Blessed are those who mourn

I see the blessings or “beatitudes” as the essence of the rest of the sermon on the mount. I think they contain the core of everything Jesus meant to teach that day. 

The first three blessings are for when we are in darkness. The second one of these is for those whose relationships are in chaos.

Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.


Blessed are those who have broken and damaged relationships - failed at friendships, had people close to them die, can't communicate. constantly fight, walk-out, split-up, been abandoned.

Blessed was Paul the Apostle when he walked away from his religious community to join one where he was branded as a murderer - likely rejected by everyone.

Blessed was Peter the Apostle when the man he put his faith in died on the cross and left him alone.

Blessed was David when he had a good man put to death so he could take his wife. 

Blessed was Jonah when he jumped into the sea, preferring death to doing what God asked,

Blessed was Israel, when the destroyer came and killed the first born, and they left Egypt.

Blessed was Job when Satan killed his family.

Blessed was Noah when almost everyone one he knew, his culture, his world, was destroyed in the flood.

Blessed were Adam and Eve when they experienced spiritual death and hid from God, not wanting to be seen by him.

Blessed was creation, when God pulled it apart, creating a void between the waters.

Blessed was Jesus as a baby, when the government wanted him dead, and killed all the babies his age in hopes one of them would be him.

Finally, blessed am I when filled with sadness and loss over losing one of my sons, when I have failed as a husband and dad, when I have not been a good friend.

Blessed are all of us - not because of the separation and loss, not because of whom we've destroyed, not because of what others have done to us - but in spite of it, in the midst of it.

God doesn't seem to stop the darkness, but rather comes to be with us in it, to experience it as well, to give us comfort. Others come to help us walk through it, and in a small way get the chance to become like God. 

The only way I make sense of it: He uses it to develop us into something much more than we could possibly be beforehand - not only for our own good, but for the good of all. I don't claim to understand this very well, and I think I'll spend the rest of my life here wrestling with it.

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Tuesdays | God is building a people – My relationships are broken

- Your kingdom come

- Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted

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