God's Stamp of Approval: Those who mourn...

"Blessed are those who mourn. For they shall be comforted." In honor of those who lost their lives and were personally affected by the 9/11 attacks ten years ago. 

"Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted."--Matthew 5:4.  This is the second of the nine beatitudes we find in the opening verses of Matthew 5.  Again, the word blessed in this context means that this person is approved by God or a recipient of divine favor.  But here we find that it is those who mourn who have God's stamp of approval.  

Those who mourn.  When I looked up the definition of the Greek word used here, I found that the word mourn means to experience sadness as a result of some condition or circumstance.  More specifically, in Matthew 5:4 it means to mourn over the power of the wicked.  

Those who mourn.  The very nature of this verse shows it to be more of a somber nature.  So with that being said, when is the last time we looked at the world and mourned about the wickedness we see around us?  As we come up on the tenth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, we are remembering a day in which our nation was touched by the wickedness of Osama Bin Laden.  This was a day of mourning indeed.  But this was also a day in which American people comforted each other as many of us clung to those we loved as we watched these events unfold.  The images below should be familiar images of when our country was touched by wickedness on September 11th, 2001.  From left to right: The Twin Tower attacks, The Pentagon attacks and the crash site in Pennsylvania of United flight 93.   

       

Those who mourn.  The above examples are ways that our nation has been touched by wickedness.  But take a moment to reflect on how wickedness or sin has touched your life.  I am not talking about your personal sin or sins.  I am referring to how the sins of others have impacted your life.  I have yet to meet a Christian who has not been personally affected by someone else's sin.  Many times said sin is occurring within that individual's family.  I too am one of those Christians that has both witnessed and suffered the effects of the sins of people within my own family.  

Those who mourn.  This is what we are talking about.  If we are mourning over the sin and wickedness we see around us, based on Matthew 5:4, we have God's stamp of approval.  I believe God expects us to mourn over the wickedness in this world simply because He too feels the same way that His creation is engaged in sinful and wicked behavior.  He mourns with us when we are personally affected by the sins of others. 

Those who mourn.  But something else we must realize is that there is hope.  Matthew 5:4 also says that those who mourn will be comforted.  We can take encouragement in the fact that the wickedness we see around us will come to an end.  This comfort will not only come in the end but I can personally attest to the fact that we can find comfort here and now.  It has now been nine years since I first really knew what it felt like to have someone else's sin affect me.  That is obviously in the past but I bring it up because when this happened, I found comfort from my family who were members of the family of God.  Since then, I have realized that when someone else's sin has dealt me a blow personally, I can go to my brethren in Christ and find comfort and encouragement.  

So my encouragement to you is this.  If you have been personally affected by the sin of someone else, take comfort in the fact that a day is coming where that will no longer happen.  If it is something you can rectify, I encourage you to make it right because that person may not even know they have sinned against you.  Also take comfort in the fact that your brethren in Christ are there to help and support you when these things happen.  

In conclusion, I leave you with one final thought.  We can take comfort in knowing that we can overcome the power of sin through Jesus Christ. Why? Because if any one person felt the full effect of someone else's sin, it was Christ.  It is difficult for me to wrap my mind around the fact that Jesus felt the burden of the sins of all the terrorists, murderers, liars, gossipers, etc. etc. and all he asks in response is for us to respond to the gospel message, remain faithful to Him and follow His commands.  Take encouragement in the fact that although you might be mourning now, you will soon be comforted.  So if you know of someone that has been affected by sin in some way, go to them and do what you can to give them the comfort they need.  Finally, as we approach the tenth anniversary of the September 11th attacks, also take some time to pray for those directly affected by these attacks. Maybe you happen to know someone who was directly affected by these attacks, take some time to contact that person or those people personally and offer some words of comfort and encouragement.  Also, as you watch this video from Alan Jackson's performance of Where Were You When The World Stopped Turning? reflect on where you were on this day and remind yourself of Matthew 5:4 which says "Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted."

DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! PRAY ABOUT IT! LOVE Y'ALL! GOD BLESS!