Comfort

In this sermon by Jonny Gumbel, Jonny talks about the second of the beatitudes - "blessed are those who mourn".

The following notes were taken by the Bible Reflections team. Please do leave comments below. 

"A deep sense of satisfaction that transcends our emotions." 

Blessed are those who mourn for they will be comforted - how can it be blessing to mourn? 

In this world there will always be reasons why we mourn:

For what we lack  - relationships and opportunities.

For what we have lost - in 2 Kings they have lost a son.

Because we are let down - they were given a son and then the son died.

Mourning is the right and proper response to suffering in our own lives and in the world.

Blessed are those who mourn - We are called to be the kind of people who are effected by things - when we mourn we show we love people, we show that we care.  Jesus wept over the death of Lazarus because he loved his friend. Jesus wept over Jerusalem because he loved that city.

Someone once said that "tears mature people - they make people more human".

We are called to be people who are upset by things. We should be concerned if we are not upset by the things that we see and hear that are not right in the world.

Mourning is a blessing because it is a means by which we experience God's comfort.

Jesus immediately rushes to comfort us with his presence - we are not alone.

When Elisha lies on top of the dead boy, Elisha makes the boy's condition his condition. And Jesus takes on our pain, everything that goes on in our lives and all that upsets us, Jesus takes on himself.

Elisha gives the lady a promise "about this time next year, God will give you a son" - Jesus comforts us with his promises which are seen in His word.

Elisha comforts the women not just by saying it will be ok, Elisha transforms the situation by raising her son by the power of God from the dead - Jesus comforts us with his power, and that is where the resurrection of Jesus is such a source of comfort.  Jesus can restore the worst situations in the world into the best situations.

We mourn because it is the right response, but additionally because it is when we mourn that we experience the presence, the promises and the power of God.

We are comforted so that we can be a comfort to others.