What does it mean that blessed are those who mourn (Matthew 5:4)?

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

Matthew 5:4 is part of a list of “beatitudes” (Matthew 5:3–12). The word “beatitude” is from the Latin word beatus, meaning “blessed” or “happy.” In these beatitudes, Jesus describes how happy the one who belongs to God’s kingdom truly is, even when their life does not appear blessed by the world’s standards. Each beatitude begins with a character trait and ends with a corresponding blessing. In this instance, Jesus said that those who mourn are blessed with comfort. Mourning is not often considered a desirable condition, but a kingdom-citizen sees the sin in this world, including the result of the sin in a broken world, and mourns over it. The world is a painful place, so everyone feels pain at some point. However, what marks a kingdom-citizen or Christ follower is that they see sin as God sees it, so even during times of joy, they see and feel God’s sorrow over sin. For the kingdom-citizen, mourning is not the end of the story. It is the evidence of a heart aligned with God and longing for His kingdom to come. One day, every tear will give way to joy when Jesus makes all things right forever (Revelation 20:11–15; Revelation 21:1–4). Until then, we mourn with hope, trusting in the promise that sorrow will not have the final word—Jesus will.

FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

• The beatitudes describe the way God’s people are to be because they live for Him. In this example, God mourns over both sin and its effects. After creation (Genesis 1–2) and Adam and Eve’s sin (Genesis 3), the world became full of evil. We read, “the LORD regretted that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart” (Genesis 6:6). Evil and its effects cause God to mourn.
• In turn, God’s people should also mourn. After David sinned with Bathsheba (2 Samuel 11), he wrote Psalm 51. In it, he expressed his sorrow over his sin. Elsewhere, he expressed mourning not for sin but for the general sense of distance from God. He said, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning? O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer, and by night, but I find no rest” (Psalm 22:1–2). In both cases, David was showing that mourning among God’s people reflects how God feels about this world and its sin.
• God promises that His people’s mourning will be turned into joy. The Servant, later known as Jesus, said, “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me … he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn; to grant to those who mourn in Zion—to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning …” (Isaiah 61:1–3).

FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

• Matthew 5:4 reads, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” It is located within a portion of the Sermon on the Mount known as the “beatitudes” (Matthew 5:3–12), a list of characteristics that identify God’s people, citizens of God’s kingdom. Jesus promised that those who mourn now will be blessed with comfort in the future. We, as believers, should mourn sin and its effects on the world, such as death and destruction. We mourn because we understand that this was not how God created the world. We mourn because we know that this world grieves God.
• Jesus promised that though we mourn, believers do so with the hope that one day God will make all things right. Jesus will return to judge the world (Revelation 19:11–21) and rule on the earth (Revelation 20:1–5). After that, God will remove all sin and sinners from this world (Revelation 20:11–15). He will then restore this world to how He designed it to be (Revelation 21:1–3). “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away” (Revelation 21:4).
• Paul commented on this future hope, saying, “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God” (Romans 8:18–21). The pain of this broken world is real, but for those in Christ, glory is coming and it will outweigh it all.

IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAY

From the moment Adam and Eve rebelled, humanity was cursed (Genesis 3:16–19), and all of creation was subjected to futility (Romans 8:20). This is why there is pain and death in this world. Sometimes the pain is “natural,” such as old age. At other times, it comes unexpectedly—a car accident, an earthquake, a robbery. Each of these forms of pain, both natural and unnatural, is caused by sin.

As citizens of heaven, believers understand the source of this world’s pain and misery: we rebelled and continue to rebel against God. Therefore, we mourn. Not only for our pain and misery but we mourn when we watch the news and see yet more sin. We mourn when our neighbors experience heartbreak. We mourn when the government codifies sin into law. We mourn because the world is broken and a reminder of God’s impending judgment.

But believers don’t just mourn. We read Scripture and see that a day is coming when sin will end. We have hope because one day Jesus will reverse the corrosive effects of sin. So, let us mourn, but not as those without hope (1 Thessalonians 4:13). Jesus is returning, and all will be made right!

UNDERSTAND

• Kingdom-citizens are those who see sin and its effects on the world as God sees them and mourn over the brokenness that was never part of His design.
• This mourning reflects God's own grief over sin, demonstrating that our hearts are attuned to His.
• Jesus promises that present sorrow is temporary and will be fully replaced with lasting comfort.

REFLECT

• In what specific areas of your life have you become comfortable with sin or brokenness that God actually grieves over?
• How do you respond to sin in your own life and in the world, and how does that reflect God's heart?
• How does the promise of future comfort change the way you experience present mourning?

ENGAGE

• What does God's own grief and response over sin reveal about His character?
• What does it look like to “mourn with God” over sin rather than just feel personal sadness or frustration?
• How can believers faithfully mourn brokenness in the world while still living with joy and hope in Christ’s return?