Episode 3
Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
-Matthew 5:4
I don’t think that I have ever been envious of those that are mourning. I see them and I might feel empathy. Possibly I will feel sorry for them or concern as to what they will do next with their lives, but never envy. I really don’t want to be them. Yet they are blessed by Jesus.
Our world gives us plenty to mourn over. The plague rocking our world. Politics out of control. Wars and protests that never seem to end. It can be easy to become overwhelmed with grief over the state of the world. Some churches with good intentions and a great deal of twisted Scripture encourage people to not worry. They say God will handle the situation. That is true. But in the meantime we feel pain. They say that we are to never speak of our sorrow. We are taught by these false teachers that if we speak it, we will experience it.
However, Jesus gives us the license to mourn. We can cry out to the Father and let Him know that we hurt. I have walked with Jesus for almost three decades now and to my amazement I have discovered that He is big enough to handle my anger, my sorrow and my confusion. He does not slam me to the ground when I get frustrated or when I have doubts. He simply tells me to mourn and that he will comfort me.
I meet many in the church, in nearly every denomination that have been corrupted by the prosperity Gospel. They are told to declare healing, declare prosperity and it will be so. If you admit to sickness they put you down or insult you and explain that you are calling down these situations on yourself. The result is that many are sick and not bringing their pain to the elders to be prayed for. Others are denying their illness or injury. They lie and hide their pain. A false faith arises because they are condemned for their feelings of pain and abandonment.
Yes, my friends God is capable of healing all of our diseases and He is capable of restoring what the enemy has stolen. But each of us must start by being honest and submitting to the sovereignty of God. Trust in Him. Trust in Him enough to tell Him how you feel. Share the pain, the agony. Mourn with Him over the loss of a relationship, over the loss of a job or a home or a dream. Walking with Him, He might explain it to you, He might not. But walking with Him will bring you comfort and draw you closer to Jesus than ever before.
If mourning draws us closer to Jesus. If feeling loss means that He is putting His arm around me (Jesus does not concern Himself with social distancing.) than maybe I should be envious of those that allow themselves the freedom to tell the truth. “I am hurting. I am wounded. My life is not what I imagined.” We are to openly mourn and grief and then we can get closer to Him. How blessed are those who mourn.
