A Culture Of Broken Hearts

Read: Matthew 5:3-12

God blesses those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Matthew 5:4

IN WORD

We want to add words to the blessing. We want an explanation of why the mourners mourn. Are they grieving death? Their own sin? The condition of the world? The suffering they must endure? It could be any of these. It could even be all of them. All we know is that Jesus promises comfort to the brokenhearted.

That, too, is an ancient theme in Scripture. Psalm 34:17-19 declares it clearly, specifically with regard to those who suffer because of or in spite of their righteousness. The world is a place of many trials and troubles, and things don’t always work out well for those who believe. Only redemption promises glory and makes our lives ultimately worthwhile. As Paul would say, if our hope is only in this life, we should be pitied above all others (1 Corinthians 15:19). But current suffering is never worth comparing to future glory (Romans 8:18). Broken hearts, crushed spirits, and days of mourning come to an end.

This is the promise of Jesus. He came to destroy the works of the evil one (1 John 3:8). He undoes all kinds of evil and its consequences, offering beauty for ashes and joy instead of mourning (Isaiah 61:3). His ministry wipes away every tear (Revelation 21:4). The mourning of the heart is temporary; the comfort of God lasts forever.

Even so, the culture of the Kingdom does not demand that we get rid of a broken heart as quickly as possible. There’s no need to cover it up, no need to fake a smile, no need to pretend to be happy when our hearts are crushed. We should be relentless optimists; in the Kingdom of God, the best is always yet to come. But mourning is an appropriate response to the brokenness of this world and of our own lives.

IN DEED

Don’t embrace mourning as a friend, but don’t see it as an enemy either. It opens your heart to the promises of God and the joys of His Kingdom. It turns your face toward glory, now and forever. And it comes with a promise of joy.

ADDITIONAL READING: Psalm 34:18

Faith lives in a broken heart. . . . True faith is always in a heart bruised for sin.

THOMAS WATSON