Blessed Are Those Who Mourn

Adapted from a sermon by Pastor Ruffin Hill given on January 18th, 2026

Years ago, a little boy came through our church whose story has never left my heart. His name was Sage. He had seen things no child should ever have to see. Life had wounded him deeply before he was ever given a fair chance. He and his brother had been placed in foster care, and they began attending church with us.

Every week, that little boy would run up to me, tug on my coat, and ask, “Can we sing number two?” He would stand on the stage, his thick glasses perched on his nose, and sing every word from memory. He sang with everything he had. Though he was small in stature, he sang with a heart that carried far more than most adults ever will. I do not know where he is today, but I know this: God knew his heart.

Whenever we sing that hymn now, I think of him. And I am reminded how blessed we are to sing without the burdens he carried. We ought to sing “Glory to His Name” with gratitude because we do not bear the baggage that little boy bore.

Turning to Scripture, Matthew 5 opens with the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus presents the Beatitudes as a progression. Last week we looked at verse 3: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Before anyone can be saved, they must see themselves as spiritually bankrupt. You cannot be found until you realize you are lost. You cannot enter the kingdom until you admit you cannot help yourself.

Verse 4 continues that progression: “Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted.”

The word “mourn” does not mean to gripe, complain, or groan. It means to grieve deeply, to wail, to sorrow visibly. It is not a hidden sadness but a grief that shows itself.

Genesis 37 gives us a vivid example. Jacob loved Rachel deeply, and when she finally bore him a son, Joseph, that child became precious to him. When Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery and convinced Jacob he had died, Scripture says Jacob tore his clothes, put on sackcloth, and mourned many days. His grief was visible. It could not be hidden. Mourning in Scripture is often described as continuous. It is present and ongoing.

The world views blessing as wealth, laughter, and success. But God says the blessed are those who are poor in spirit and those who mourn. The mourning Christ speaks of is not simply over circumstances like finances or health. It is a deeper spiritual mourning.

The Bible describes three kinds of mourning.

First, there is natural mourning. The grief we experience when we lose a loved one. In John 11, Mary and Martha mourned their brother Lazarus. Sorrow draws compassion from others. In our culture, people gather for visitations and funerals not just out of respect, but to show kindness and love. Sorrow also draws us closer to God. When life runs smoothly, we can live on the surface. But sorrow drives us deeper. As one poem says:

“I walked a mile with Pleasure; she chatted all the way,
But left me none the wiser for all she had to say.
I walked a mile with Sorrow, and ne’er a word said she;
But oh, the things I learned from her when Sorrow walked with me.”

Second, there is sinful mourning. Grief caused by sin. Psalm 32 describes David’s agony when he kept silent about his sin. His bones grew old; he felt dried up. But when he confessed, God forgave him. Peter experienced this kind of mourning after denying Christ. Scripture says he went out and wept bitterly. This was not surface-level regret. It was deep spiritual sorrow.

Our society has little mourning over sin. In fact, the greater the sin, the more celebrated it often becomes. There is little brokenness, even in the church. Yet godly sorrow leads to repentance. Repentance is turning from sin and turning to God. When the Spirit convicts us, we are meant to respond. Not ignore it.

Sin does not remove our salvation, but it breaks fellowship. Just as a child who disappoints a loving parent longs to restore that relationship, so a believer who sins should long to be restored to fellowship with God. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).

Third, there is spiritual mourning. The ongoing grief believers feel over sin in their lives and in the world around them. Paul cried out in Romans 7, “O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from this body of death?” He understood the struggle of carrying the old nature. Yet he also knew the Deliverer, Jesus Christ.

There is a promise attached to this mourning: “They shall be comforted.” Not the complainers. Not the indifferent. The mourners. God comforts those who grieve over sin.

We also mourn for deliverance from this fallen world (Romans 8:23). No technology or advancement can cure sin, disease, or death. We long for redemption. We mourn over the lack of repentance in others. We mourn when we ourselves fall short.

Consider the prodigal son. When he came to himself in the pigpen, he resolved to return home. Before he could even finish his prepared speech, his father ran to him, embraced him, and restored him. That is the heart of God toward the repentant sinner.

Scripture promises comfort: “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning” (Psalm 30:5). “They that sow in tears shall reap in joy” (Psalm 126:5).

How does God comfort? He strengthens us. The word “comfort” means to give strength and aid. He comforts through His Word. The same Word that convicts also heals. He comforts through His Spirit. The Holy Spirit is called the Comforter in John 14:16. He comforts through His people, who share the comfort they themselves have received (2 Corinthians 1:3–4).

God is for us. He is not a tyrant waiting to crush us. He is a loving Father who keeps record of our tears. Psalm 56:8 says He puts our tears in His bottle.

So the question is simple: When was the last time you mourned over sin? When was the last time conviction led you to confession and comfort? Have you seen yourself as spiritually poor? Have you recognized your need for a Savior?

Blessed are the poor in spirit. Blessed are they that mourn. For they shall be comforted.

If we mourn over our sin, God forgives. If we confess, He restores. And if we draw near to Him, He draws near to us.

May we be a people who mourn rightly so that we may know the comfort only God can give.