As we come to the reading of God's word this evening, let me invite you to take your scriptures and open up to the gospel of Matthew. Our scripture reading we found in the gospel of Matthew chapter five, starting in verses one, all the way down through verse four. You can find our text this morning in your pew Bible on page 809. Hear the word of the Lord. Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him. And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying, blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. The grass withers and the flower falls, but the Lord of our God endures forever. to the praise of His glorious grace. Let us pray one more time. Speak, O Lord. Your servants are listening. Make up for our lack and give us everything that we need in this hour. In Christ's name, amen. When is the last time that you have had a good cry? Are you familiar with that term, a good cry? You know, I am comfortable enough with my masculinity to say that I have emotions. I sometimes feel very big feelings, and I'm not ashamed to say that I cry. You know, a good cry can be therapeutic. It's a cry that, even though you're crying, it makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside, and it touches a deep part of you. You know, when you're at a wedding and you start to hear sniffling in the crowd, it's not because people are upset at what's occurring, or at least we hope not, but rather that people are crying because they're starting to be touched by what's happening all around them. It is the cry of dissatisfaction that we feel when what's supposed to be finally is, and we feel the joy in our hearts. When we were moving up here in September from South Carolina, I gave my wife one of the best gifts that one can give a mom, silence. And for our 13 to 14 hour drive, we had two cars and I gave her the car with no kids. And I said, have at it. And so us four survived that 13, 14 hour drive in the other car with a very stout defense of successive waves of Chick-fil-A and Buc-ee's. And when we finally stopped in Indianapolis at the end of our first day of driving, I asked Carrie about her drive and how it went. How did she enjoy her silence? And apparently she spent the whole day listening to an audio book that made her cry. That was a little dumbfounded. That's how you wanna use your time, but I guess if that's how she wants to use it, she really enjoyed her car trip. So when's the last time that you've had a good cry? And I also think that based upon the size of this room this evening, I think it's safe to say that many of us have probably cried recently, but it probably hasn't been the good kind. No, for many of us, tears have been a frequent and unwelcome friend. I bet that if you think back to what would be some of the worst days of your life, they probably involved tears, a hospital visit, a meeting in a boss's office, a goodbye, a silent phone at Christmas, an empty chair at a table, a funeral. And in these moments, these times that overwhelm our ability to cope and to think and feel, there's little to do but just cry. In scripture, I do we think we find comfort in the fact that Jesus knows exactly what those experiences are like. For he is described in the prophets as the man of sorrows, acquainted with grief. And in our passage this evening in Matthew's gospel, Jesus takes his finger and he puts it on the most raw and the most painful moments in our lives. And he asks us to consider for a moment what if Underneath all of the pain and the tears and the grief, what if there's actually something good? This evening we are continuing our sermon series in the Sermon on the Mount. And we are now officially knee deep in a smaller section of the Sermon on the Mount called the Beatitudes, or these statements of blessing. And I bet that in our one verse, that Jesus pens a statement that none of us want to hear, but all of us need to hear. As Jesus ascends the mountain, and as he begins to teach his disciples, one of the first things that he says is a statement of blessing. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. I said earlier that I do not mind crying, but if you're anything like me, I do want to avoid mourning. I don't wanna be sad. I don't wanna have circumstances in my life that cause me grief. But if you and I are to understand what God is saying to us this evening in his word, then you and I need to answer a very important question. Why would Jesus say that there is blessing in mourning? That's our task for us ahead this evening. And to help us navigate some difficult waters ahead, I think that our text can be summarized in two main points. I have two main points for us this evening. First, we're gonna consider the blessed of mourning, the blessing of mourning. And second, we're gonna consider fatherly comfort. So our first point this evening is the blessing of mourning. In our sermon two weeks ago, when we started off the sermon series on the Sermon on the Mount, I devoted a good portion of that sermon just introducing the Sermon on the Mount in whole. But I have yet to introduce this smaller section we find at the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount called the Beatitudes. And just for a few moments to explain this section, the name Beatitudes, as you probably have heard it before, just comes from the Latin word for blessed. And the Sermon on the Mount begins with these statements of blessing. Now remember, one of the main purposes of the Sermon on the Mount is to teach God's people about the kingdom of God. