The gospel according to MATTHEW [5 : 4] Part 12

Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. M ATTHEW 5 : 4

Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will exalt you. J AMES 4 :

Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you. 2 Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten. 3 Your gold and silver have corroded, and their corrosion will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure in the last days. 4 Behold, the wages of J AMES 5 : 1 - 6

the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, are crying out against you, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. 5 You have lived on the earth in luxury and in self- indulgence. You have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. 6 You have condemned; you have J AMES 5 : 1 - 6

murdered the righteous person. He does not resist you. J AMES 5 : 1 - 6

And He lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. 21 “Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you shall be satisfied. “Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh. L UKE 6 :

22 “Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man! 23 Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for so their fathers did to the prophets. L UKE 6 :

24 But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation. 25 Woe to you who are full now, for you shall be hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep. 26 Woe to you, when all people speak well of you, for so their fathers did to the false prophets. L UKE 6 :

If you mourn in faith, you will be comforted by God. [Matthew 5:4] !

If you mourn without faith (worldly sorrow)… [2 Corinthians 7 : ] !

You may be on the same path as Esau or Judas Iscariot [2 Corinthians 7 : ] !

Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. [NIV] 2 C ORINTHIANS 7 : 10

Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. [NIV] 1 T HESSALONIANS 4 : 13

For it stands in Scripture… …and whoever believes in Him will NOT be put to shame.” 1 P ETER 2 : 6c

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Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. M ATTHEW 5 : 4

Either Jesus is a liar…or when you mourn and grieve over sometimes unspeakable hurt and loss of life in a fallen world… !

…when you — with even the tiniest faith — cast those griefs upon Him, you will be comforted. !

And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who seek Him. H EBREWS 11 : 6

Cast your burden on the Lord, and He will sustain you; He will never permit the righteous to be moved. P SALMS 55 : 22

Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us. P SALMS 62 : 8

…casting all your anxieties on Him, because He cares for you. 1 P ETER 5 : 7

The L ORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. P SALM 34 : 18 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, You will not despise. P SALM 51 : 17 He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. P SALM 147 : 3

The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound… I SAIAH 61 : 1

I waited patiently for the Lord; He inclined to me and heard my cry. 2 He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure. 3 He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the Lord. P SALM 40 : 1 - 5

© 1988 by Dee Schenck Rhodes

Proverbs 6 : Matthew 5 : 1-11 T HINGS THE L ORD HATES A TTITUDES THE L ORD BLESSES …Proud look …poor in spirit …Lying tongue …those who mourn …Hands that shed …the meek …Heart that devises …hunger & thirst …feet that run to Evil …the merciful

J ESUS’ V ALUES …are poor in spirit [v.3] self-confident B LESSED ARE T HOSE W HO… C OUNTERVALUES B LESSED ARE T HOSE W HO ARE… competent self-reliant …mourn [v.4] pleasure-seeking hedonistic ‘the beautiful people’

This is the one I esteem: He who is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at my word Isaiah 66 : 2b

“ …I finally realized the problem with the world is me.” G.K. Chesterton