Bible Study Lesson:
Beatitudes
Matthew 5: 3-12
- “Blessed are those who mourn” is the second of 8 beatitudes mentioned in Matthew 5: 3-12, preached by Jesus, in his sermon on the mount. (Read the Introduction and first beatitude “Blessed are Poor in Spirit“.)
- The beatitude seems contradictory, at first, because the “blessedness” literally means the state of being happy or blessed! How can one be happy, when he is mourning or sad!
Who are “Those who mourn”?
- There can be variety of reasons for mourning, it can be due to
- loss of loved one or job or any other kind
- Personal sin, mistakes or failures
- mourning with those who are afflicted or suffering
- for the ‘Lost’ and for the ‘Kingdom of God to come’
- People react differently do the same event of loosing loved one or job or any other suffering.
- Some may completely ignore it. They try to escape it by replacing it with worldly pleasures.
- Some try to escape it by means of alcohol or drugs, when they cannot bear the pain, they just run away from it.
- And there are few, who turn to God for finding solace, comfort in their time of suffering and pain.
Godly Sorrow vs. Worldly Sorrow:
- It is fascinating that bible talks about two kinds of sorrow. 2 Cor 7:10:”Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.” We can understand these different sorrows from two very famous events during crucification of Jesus.
- Peter: When Peter denied Jesus three times, he “wept bitterly”. (Matthew 26:69-75). He was grieving for his failures, but this led him to repentance and towards Jesus.
- Judas: The very next passage talks about Judas. He also was “seized with remorse”, when he realized his wrongdoing. (Matthew 27:1-10), but instead of repentance, this led him to committing suicide. (literally “death” according to 2 Cor 7:10)
- So, in light of this, any sorrow or mourning which lead up to God for finding the comfort, peace and strength is the “Godly sorrow”, which Jesus is referring to. God will comfort those who turn to Him.
Comfort – Calling Near
- The Greek word for ‘comforted’ is ‘parakaleo’ which means ‘to call to the side of’, ‘to call near’. The comfort which God offers, is not just consoling or soothing, but it is much more than that. When we turn to God in our suffering, God call us to his side, He comfort us and come to our rescue.
- We often complain about God’s silence in our time of need or suffering. But this beatitude (blessedness) depicts very different picture. God is calling us near, ready to comfort us, all we need to do is to respond to Him. This idea is fully realized in the Words of Jesus in Matthew 11:28-30, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”
To summarize, this beatitude, at its core, brings the “Message of Hope” for those who mourn or are hurt. You can try to ignore it, or escape it, but you can only find true comfort and rest in Jesus.
Part 1: Blessed are the Poor in Spirit: Beatitudes Bible Study Series
Part 2: Beatitudes: Blessed are those Who Mourn
Part 3: Blessed are the Meek: Beatitudes Bible Study Series
Part 4: Blessed are those who Hunger and Thirst for Righteousness: Beatitudes Bible Study Series
Part 5: Blessed are the Merciful: Beatitudes Bible Study Series
Part 6: Blessed are the Pure in heart: Beatitudes Bible Study Series
Part 7: Blessed are the Peacemakers: Beatitudes Bible Study Series
Part 8: Beatitudes: Blessed are the Persecuted
More Bible Study Lessons:
- Blessed are the Peacemakers – Beatitudes Bible Study Series | Part 7 of 8
- Blessed are Pure in Heart – Beatitudes – Part 6 of 8
- Beatitudes: Blessed are Poor in Spirit – 8 Part Series
- Blessed are the Meek – Beatitudes Bible Study Series | Part 3 of 8
- Persecuted for Righteousness: Beatitudes Bible Study – Part 8 of 8
I’m blessed with the thought that Jesus calls us to comfort us. Sometime we can be very used to the vers “come unto me those who are weary” that we forget it is really true. Praise the Lord because in time of our sorrow, he’s there ready to comfort us.
Testimonial: I grew up in church, however I am just in the beginning stages of getting to know the Lord for myself. The lessons learned in my church since I was a little girl was “what you should not do”. I was never told about God’s incredible mercy and love, only of his wrath. To be honest this is the first I have heard of the word “beatitude”….I had to look the word up in webster to know what it meant. “a state of utmost bliss”….I love the sound of that. Being content with what GOD has given me I must admit has been a struggle for me. Even though I struggle with this, GOD is constantly blessing me. I am excited about finding this website and reading more about God’s love for his people.
Let me give a short course on the Beatitudes … the first four are all about the Salvation Story and how we grow in the Lord Spiritually. They convey WHAT WE MUST DO to become bless-ed in the sigh of the Lord;
Poor in Spirit: Is about sin recognition, feeling spiritually bankrupt, having nothing to offer to the Lord, knowing we can’t help ourselves. Accepting the fact that the Lord is the only one who can get us out of our miserable predicament. This is salvation by faith…”for theirs is the Kingdom”.
Mourn: Not about mourning over worldly things. Is about How We Feel about our sin, feeling terrible about being a Spiritual Skunk (e.g Peter), seeking the Lord and being ready to change. “.. For they shall be Comforted” is the assurance of knowing the Lord forgives those with a contrite heart and are ready to repent… try again.
Meek: Means only one thing. Being ready to abandon our selfish controlling ways that don’t/didn’t work, i.e. give ourselves to the Lord. It is about being willing to hand our lives over to the Lord, to be made into a new creation. Commit to Do It His Way.
Hungry: Means to develop a hunger for God’s word, to live our lives according to it, to have Him reveal more and more of His kingdom to us, give us the understanding and discernment to be able to join the Great Commission (the last 4 Beatitudes).
How obvious it is.. the Beatitudes specify the “heart condition” we must develop to attain a spiritual state of “blessedness”, that results in the spiritual “reward”. Happiness is entirely optional.
I’ve enjoyed this study so far. However, a word of caution to anyone following up on the additional sources. The Sermon on the Mount: The Key to Success in Life by Emmet Fox is a real danger to anyone new in faith. It is NOT biblically sound. Interesting, but not true.