Why are mourners blessed? The Comfort of the Cross in a World of Sorrow

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” — Matthew 5:4 (NIV)

At first glance, Jesus’ second beatitude seems like a contradiction. How can mourning—grief, sorrow, lament—be a blessing? In a world that avoids pain and idolizes happiness, Jesus’ words are radically countercultural. Yet within this paradox lies one of the most profound truths of the Christian faith: God meets us in our sorrow with comfort that transcends circumstance.

Since Jesus spoke these words, followers of Jesus, theologians, even atheists have tried to grasp the full meaning of this passage.

Wisdom from the Ages

St. Augustine interpreted this mourning as sorrow over sin—both personal and communal. He wrote, “The tears of the penitent are the wine of angels.” For Augustine, mourning was the gateway to repentance and transformation.

Thomas Aquinas, in his Summa Theologiae, saw this beatitude as a reflection of the gift of the Holy Spirit known as “knowledge,” which allows us to see the world’s brokenness and respond with holy sorrow. He emphasized that this mourning is not despair, but a sorrow that leads to hope.

Martin Luther, like Augustine, looked inward, viewing mourning as the natural response of the soul that recognizes its spiritual poverty. In his theology of the cross, he taught that true comfort comes not from avoiding suffering but from embracing it in light of Christ’s redemptive work.

David Platt lead pastor for McLean Bible Church in Virginia and founder of Radical, an organization that makes Jesus known among the nations, has preached and written about the beatitudes and has said mourning is a call to deep spiritual sensitivity. In his teaching and prayer reflections, he emphasizes that this mourning is not merely about personal grief, but about a holy sorrow over sin, suffering, and injustice in the world.

In his Pray the Word podcast, Platt prays through the beatitudes and specifically asks God to help believers mourn rightly: to grieve over their own sin, the brokenness around them, and the pain others endure. He sees this mourning as a response to the grace of God, not a prerequisite for it. In his words, “The kingdom is declared as a reality apart from any human achievement… the beatitudes are predicated upon the experience of the grace of God”.

In much the same light, one of the most consequential evangelical theologians of the 21st century, Tim Keller, emphasized that this beatitude is not about generic sadness but about a deep, spiritual grief over the brokenness of the world and our complicity in it. In his sermons, he often said, “You can’t be comforted unless you’ve first been disturbed.” He saw mourning as the soil in which grace takes root.

Why Mourning Matters Today

In an age of curated happiness and digital escapism, Jesus’ words are a call to honest engagement with suffering. Mourning is not weakness—it’s a courageous act of love. We mourn:

• Our own sin and failures
• The pain of others
• Injustice in the world
• The loss of loved ones
• The distance between what is and what should be

And in that mourning, we are met by the God who weeps (John 11:35) and who promises to wipe away every tear (Revelation 21:4). To mourn is to love deeply. It is to feel the ache of a world not yet made whole. But Jesus promises that those who mourn will be comforted—not with platitudes, but with His presence, His peace, and His promise of restoration.

If you would like to know., personally, this God who comforts those who mourn, read our post: How does one become a Christian?

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