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus is coming to answer questions, having preached to everyone all around about this kingdom that's coming, and now he's come to answer questions such as, what is the kingdom of heaven like? And then if I'm going to be a disciple of this kingdom, I'm going to be a citizen, what is Jesus calling me to do? And so it's important for us to remember that we can't take this text, blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. We can't take this text as if Jesus is just taking a moment to talk about different Proverbs, or that he's trying to pick up a side gig of writing fortune cookies. No, rather, these blessed statements are interconnected and working together. And what Jesus is doing in each of these statements is he's looking at particular people who would have been there on the mountain and he's pointing at them and saying, you, in these circumstances, you are blessed. Blessed are you, the poor in spirit. Blessed are you, those who mourn. Blessed are you, The meek. And Jesus uses many of these statements to identify for everyone to see and to target certain groups of people who have the exact character traits and qualities that Jesus is looking for, for his citizens of the kingdom of God. In other words, each of these statements, if you stack them up together, in one way can form the perfect character profile of the ideal citizen of the kingdom of God. So if you are a Christian and if you're curious if my life is looking more and more like a citizen of the kingdom of God, I would encourage you maybe later this week or today to set some time aside and what you can do is just walk through each of these statements and ask yourself are these character traits becoming more and more reflected in my life. Am I poor in spirit? Am I mourning? Am I meek? Am I hungering and thirsting for righteousness? Am I merciful? Am I pure in heart? Am I a peacemaker? And am I being persecuted for righteousness sake? But furthermore, I also think that remembering the kingdom of God as we approach the Beatitudes helps us in another way. Because in each beatitude, Jesus identifies a group of people, and then he calls them blessed, and then he provides a very insightful reason for why they are blessed. And as you scan through the second half of these beatitudes, let your eyes run over them for a second, as you scan through them, you will see that these blessings are repeatedly referring to the blessings that are coming as part of the kingdom of God. The poor in spirit are citizens of the kingdom of heaven, for example. The meek will inherit the earth. The pure in heart shall see God. The peacemakers shall be called sons of God. In other words, each of these Beatitudes are eschatological, which is just one big fancy word for saying that they point us to the end of time and the fulfillment of all of God's promises in the new heavens and the new earth. And I think that this point is very important because Christians can grow quite discouraged when the realities of this world look exactly like the opposite of the coming kingdom of God. From our perspective, does it look like the meek will always inherit the earth? From our perspective, does it look like it is worth it when God's people are persecuted? And friends, it does not always look like those who are mourning will be comforted. Therefore, I think it's important for us to have the right expectations as we read the Beatitudes. Because in the Beatitudes, Jesus is not talking ultimately about the rewards and the benefits and the comforts that we are going to receive in this life. Even if we have a very small taste of them now, instead that he is talking about promises and comforts that God's people will one day receive in glory. But for now, we need to read these Beatitudes as people who are treasuring these promises by faith. And then we're using these promises by faith to fuel our perseverance and our walk in the Christian life. Friend, if you are a citizen of the kingdom of God, and you are resting in Christ Jesus alone for salvation, and if your life is continuing to look more and more like what Jesus is describing here, then take comfort. For one day, these blessings will be yours. Having considered the purpose of the Beatitudes, I think we still have an important question to answer. Why does Jesus teach us that there is blessing in mourning? To help us for a second, we need to take some time to think about what Jesus means by this word, mourn. Now one of the clear difficulties from the text, putting all of our cards on the table, is that Jesus does not actually give us much context for how we're supposed to understand this statement. But I think that we can make some logical deductions and figure out what's going on here by putting this text within the larger context of the Sermon on the Mount as well as scripture. To start, I think all of us can agree that Matthew 5.4 is not a universal statement. Jesus is not saying that every person who has ever mourned over anything in their life or any person who has ever grieved will be comforted, as if this statement is combining some universal salvation with the prosperity gospel. Because from the perspective of Scripture, not everyone who mourns will be comforted. And there was no comfort for those on the last day who never turned to Christ for salvation. Furthermore, I think it's important for us to say that we actually live in a culture in which mourning has been weaponized. These days, the mobs not only scream in anger, but now they cry and they lament. Many people today mourn the fact that Christians will not accept their alternative lifestyles, or that Christians are taking away their reproductive health. Code word for all sorts of immorality and practices that are contrary to God's word. But I think that we can understand this beatitude if we take for a second to look at this text within the larger context of the Sermon on the Mount. Because remember, the whole message of Jesus's ministry and the message of the Sermon on the Mount is the truth that God's kingdom is coming. Everything in this world is about to change. And if the kingdom of heaven is coming, that means that everything in this world right now as we understand it, including everything in your life and everything in my life is temporary. Everything in this world is fading. Everything