Yesterday's Beatitude... continued...

I was given an idea yesterday from a mentor of mine, and I told him that I just had to write about it.  He had a whole different take on the Beatitude than I did, and my initial thoughts proved his point almost effortlessly... but we'll get to that in a second.

"Blessed are those who mourn, because they will be comforted."

Matthew 5:4

So, have you ever thought about the fact that Jesus, being fully man and fully God, might be talking about a bigger type of mourning?  What if, like the clarification of the Commandments, He was referring to the mourning deep inside the heart of each and every person?  Think about that, and follow me for just a moment.

You and I, we live in an awful world.  Sin is rampant, injustice is everywhere, there's never enough money for those who need it and never enough satisfaction for those who have it.  We see the flaws in the world, as plainly as the noses on our faces... and we accept them.  I know that sounds like a challenging statement, but think about what you've done in the last week to right a serious and offensive wrong in your life and immediate circle.  Anything?  If you have, then kudos to you, and I pray that you continue.  However, if all you've done, like most probably have, is mention that it's offensive and wrong while the commercials are on before your favorite show starts, then you might not like whatever it is, but you have accepted it.  And do you know what that causes???  Mourning.

And then, for those people that are Christians and in fervent study, we not only see what is going on, but we can attest to its wrongfulness from a Biblical standpoint.  We know that the world is headed down a darker and darker path, and that we must remain vigilant and show the love of Christ to the world that we encounter, regardless of the circumstances.  And we know that we must stand and fight against the evils in the world, as well as prayerfully fight against the enemy and his legions.  But that doesn't change the human feeling that exists when we don't see (in our limited understanding) progress.  The toughest part, though, is that because we are aware of the Truth, we know and recognize these things more quickly than those who do not have Him, and that brings about what???  Mourning.

Worse than that, though, is what happens to us Christians that really dig and find accountability to the Word, rather than to people that we can persuade with our words and emotive expressions.  We realize that without Christ or apart from Him (in those times that we wander), we are helpless, hopeless, wretched, filthy, horrid things that have nothing, nothing, nothing at all to look forward to in life or death.  We find that we are incapable in our flesh to live the life to which we are called, and this... the realization of our own individual inability to achieve a goal... brings about deep mourning.

However, true to the promise made, we the Christians realize in that moment that we are fueled by the power and grace of Jesus Christ, and His atonement for us and our sins.  We recognize that it is He, and He alone, who saved us and brought us from death into life.  We see the troubles, but we also see the answer, and that is Jesus!  And, in that moment, we recognize that when Jesus says we will be comforted, we already have been.  We are more aware, because of our Christianity, of the faults that exist... but we are also keenly aware that He has overcome them all, and we are in Him as He is in us... and THAT, my blessed friends, is comfort!

Now, as to how I proved my mentor's point effortlessly, if you look back to the previous segment, you will notice that I wrote all about what it means from the standpoint of MY profession, MY experience, and MY understanding of it through the years I have watched people grieve over the loss of a loved one.  I took it straight to ME, and did not exegete the larger picture of it all, proving that we are self-centered beings (even as saved Christians).  And in recognizing my own actions in that, I realized that I was mourning my initial approach, because of the selfish nature in which it was written.  And that makes for one amazing slam dunk... but if you see this in yourself, as I did yesterday, will you step outside of it and reflect upon it to learn?  Will you stand afar off from your own thoughts for just a moment, and think about the remainder of the people on the planet, and how {fill in the blank} relates to them?  It's difficult, but I feel so at peace for having done so, and I know you would, as well.

(Thanks, Brother... you always help me to remain accountable to the Truth, and I praise God for your insight and friendship.) 

God bless you all!!!