Blessed are those who mourn...

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

Some of the questions I think of when I read this verse are:

• Why would someone who mourns be blessed?
• What kind of mourning is the author talking about?
• Where does this verse fit with those around it?

Lets take a closer look at this verse, it's context and it potential meanings to see if we can figure out how it best applies to us today. 

Digging Deeper

When I was younger I never understood what the big deal was about people who mourn and why they would be blessed. People mourn for all kinds of reasons and I couldn't figure out why that would warrant a blessing from God. 

After reading this verse and looking that the verses around it and the context of the whole book of Matthew, as well as reading some writings of other Godly authors I've come to the conclusion that this verse likely is talking about those who are mourning for spiritual reasons. 

We don't see this as much today, but in Bible times people would get upset about their own sins or the sins of others or even the sins of a nation as a whole. They would mourn the condition of these people in much the same way they would mourn other bad things happening to them. 

I think this verse is meant to tell us that God will bless those of us who see the spiritual condition of those around us (or even groups of people) and feel so sad that we mourn for them. He wants us to care deeply for those around us...so deeply that we feel genuine sadness when we see our friends and neighbors making bad decisions. In return He will give us relief from our mourning by helping us feel comforted. 

What Does This Mean For Me?

It's easy to get into the groove of life, get doing our own thing and not really care about people around us. Jesus calls us to love the people around us, and in this verse tells us that those of us who care enough about people around us to mourn for them, will receive a blessing straight from God. There is no better comfort that comfort from heaven!