Miserable are the Happy?

Today's Three-minute Bible Study
Print, Study and Apply

Title: Miserable are the Happy? ------------------- Date: 7/4/2003
Keywords: “mourn”
Welcome to eXXit, the web site designed to help you stand strong in the face of sexual temptation.

The Beatitudes from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount will be the basis for the next several days’ worth of eXXit studies. The Lord preached the Sermon on the Mount to both serious disciples and to curious onlookers. Regardless of which camp you are in right now, you will find help in your struggle for purity in Jesus’ words.

Passage: Matthew 5:3-8*

3. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

4. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

5. Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth.

6. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. (see eXXit study for June 30)

7. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

8. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

Questions

1. In verse 4, Jesus pronounces "blessing" on people who mourn. Keeping in mind the phrase "poor in spirit" of the previous verse, what kind of mourning do you imagine Jesus has in mind here?

 

2. What is Jesus’ promise to those who mourn?

 

Practical help

Are you ready for what seems to be the ultimate in contradiction? The happy people are the ones who are crying! Try reversing this one like we did in our study yesterday (Matthew 5:3, "Miserable are the rich in spirit"). "Miserable are those who are happy."?

How do we make sense out of this?

The second Beatitude points us toward a right understanding of who we are in comparison to who God is; and to what we have done in comparison to what He expects of us. Each one of us has to recognize that we have fallen short of God’s requirement — holiness (see Romans 3:23). When we come to this realization, we are driven to legitimate mourning.

In Scripture, the norm is that those who see their lack of holiness are "undone" (see Isaiah 6!) in the light of God’s own holiness. Mourning gives way to comfort.

Picture someone sitting in front of his/her computer, viewing porn and knowing that they are wrong to be doing so. This person has several options. He (or she) might continue to view the porn, stuffing the conviction of conscience and the Spirit of God. OR, he might stop viewing porn, but not really allow himself to think about how his sin of lust has grieved God, hurt the object of his lust, damaged his real-life relationships, and deadened his soul. OR, he might cease looking at the porn and reflect on the damage done. If he does this, he will undoubtedly mourn. And if he mourns, God will comfort him.

Jesus’ paradoxical maxim for living says that if you want the comfort of God, you have to travel the painful road of mourning before God.

eXXit homepage
Index of three-minute studies
Copyright 2003 by eXXit
*"Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, © Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission."