After Rev. Sang Ho Bae explained the meaning of poverty in spirit, his 14th expository work on the Gospel of Matthew is about the meaning of the mourning heart.
The Lord said that those who mourn are blessed. The world regards mourning as misfortune and considers laughter and pleasure to be blessing, but Scripture presents a completely different perspective. Jesus said that those who are laughing now will mourn (Luke 6:25), and Solomon called the laughter of pleasure madness (Ecclesiastes 2:2). James also exhorts us to turn our laughter into mourning (James 4:9). Yet this does not mean that believers should not enjoy joy. Rather, mourning is the spiritual process that one must inevitably pass through in order to reach true joy. Biblical scholars describe this word as “the holy sensibility given by the Holy Spirit.” That is, when the light God gives shines upon the soul, only then does sin appear as sin, and because that sin pierces the heart, mourning arises.
The mourning the Lord speaks of is not merely the sorrow of life but spiritual mourning. The Greek word for mourning, penthein (πενθεῖν), refers to deep and intense grief like that of losing someone who has died. It is not a passing regret or emotional sadness, but mourning that bursts forth when one sees one’s true condition before God. Lloyd-Jones described this mourning as “the spiritual pain of being unable to endure the hideousness of the sin within oneself.” Calvin likewise emphasized that “there is no true repentance without the knowledge of oneself before God.” Therefore, mourning is not a mere emotion but a response that flows from the knowledge of God.
A true believer mourns when seeing his own sin and corrupt nature. Paul lamented that he does not do the good he desires but does the evil he does not want. An unbeliever does not feel sin as sin or even boast of it, but a believer cannot help but mourn when he examines himself before God. When he looks back on the day and recalls words and actions unworthy of a believer, when he discovers moments of anger, pride, and selfishness, when he feels the helplessness of wanting good but failing to do it, his heart is torn. This mourning is evidence that the Holy Spirit is working within, and it is a sensibility that belongs only to citizens of heaven. The one who grieves over his sin has already entered the kingdom of God. Thomas Watson said, “Tears that mourn over sin are the most certain sign of grace.” If one has no hatred for sin, that person has not yet tasted grace. Conversely, if one’s heart aches because of sin, that soul is already held by God.
A believer mourns when God’s glory is obscured because of his own shortcomings. When he wounds the church, when he feels that his words and actions have dishonored the Lord’s name, his heart aches. Furthermore, a believer’s soul becomes dry and troubled when fellowship with God is hindered because of sin or within God’s providence. And the citizen of heaven also mourns when seeing the sins and sufferings of others. When he sees souls wandering in unbelief and sin, when he sees neighbors groaning under poverty, sickness, and oppression, his heart breaks. Such inner pain is evidence that the soul is alive. Without the influence of the Holy Spirit, such mourning does not arise. John Stott said, “The person of God has his heart torn when he sees the sins of the world, because those sins dishonor the glory of God.” A believer grieves before he becomes angry at the corruption of the world, because he knows that such sin arises from not knowing God. Therefore, the believer chooses intercession over condemnation and the prayer of tears over criticism.
But mourning does not end in mourning, because God’s comfort comes. Mourning over sin leads to the cross, and when one lays down the burden of sin before it, the heavy weight of the heart is lifted. The Holy Spirit renews the soul and gradually forms the image of Christ. The comfort we experience in this world is a preview of the eternal comfort that is to come. In the Lord’s kingdom, tears and sorrow disappear, and one becomes filled only with the joy the Lord gives. Lloyd-Jones said, “The comfort of God is not merely the restoration of emotion but the restoration of grasping God Himself again.” The comfort God gives does not come because circumstances change but when one confirms again that God is my God. Therefore, mourning is a blessing. Mourning draws us to God, and God never leaves the one who mourns. “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.”
As I reflect on Jesus’ words, “Blessed are those who mourn,” I am reminded that true blessing often comes in ways the world does not understand. There are moments when, standing before God, I become deeply aware of my own sin, pride, and weakness. It is not a shallow sadness but a quiet grief that pierces the heart—the realization of who I am apart from His grace. In those moments, mourning becomes unavoidable, and yet it is strangely holy.
This kind of mourning is not despair but evidence that God is at work within me. The Holy Spirit opens my eyes to see sin as God sees it, and my heart aches not only because I have failed but also because my sin dishonors the One I love. I find that when I truly mourn over my sin, I am drawn closer to the cross, where my guilt meets Christ’s mercy. There, sorrow gives way to comfort, and repentance leads to renewed joy.
I also learn to mourn over a broken world, over people lost in sin, over suffering, injustice, and pain. Instead of anger or judgment, God teaches my heart to grieve and to pray. This mourning softens my spirit and aligns it with God’s compassion.
In the end, I see that mourning is not the absence of joy but the pathway to it. God does not leave the mourning heart empty; He fills it with His presence and comfort. Truly, those who mourn are blessed, because they are held close by God and assured that their tears will one day be turned into eternal joy.
