In
Matthew 5:4, Jesus uses the Greek word
pantheo, which means to lament, and weep. There are nine Greek words in the Bible to describe this state or act of mourning, and of the nine, this one is the most intense and deep. It is the word used to describe the mourning over a loved one who has died. If you have ever stood over the lifeless body of a loved one in a casket, then you know what
pantheo is. It is a heartbreaking emotion of grieving, weeping, and mourning that is most intense.
Pantheo is used in
Mark 16:10 to describe those who grieved at Jesus' death. It is an intense pathos filled word; it is more than tears; it is a gut-wrenching, heartbreaking experience. (MacArthur,
The Beatitudes: The Only Way to Happiness, p. 78)
The Bible has many instances of people who mourned and wept. David said his tears were his food, day and night (
Psalm 42:3); Jeremiah is known as the weeping prophet for the tears he shed for rebellious Israel (
Jeremiah 9:1); Paul was a man of great pathos and tears, as you see in
Acts 20:31; and Jesus also wept. He wept when He beheld the hurt and sorrow of those who mourned Lazarus' death (
John 11:33-35). He also wept over the city of Jerusalem, because she rejected her only hope (
Luke 19:41-44). Gregory of Nyssa said, "It is impossible for one to live without tears who considers things exactly as they are."
Jesus' statement about mourning follows and builds upon His first Beatitude about the poor in spirit. The poor in spirit are humble and open, and they are free to weep and mourn. At the heart of what Jesus is teaching us is this: we need to be honest, mourn over our own sin, and receive His forgiveness. David knew what it was to sin against God, to try and hide it, cover it up, and not mourn over his egregious sins. He said when he did this that he felt the heavy hand of God upon him and his
"vitality was turned into the drought of summer" (
Psalm 32:4). But he acknowledged his sin and quit hiding his iniquities; he confessed his transgressions, and God forgave him (
Psalm 32:5).
Who are the mourners? They are those who appropriately deal with their sins and the sins committed against them. One writer puts it this memorable way: "Happy are the sad. You know what the world says? 'Pack up your troubles in your old kit bag and smile, smile, smile!' The Bible says, 'Mourn, mourn, mourn.'" (Ibid., p. 79)
Are you a mourner? Are you addressing the sin issue, or are you sweeping it under the rug of your life, only to deal with it in an ungodly manner? You have a choice: cover and bury, or confess and mourn.
Proverbs 28:13 says,
"He who covers his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy." Let me encourage you today to not cover your sins, but confess them; do not try and manipulate your way out, but mourn, because as Jesus promised, you will be comforted.
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