Those Who Mourn

3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Life is not always easy. Re­gard­less of how much money we have or how successful we appear to be, each of us has to struggle against the curse of sin, which has poisoned every inch of God’s good creation.

In your life, you may find yourself trying to overcome destructive habits, only to fall right back into your old patterns. You might experience the pain of losing a friend or a family member who dies at a young age. Or maybe as you look at the daily news, you feel overwhelmed by the suffering of people around the world.

These things are uncomfortable to admit, and it’s tempting to use work, or hobbies, or socializing to distract ourselves from life’s many problems.

But Jesus challenges us to confront sin head on, and to let ourselves grieve all of the destruction it has caused. When we understand the depth of our need, and we understand that neither politics nor technology, business, or therapy will fully heal this broken world, comfort is available. Griev­ing the world’s sin and brokenness leads us to turn to God as our only comfort, trusting in his power to put things back together, since we cannot do that ourselves.

Father, help me to confront the hard realities of life in this troubled world, that I may understand the need for your grace and know the comfort of your promise to make all things new. In Jesus, Amen.