Blessed Are TheySample

Blessed Are Those Who Mourn; Blessed Are the Meek

Yesterday, we saw that those who are poor in spirit depend upon God for their salvation and are able to receive the free gift of his grace. Jesus continues in this theme as he says, “Blessed are those who mourn,” and “Blessed are the meek.” Those who have recognized their own sin and their inability to rescue themselves from their sinful state feel sadness over this. They mourn their sin as David did in Psalm 51 when he recognized that he had sinned against God and done evil in God’s sight. This mourning leads to repentance, to the desire to confess and turn from our sin, and this is why Jesus says that those who mourn will be comforted; they will receive the forgiveness that they are seeking in their sorrow.

It is not just our individual sin that leads us to mourn, but also the sin and evil that we see in the world around us. Our dependence on God for our own salvation also means that we trust him for the salvation of others and the eventual healing and restoration of all that is broken in this world. We are comforted as we hope in the promises of God, as Paul describes his hope in Romans 8.

To be poor in spirit is also to be humble or meek, as Jesus calls it here. It requires great humility to acknowledge our complete dependence upon God and to throw ourselves upon his mercy and grace, knowing that we have nothing to offer in return. To be meek or humble is to follow the example of Jesus himself, who “made himself nothing” in the incarnation and “humbled himself by becoming obedient to death” (Philippians 2:7-8). The blessing that the meek receive is to inherit the earth. An inheritance is another form of a gift freely given and not earned; in humility, we empty ourselves and become nothing, and we receive everything!

Reflect and pray

Do you feel sorrow over your sin?

Use Psalm 51 as a prayer of repentance for your own sin and give thanks for the forgiveness and cleansing available to you through the saving grace of God.

Ask God to show you how and where you need to humbly put others before your own needs and how you can serve and comfort those in need.