is passing away. And in Matthew 6, 19 through 21, Jesus challenges us to reexamine everything in our lives accordingly. Matthew 6, do not lay up for yourself treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. I often use this text in counseling because if you think about it, Jesus just gave us a very interesting window into the human heart. Just ask yourself, what is a treasure? A treasure is anything that I see as valuable and anything that I invest my heart into. In other words, the things that I treasure are extensions of my heart into the world around me. If I went into your house, I would be able to quickly identify the things that you treasure. Maybe your house has a wall with pictures of everyone in your family. Maybe your house has a prized collection that you've developed over the years. Maybe your house has a very big entertainment system. where you like to go and watch movies or the latest sports game. I think I can easily identify your treasures by what you protect, by what makes you angry, and what you fear about and grow anxious about. This principle was actually on full display when you all helped my family move into the parsonage a month ago. And we unloaded the truck, we made the horrendous discovery that seven boxes of my treasures, I mean my books, were soaked and damaged by water. I was really trying to put on a brave face, but boy, that was hard. In many ways, our emotions follow our treasures. Friend, you are happy when you have what you treasure. You are fearful and anxious when something that you treasure is threatened. And you mourn when something that you treasure is lost. Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. And in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus is telling you to be careful of what you treasure and where you place your heart. Because when we treasure things in this life, we are attaching our hearts to things that are perishable, that are vulnerable, and are fading. The Westminster Shorter Catechism tells us that when Adam fell into sin, all mankind fell into a state defined by two words, sin and misery. If you were to describe human life right now in this world, it is described in two ways, sinful and miserable. Because we live in a fallen world, friends, suffering and loss are not a matter of if, but when. And if you have not faced suffering and difficulty in your life yet, just wait, it will come. In Psalm 90, The psalmist writes, verses nine through 10, for all our days pass away under your wrath. We bring our years to an end like a sigh. The years of our life are 70, or even by reason of strength, 80, yet their span is but toil and trouble. And so here's what happens when we mourn. When we mourn, our entire person is responding dynamically to the fact that something that I treasure from a four-year-old holding an ice cream cone to an adult saying goodbye to a friend, something that I treasure is vulnerable, that it's been hurt or it's been lost. So why is mourning a blessing? Friends, every time that we mourn, we are given a spiritual opportunity. If we open ourselves to what God has to say to us in the scriptures. Because if you look at Jesus's ministry, one of his biggest concerns is that people will become enchanted and ensnared by the siren song of this world and its pleasures. In Matthew 13, in the parable of the sower and the seeds, Jesus tells of these seeds that are sown and they're sown among a place that has a lot of thorns. And then Jesus laments that these seeds are unfruitful. Why? Because these seeds have been choked and strangled by the thorns. Later, Jesus explains that the seeds are the word of God. and the thorns are the pleasures and the concerns of this world. From Jesus's perspective, one of the greatest threats to the preaching of God's word and the message of the kingdom of God is that people are so caught up in this world, in the cares of this life, and in the deceitfulness of riches, that the word of God and the kingdom of God are pushed out of their minds and their attentions. Luke actually records Jesus giving this beatitude in his gospel in Luke chapter six. And it's interesting, he actually adds more context and shows us the flip side of this statement. In Luke six, Jesus says, blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh. But then later he says, woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep. He also says, woe to you who are rich, Woe to you who are full of food. Woe to you when everyone speaks well of you. Why? Friends, because all of the things that Jesus just listed, from money, to food, to pleasures, to fame, to approval, friends, all of these things are things that numb our spiritual senses to the coming kingdom of God. It's hard not to think of Solomon's words in Ecclesiastes 7-2 that we read earlier. It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting. For this is the end of all mankind and the living lay it to heart. We know from the gospels that the kingdom of heaven is described as a party. But maybe the best way for us to prepare is not to think about the party. Because the party does not prepare you for the kingdom of God, but the funeral home does. Friend, if you are human, you will mourn. But if you want to be blessed, you will see mourning as a spiritual opportunity. Because when we mourn, the siren song of the party stops. And we have an opportunity to hear the spiritual truth that's being whispered to us from all around creation, that nothing in this world and in this life lasts. In application, I think that you and I need to recognize that many of the good gifts in our life that have been given to us by our creator are just that, they're gifts. And friends, many of the things in our lives, from our work to our families and to our friends, our joys, friends, they are good gifts. We should thank God for them. But they were never intended to be ultimate. They were always limited and they will never replace