The Beatitudes: Global Perspectives on the Way of JesusSample

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” 

Do the words of Jesus ever surprise you? The second line of His sermon is just as radical and counterintuitive as the first: blessed are those who mourn. Anyone who’s experienced mourning can tell you that on the surface, grief rarely feels like a blessing. But as we dig deeper, maybe Jesus was on to something: for they will be comforted. 

Perhaps when we mourn, we experience the presence of God in new ways—ways we never would’ve wanted or imagined but need in our moments of grief. Psalm 34:18 reminds us that the Lord is close to the brokenhearted. In fact, throughout scripture, we see that more often than not, God’s response to our troubles is not a solution, but His presence. “I am with you,” seems to be God’s refrain, even to the point of sending His Son, Jesus, to be with us. 

One beautiful way God is with us in our grief and times of trouble is through each other—through the Church. 

Suzanna is a young woman in Tanzania who unexpectedly lost her father, Yona, when he suddenly fell ill. The grief she experienced was immense. “The day [my father] passed away was the saddest day of my life. We had a lot of plans,” says Suzanna. “Plans that I could not fulfill without him.” 

Yona was saving to help Suzanna fulfill her dream of pursuing post-secondary education. After his death, Suzanna’s dream was gone—and then things got worse. Her mother began to lose her eyesight. Her younger brother was forced to drop out of school. Then, Suzanna became pregnant and the father of the baby left her. 

"I was afraid,” Suzanna says. “Things were desperate. Some days we could not afford to buy milk for [my baby], which broke my heart.” 

In the midst of her despair, a local church partner of Compassion came alongside Suzanna and her family. They provided food and medical care for Suzanna’s daughter, Dorcas, and capital to help Suzanna start her own small business. 

In her grief, God met and comforted Suzanna through His people. How might you comfort someone who is mourning today? How do you need comfort? Sit with the truth that God is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. 

Prayer: 

God, thank you for drawing close to us when we mourn. Thank you for being a God of comfort. Help me be aware of your presence with me when I am brokenhearted. Help me to be a comforting presence to those around me who are mourning, that I may remind people they are not alone. Amen.