The Blessed (2) – Blessed Are Those Who Mourn (Matthew 5:1-12)
Pastor Tan Thai · Jun 1, 2011
This sermon explores the meaning of the second Beatitude: 'Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.' The pastor distinguishes between general human grief and the specific mourning over one's own sin that Christ commends. Those who repent and weep over their sin will be drawn near by God and comforted, with the ultimate promise of a new heaven and new earth where all tears are wiped away.
The sermon opens with the universal observation that all people weep at some point in life, from the first cry at birth to tears of loss, suffering, or joy. The pastor references many biblical figures who wept: Abraham mourning Sarah's death, Joseph weeping at his reunion with family, the prophet Jeremiah weeping over the people's sin, and David's anguished cry for his son Absalom. Even Jesus Christ wept on two recorded occasions in the New Testament — at the tomb of Lazarus and as He approached Jerusalem.
The pastor analyzes four common types of mourning in human experience: weeping over things desired but not obtained or lost; weeping over suffering in one's own life and the lives of loved ones; weeping over the evil witnessed daily in society; and weeping over one's own sin. Through concrete examples such as human trafficking, natural disasters, war, and family tragedies, the sermon demonstrates that tears are a window into the soul, revealing what a person truly values.
The heart of the sermon focuses on the fourth type of mourning: grief over one's own sin. The pastor cites Peter's bitter weeping after denying Christ, the Israelites' tearful repentance following Ezra's prayer of confession, and James 4:8-10, which calls sinners to mourn, weep, and humble themselves before the Lord. This is the mourning that Jesus commends in the Beatitudes, and those who mourn in this way will be comforted by God.
The sermon also highlights the spiritual benefits of mourning over sin. Such mourning produces spiritual maturity, cultivates empathy for others, and leads a person to place complete trust in God when all human resources are exhausted. Psalm 56:8 shows that God treasures every tear of His people, and Psalm 126:5-6 promises that those who sow in tears will reap in joy.
The sermon concludes with the ultimate promise of Revelation 21:3-4 — the new heaven and new earth where God will wipe away every tear, and death, mourning, crying, and pain will be no more. This is the certain hope for all who have repented with tears and trusted in Jesus Christ as Savior.