the creator. And the person who is ready for the kingdom of God is able to take these good things in life and enjoy them and give thanks for them. But he's also ready to let them go when the time comes and comes to terms with mourning. Friends, when mourning comes into your life, will you run from it? Or will you confront head on what your circumstances are telling you? Because mourning often strips away everything in our lives. and provides us with an opportunity for us to think about the things that ultimately matter most. God, eternity, life everlasting. Friends, I love my wife and my family. I do my best to cherish the moments that I have with them. But I cannot change the fact that one day we will say goodbye. until the resurrection. Mourning helps us to lift our gaze from what is temporary to what is eternal. And that is why it is a blessing. If you're not a Christian, I am almost positive that everything that I have just said is nothing that you really want to hear. If you think about it, one of the main reasons why religion was more prominent in the previous centuries was quite explainable. For most of human history, death has been an unavoidable reality that confronts you everywhere that you look, from the battlefield to the town, to the farm, to your own family. Now, from buying our meat at stores in these nice sanitized packages, to the way that people will privately leave this life in hospital rooms. Our society has become too skilled at hiding death and mortality. In the 17th century, the French philosopher Blaise Pascal showed us that people in the past had a much different posture towards life and death. He writes, imagine a number of men in chains, all under the sentence of death, some of who are each day butchered in the sight of others, those remaining seeing their own condition and that of their fellows, and looking at each other with grief and despair await their turn. That is an image of the human condition. Friend, if you are human, Blaise Pascal is describing you. If you're a human, one day everything that you care about will be stripped away from you and you will die. And when you think this way, the question of what happens after death becomes much more important, doesn't it? The Bible tells us what happens. The reason why we die is because we are guilty of sin. And one day you will stand before God, if you are not a Christian, and you will give an account for everything that you've done in your life. And left to yourself, you will receive the pronouncement, guilty, and be cast off into everlasting judgment. Friend, if you are not a Christian, mourning may be the best gift in your life. Because mourning makes your heart bitter to the joys and the pleasures of this world and leaves you asking the question, where can I go for comfort? And here, mourning may actually lead you to begin your search for Jesus and the coming kingdom of God. For our beatitude contains a precious promise. For those who mourn, And for those whose mourning leads them to the kingdom of God, friends, Jesus promises that comfort is coming. Here's our second point this evening. We've seen the blessing of mourning. Now we're also gonna see fatherly comfort. In his classic work, Knowing God, J.R. Packer tackles a pretty interesting and important question. How do we define what a Christian is? What is a Christian? And he writes, the question can be answered in many ways, but the richest answer I know is that a Christian is one who has God as father. I think that Packer's comments can help us to put the rest of the pieces together for understanding this beatitude. For friends, our text does not leave us wallowing in our mourning with no end in sight, but rather for those who are Christians and for those who are citizens of the kingdom of God, friends, Jesus holds out this beautiful promise that all mourning has an expiration date. Like a mother in labor awaiting the birth of their child, one day, friends, all the difficulties of this life In all the circumstances that cause our mourning, friends, we'll be over. And Christians know that comfort is coming because of the Father's care for his children. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus challenges us not only to reexamine every area of our life, in light of the coming kingdom of God, but he also wants us to embrace the reality that as citizens of God, we have the immense privilege of having God as father. From Matthew 5 to 7, Jesus references our heavenly father 15 times. And in Matthew 6, 25 through 34, one of the most well-known passages in the whole Bible, Jesus tries to settle our anxious hearts. by reminding us of the Father's care over all of creation. And then also the Father's care for his own children. You may know it, Jesus in this section writes, look at the birds. Look at the lilies. Oh, you of little faith. Your Father knows everything that you need. Friends, if you are a Christian, your father not only knows all of your needs, but your father also knows all of your difficulty, all of your pain, and all of your mourning. He knows your thoughts when you're all alone. He knows when you're having a hard time falling asleep at night. He knows the times when you can't hold it together anymore. Friends, if you look at the Bible, God constantly reminds us in his word over and over again, that as our father, God knows the afflictions and the difficulties of his people. In Exodus 3, do you remember what God says to Moses? As Moses is about to go out and begin the deliverance of God's people from slavery, Exodus 3, 7, I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt and have heard their cry because of their taskmaster. I know their sufferings. In Isaiah 40, as Isaiah finishes prophesying about the coming exile, God's first words to his people are words of comfort. Isaiah 41, comfort my people, says your God. In 1 Peter 5-7, Peter writes to Christians in exile, people who have been persecuted because of