Blessed are
those who Weep Mathew 5:4
“Blessed (or
happy) are those who mourn (or weep), for they shall be comforted.”
These words
would have brought to the minds of the people on the hillside the promises of
God found in:
Psalm 30:11-12
“You have turned for me my mourning into
dancing; you have loosed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness, that my
glory may sing your praise and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks
to you forever!
Psalm 126:5-6
Those
who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy! He who goes out weeping, bearing
the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, bringing his sheaves
with him.
Jer 31:10-14
Then
shall the young women rejoice in the dance,
and the young men and the old shall be merry. I will turn their mourning
into joy; I will comfort them, and give them gladness for sorrow. I will feast
the soul of the priests with abundance, and my people shall be satisfied with
my goodness, declares the Lord.”
Jesus came
to give hope to those who weep because in Him death is not final, nor fatal.
“The valley of the shadow of death” Psalm 23.
Through
Jesus death has become a shadow a door, even a door of promise and life not
destruction. Paul wrote to the people in:
1 Thess 4:13-18.
But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about
those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For
since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God
will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. For this we declare to you by
a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of
the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself
will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel,
and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise
first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with
them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with
the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words.
While those
without Jesus mourn for their end judgement, we rejoice for heaven is our great
reward.
1cor 15:50-57
I tell you this, brothers: flesh and
blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the
imperishable. Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we
shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last
trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable,
and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable,
and this mortal body must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the
imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the
saying that is written: “Death is
swallowed up in victory.” “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is
your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But
thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
In John
14:1-4 “Let not your hearts be troubled.
Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it
were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if
I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to
myself, that where I am you may be also. And you know the way to where I am
going.”
Rev 20:11-15
Then I saw a great white throne and him
who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place
was found for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the
throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book
of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according
to what they had done. And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and
Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of
them, according to what they had done. Then Death and Hades were thrown into
the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s
name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of
fire.
Jesus was
telling the people on the hillside that instead of judgement they will receive comfort.
They have no part in this second death for their name is written in the book of
life. This is the same promise Jesus gives to you.
Rev 21:1-8 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth,
for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no
more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from
God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from
the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will
dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them
as their God. 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.” And he who was seated on the throne said,
“Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these
words are trustworthy and true.” And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha
and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the
spring of the water of life without payment. The one who conquers will have
this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son. But as for the
cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually
immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake
that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”
Have you claimed
this gift of God? Have you repented and ask Jesus for the forgiveness that
turns your mourning into dancing? Are you sure your name is written in His Book
of Life? A simple prayer “Jesus forgive
me a sinner, give me a new life today, I promise to follow you with all my
heart, all my mind and all my strength”.
“Blessed are
those who mourn for they shall be comforted.”
