Lesson of Faith-The Blessing of Mourning
JOHN SHIRK – There are times when Jesus shook things up to challenge the conventional thought of his day. One of those statements was when he pronounced “woe to those who laugh now”, while pronouncing a blessing on those “who weep now.”
This was not to suggest that there was something inherently wrong with laughter, but there are some types of laughter to guard against. Laughter from obscenity, foolish talk, or coarse joking are out of place for God’s people, according to Ephesians 5. Another kind of laughter to guard against is scoffing or making fun of something that God considers virtuous and true.
Jesus said, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” He was talking to His followers when He said this. Just before His death, Jesus told His disciples that their tears of grief would be turned into a reunion of joy after He rose from the dead. Another kind of mourning that happens is when we demonstrate sorrow over our sin to the degree that it leads to repentance. James 4:9 is a message to sinners to “grieve, mourn, and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the LORD, and he will lift you up.”
The blessing of mourning is a lesson of faith worth remembering.