True Comfort

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” As with “Blessed are the poor in spirit,” Jesus' audience would have related easily to his promise. Grief was even more common then than now although no more difficult. Life expectancy was much shorter then, well before modern medicine and highly trained doctors, as well as long ahead of the science of pharmacology. I cannot quite imagine their reaction. Of course, the need was great, but I suspect their skepticism would be just as great.  Perhaps yours is, too.

What would the nature of the comfort Jesus promised? We would prefer the comfort of death never occurring again, of a restoration of the life in the Garden of Eden before sin and death came as a result of Eve's and Adam's disobedience. And, indeed, that is the ultimate and final nature of Jesus' promise; just read Revelation, and this from Romans 5:17: “For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man (Adam), how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ!” Jesus promised more that a “There, there, everything will be alright.” Words mean so little to the grieving. Jesus encompassed in his word the end of death and the reign of eternal life, the reunion of lost loved ones, and the end of the cause of it all, sin! Few if any of those listening knew or even imagined that Jesus would pay a dear price, the dearest of all; he would die cruelly on a Roman cross, entirely innocent yet executed not for his own sin but for the sins of the whole world. Paul referred to that just before the words above in Romans 5:15: “But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many!”

What comfort do we have without this? A loved one dies and is gone forever; nothing but a memory remains, and sometimes even that is a burden. Jesus came to provide a remedy, a promised reunion for those who have put their trust in him. This is more than a restoration or extension of life as we know it on earth. You most likely have heard “born again” which is a second, spiritual birth that instantly begins a person's unending life. The words aren't a gimmick. More to the point, they do not promise eternal life after death but the instant beginning of a new kind of life, life that Jesus called “life more abundant.”  We call this “spiritual life” because we still live with a corrupted body in a fallen world; nevertheless, a new kind of life begins with both a new sense of purpose and a new sense of reality. Together God gives us the comfort of sin forgiven, death ended, new abundant life given, and ultimately all the pain and sorrow of earth erased with loved ones restored. Now that is comfort!

Above I referred to Revelation. Here is the relevant promise: “‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” - Revelation 21:4 (Isaiah 25:8).  My Mom died last year at 89; my Dad died when I was 19 and a college sophomore. In the intervening 50 years, many I've know and loved—4 grandparents, 3 great grandparents, aunts and uncles and several cousins, more distant relatives, friends, former classmates, children, and stillborn infants. Some died after long illnesses, and it was something of a blessing. Others died suddenly, and the shock was part of the grief. Tragic accidents are hard; suicides are harder while something like a drug overdose is harder to bear for some than others. I've been blessed never to lose someone to murder, but I have known those who have. I also have great sympathy for those who have a child, spouse, parent, friend, or fellow soldier die in combat or military service. The reality is that Jesus' promise is for every one of us, for we all grieve, and we all benefit from Jesus' promise and provision for permanent and endless comfort. I pray you will trust his words, he who is the faithful one who said, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.”

Extraordinary!

Christians seem to have a skeptical view of the Sermon on the Mount. I remember being told that those three chapters were “kingdom teaching,” and therefor not relevant for today. The problem with that view rests on one's view of Scripture; in my opinion, it's all God-breathed, inspired that is, and all is relevant to believers. Now the kind of relevance may vary depending on the nature of the part you study. Is it poetry like the Psalms or wisdom literature like Proverbs? Some is ancient history as early as creation or the beginnings of the nation of Israel; some are “Old Covenant” and others are “New Covenant.” Some place the words of Jesus in red letters as if to emphasize their relevance, but if the prophets and apostles are gifted by God in their calling, then their words would also be quite relevant.

If you've been taught anything about understanding the Bible, you know that context is also extremely important. The context of the Sermon on the Mount is an audience attracted to rumors regarding a new preacher. Unlike today, everyone was local and would have walked to hear him; many of them would have been poor because few were rich, and the rich had less interest as those comfortable in their own circumstances. Jesus, on the other hand, was basically introducing himself, being unknown, perhaps wrongly known through rumors, and ready to set the tone for his earthly ministry.

Now, consider the first of what we call “The Beatitudes:” “Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Wow! I can only imagine the stunned silence that followed such an amazing promise. Isn't the kingdom of heaven for the religious stars, what many people call saints? I suspect few of the really poor folks listening to him asked if he meant them. The “dirt poor” people living at the very bottom of the community, those who were in such dire straits their spirits were broken even more than their backs, no longer even dreaming of even a little glimmer of prosperity, were beyond hope. I can imagine the light coming on in their eyes as they began to understand what he said. They, the least of all, he had promised that the kingdom of heaven would be theirs!

However, his target audience was even bigger and rather less obvious. With more in mind than mere physical poverty, he was talking to the spiritually poor. Many imagine they can earn their way into heaven. The very idea is preposterous! What spiritual coin can the unworthy offer to “buy” their way into heaven? Sinners have insufficient merit to satisfy God, who is perfectly good, the very definition of goodness. Yet here is Jesus' extraordinary promise. Such people who know in their hearts they are bereft of anything God might desire may possess the most impossible of estates, the very kingdom of heaven! So much hope would blossom as people in wonder dare to ask, “How could this be?”

I suspect interpreters may have begun to push the Sermon on the Mount into a distant and heavenly future simply because they could not imagine it being possible in the present. Sin infects all of us, and perfection is impossible for anyone except Christ himself. Of course, the Beatitudes do anticipate a future fulfillment, but the promise is for now. For all who recognize their own complete unworthiness, for incorrigible sinners like you and me, he promises what we don't have and don't deserve. He doesn't say, “Here it is,” as if heaven will be occupied by the least desirable.” He says rather, “Here I am,” for of course they want to know: How is this possible?

Recently I saw a video clip from “The Princess Diaries 2,” I think. In it, the Princess-in-training was riding in a car with the Queen in a parade. She saw 2 boys picking on a sad little orphan girl, stopped and got out of the car, and after finding out they were a group of orphans, bought tiaras for all of them, and made them princesses for the day. Even the most doubtful finally caught on and began to smile and wave like a princess. That's what Jesus does for us, just not make believe, nor for only a day, but for real and forever!

I'm not convinced that the Beatitudes are meant as a prescription for holy living or as a roadmap for how to please God. Rather these blessings are an encouragement to those already dealing with life, both struggling and rising above the struggles. They are a wonderful introduction to kingdom teaching with its warnings, advance ethical standards, and regal lifestyle, as we believers and disciples learn to live like princes and princesses by right, anticipating the heavenly kingdom in fact. The promises for now are magnificent and the possibilities for growth are challenging but not to be ignored.