from suffering.
But it's not just our society today that's done this. Anywhere at any time, if people could do the same thing, the would. There were rich people in Jesus' day that could, to some degree, separate themselves from pain and suffering as well. But there are always those who cannot get away from suffering, pain and mourning. To those people, Jesus says, "Good news! The Kingdom comforts people like you."
The question we have to ask then is "how?" How does the Kingdom comfort mourning people? My temptation is to answer that question by talking about heaven. Sure there is pain and suffering here on earth, but if you just keep your faith, when you die you'll have the rewards of heaven. I believe that's true and it should be a consolation to all of us who suffer here. But I also see a couple of problems with dismissing the question in such a trite way.
The first problem is the struggle we have with the idea of fairness. Sure, heaven is a reward for people who suffer here on earth. But there are some people here on earth who suffer very little in comparison to others and yet, they too get to go to heaven. Where is the equity in that? If you can go to heaven without all the suffering, why does anyone need to suffer? So while there is consolation in the hope of heaven, its not necessarily the answer to the question of how the Kingdom comforts those who mourn.
The second problem with jumping right to heaven is that Jesus taught the Kingdom is not just "out there" but He taught that the Kingdom is "HERE." How is the Kingdom a present comfort to those who mourn now? I think the answer comes when we think about the idea of "blessing."
How often do we pray and thank God for the many blessings He has given us? If you're like most Christians probably at every meal and when your church takes the offering on Sunday morning. Actually, we often stop to thank God for the way He has "blessed" us. But if that's all we think about blessing, we don't have a Biblical view of blessing.
In the Bible (Old and New Testament) we find that blessings are not just for us to enjoy. Take the blessing God promised to Abraham for instance. God promised to make Abraham a "great nation" -- his descendants would be like the sands on the beach. Of course, this would have made Abraham a happy guy. But what was the real reason for Abraham's blessing? Was it for him to enjoy? Genesis 18:18 says this: "Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and all nations on earth will be blessed through him."
So you see the blessing Abraham received had a purpose that was greater than just Abraham's enjoyment. He was blessed to bless others. Over time, Israel forgot this purpose as we're all prone to do. Not only this, but it's usually the blessing itself (i.e. money, leisure, good health, etc.) that keeps us from being the blessing to others.
The point I'm making here is that the Kingdom of Heaven is good news to those who mourn because God blesses people in order to bless others. Kingdom people with good health, are healthy in order to bless the sick. Kingdom people with wealth are wealthy in order to bless those who are poor. Kingdom people who are happy are happy in order to bless those who mourn. In the Kingdom, it's about the relationship.
Too often, instead of using our wealth to care for those who are poor or those who mourn, we use it to avoid pain. We think we are blessed in order keep ourselves from pain or at least inconvenience. But any glance at the teachings of Jesus should tell us that Kingdom living requires that we enter into the suffering of others. (e.g. Matthew 25) We are blessed to be a blessing to those who may not be. I'll get more into Matthew 5:13-16 in a later post, but read these verses now with a mind toward the beatitudes. Why do you think Jesus talks about our status as salt and light right after the beatitudes?
Are the beatitudes true because of you? Are you working toward fulfilling Kingdom purposes in the world? Do you use the time when you're not mourning loss to identify with and bless those who are mourning? How are you using your wealth to insulate yourself from the suffering of others? How can you change this?
Labels: beatitudes, Bible, Jesus, matthew 5, mourning, sermon on the mount, wealth
posted by Kory at
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