Blessed Are Those Who Mourn

Matthew 5:4

Summary
Jesus declares, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” Christian mourning is not hopeless misery, nor is it opposed to genuine joy. It is the sorrow of those who see the seriousness of their own sin, grieve the brokenness of the world, and long for God’s kingdom to come in its fullness. Rather than hiding our pain or settling for shallow comfort, Jesus invites us to bring our grief to him. Those who mourn in faith will be comforted by Christ through the Holy Spirit, and they look forward to the day when God will wipe away every tear.

1. Discussion Questions
   Why can mourning seem incompatible with the Christian life?
2. How can Christians experience genuine joy and genuine sorrow at the same time?
3. What do Jesus’ tears at Lazarus’s grave and his grief over Jerusalem teach us about mourning?
4. What is the difference between confessing sin and feeling genuine contrition over sin?
5. Why are we often tempted to minimize, excuse, or quickly move past our sin?
6. How does godly grief lead to repentance, while worldly grief leads to despair or death?
7. What brokenness in the church, our community, or the wider world should cause Christians to mourn?
8. How does contemplating the glory of the coming kingdom deepen our sorrow over the world as it presently is?
9. What are some false comforts people use to avoid grief, conviction, or repentance?
10. What would it look like to bring our sorrow to Christ rather than pretending nothing is wrong or being swallowed up by it?
11. Where do you presently need the comfort of Christ and the Holy Spirit?
12. How does the promise that God will one day wipe away every tear give us hope without minimizing our present pain?
13. What is one specific sin, loss, or area of brokenness that God may be calling you to grieve and surrender to him this week?

Quotes
“Do not speak peace about a sin until God speaks it. If God makes the heart uneasy about the guilt of its sickness, as to its root or indwelling, or its particular outbursts, be careful not to tell yourself to have peace about it before God tells you to have peace.” –John Owen, Mortification of Sin, p.88

“When men are wounded, disturbed, and bewildered by sin, and they know that there is no remedy apart from the mercy of God through the blood of Christ, they look to him.” – John Owen, Mortification of Sin, p.90