their faith, who have been scattered abroad, and he writes to them to cast their anxieties upon the Lord. Why? Because he cares for you. At the end of his life, when Paul was on trial for the gospel, Paul even writes to Timothy and says, everyone at this last hour, at my greatest need, everyone has deserted me and left me. But he writes in 2 Timothy 4.17, the Lord stood by me and strengthened me. John Calvin sometimes has a bad reputation. because of the doctrine of predestination and election. Because a lot of people like to think of this Calvin and Calvinism as if it's this cold and callous doctrine. But John Calvin was someone who embraced the providential care of a loving father in his own life. In August of 1540, Calvin married a widow who had two children. And in July of 1542, Calvin's wife bore him a son, Jacques. Sadly, Jacques was premature and Jacques died. And commenting upon Calvin's response to this event in Greece, Sinclair Ferguson writes that Calvin cared for his soul by writing of the fatherhood of God. And Calvin took comfort in the fact that our father knows what is best for the good of his children. Friends, if you are a Christian, your father knows your needs and he cares for you. And God demonstrated that he is so committed to his own people by sending no one else into the world but his own beloved son to save sinners. Friends, there are many mysteries and wonders in the gospel, and we just sung of them, but it should continue to astound us that God sent no one else other than his own son into the world to save us. Friends, what would it take so that our beatitude comes to pass? That those who mourn would be comforted. Friends, it would take nothing less than the humiliation and the suffering and the grief of the Son of God. Isaiah 53, Isaiah 4 tells that Jesus was despised by men, a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief. But friends, Jesus not only knew his own griefs, abandonment by his family, persecution, suffering and death, but Isaiah 53, 4 also says that surely he has known our griefs. He has borne them. And Jesus, as a suffering servant carries our sorrows. Friends, it's an amazing thing when 2,000 years ago, Jesus went up to that mountain and preached the sermon and he proclaimed, blessed are you who mourn, for you shall be comforted. But friends, the readers did not understand the magnitude of what Jesus was saying at that time. because that beatitude would only come to pass if Jesus, the King himself, went into the garden of tears, that he himself was betrayed, that he himself was mocked, that he was scourged, and that he was crucified for his people. Friends, for us, this beatitude is a promise of comfort. but for Jesus, it is a promise of suffering. And friends, the work of Jesus at the cross not only results in your salvation, but in your comfort. Because Jesus died, friends, our sins can be forgiven. Because Jesus rose from the dead, we know that resurrection is possible for anyone who believes. Because Jesus ascends into heaven, we know that right now he is reigning over all things. And he's guiding all things to the right conclusion. And friends, because Jesus is coming again, we know that all things one day will be made new. And like God seeing the suffering of his people in Egypt, and seeing them and hearing their cries. Friend, God currently sees the suffering of this people and he hears our cries. And friends, God will one day send his son again to deliver us from them all. Friends, I know in a room of this size that there are many people who are hurting. That there are many people who are facing challenges and difficulties. And there are many people who are mourning. Friends, I am here to tell you that if you are a Christian and you are mourning, you are not cursed. God has not abandoned you. He has not turned his back on you. Rather, you are blessed. I cannot promise that everything in your life will get better. I cannot promise that the difficulties in your life will be resolved. Tomorrow may hurt as much as today. And yet Jesus's words can provide a balm and comfort for our souls as we together by faith embrace the promise that comfort is coming. One day our mourning and crying and pain will be no more. And one day everything will be on earth as it is in heaven. And until then, you and I use these truths to fight our despair, to strengthen our hearts, to lift ourselves out of our depression, and to walk by faith one step, one moment, and one day at a time. And as we take these steps, each moment, one at a time, in full confidence, and we keep holding onto these promises, knowing that as the Apostle Paul writes in 2 Timothy 4, writing that the Lord will rescue us from every evil deed and bring us safely into his heavenly kingdom. This week I got a visit from my son Oliver as I was writing the sermon as he wandered over from the parsonage. So I actually gave him my piece of paper with this verse on it and I asked him what he thought of Matthew 5 for. And he took it. And he stared at it for a few moments. And he said that this verse teaches that we will be kept and taken care of by our God. I thought that was pretty good for a seven-year-old. Beloved, may we know that our God will keep us and will take care of us. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Let's pray. Father, we thank you for your word. We thank you that in your word, you've given us everything that we need. And your word gives us everything that we need to understand our life in this world. Father, many of us know what it is to lose the things that we love and treasure. We ask that you would help us in these moments to lift our eyes from this world to you. Would you help us take comfort in your promises and comfort in the word that for those who are suffering, that comfort is coming. And if we are your people and we are mourning, we are not cursed, but we are blessed. May you apply these truths to our hearts in Christ's name. Amen.