The Bread of Tears: We Are Blessed When We Mourn
The Bread of Tears: We Are Blessed When We Mourn.
“Those who sow their tears as seeds will reap a harvest with joyful shouts of glee. They may weep as they go out carrying their seed to sow, but they will return with joyful laughter and shouting with gladness as they bring back armloads of blessing and a harvest overflowing!” (Psalm 126:5-6, TPT).
The Miracle of Tears. Each of us as human beings share a spectacular miracle… We each have been gifted by our Creator God with the ability to shed tears. And not merely one type of tear, but three kinds of tears, all of them benefitting us in different ways that, being so common, are easily taken for granted. First there are the Basal tears which are constantly produced to keep our eyes lubricated and moist, and which also provide much-needed nutrients to the cornea. Secondly are the Reflex tears that are triggered by irritants which wash away debris like dust and foreign objects, sooth our eyes from smoke, and prevent further irritation by giving our eyes time to heal up from the irritation. Amazingly too, Reflex tears contain antibodies to fight bacteria and avoid infection in our eyes. Finally, there are the Emotional tears which are released during times of strong emotions both positive and negative, such as anger, joy, sorrow, relief, fear, high stress, grief, and when something is felt deeply and needs expression. Emotional tears are a special gift of our creator God, because they contain protein-based hormones that act as natural painkillers; a higher protein content to strengthen the eyes and keep them healthy; neurotransmitters that effect the ability to remember, to learn, to focus and pay attention, and release harmful stress. Emotional tears are a divine gift because it helps us express ourselves in healthy ways that are difficult to express any other way. Regardless of the kind of tear, they all contain enzymes that promote healing and maintain the health of our eyes. All tears are basically a water-based liquid that contain .3 mg of salt which have electrolytes and salt particles like sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium. God is certainly the Lord of the Details when it comes to something as common yet complex as human tears.
“Blessed” = makarioi; a rich Greek word with many nuances, all in the context of enjoying God’s favor: fully satisfied; deeply joyful; delightfully content; profoundly happy; blissfully fulfilled. When Jesus declares that you are blessed, He is congratulating you, confidently affirming that God is active in your life. You are blessed when you put yourself in the position to be transformed by God. You are blessed, you are most fortunate, you are to be envied, because you now have the unexpected privilege of participating in the Kingdom of God. When you are blessed, you are aware that your blessedness does not depend on your outer circumstances. You are thus filled with hopeful joy. So when Jesus says that you are blessed, it is time to celebrate, for He is looking upon you with favor. In these Beatitudes, Jesus is saying that God wants us to be blessed, He is for us, He wants good to happen to us.
The Beatitude of Grief and Sorrow. (Please read Matthew 5:3-10.)
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. (5:3).
You will sigh with satisfying relief when your heart is broken by the profound pain of loss, shame or sin. You are fortunate! You are not alone! For the deeper your sorrow, the more room there is for God’s healing presence and comforting grace.
The wisdom of Jesus is sometimes perplexing. In this Beatitude He is essentially saying “Happy are you when you are sad! Celebrate when you grieve!”
Those who mourn are grieving with tears of brokenness:
- a sense of one’s own sinfulness in repentance and confession;
- a painful awareness of the brokenness of the world, the soiled creation, the presence of sin in other people;
- a grieving over someone else’s pain or difficulties;
- lamenting over one’s own loss of something or someone dear.
The 2nd Baptism. Yes, there are many reasons for those tears. Those tears were called the “Second Baptism” in the early church. Those tears can be cleansing and the start of new life. In these tears one finds that the soul is in pain with an open wound. Sometimes the wounds of loss and sin are healed rather quickly. Most often the wound is deeper and only gradually is healed. But there is a promise here. God will bring comfort in the form of His presence. Being the “man of sorrows,” He loves to be gracious to those who grieve. He knows what it means to suffer loss and to grieve over sin.
Let the Healing Begin. When we are in painful circumstances like those mentioned, God promises that we are in a position to welcome the Lord and start the healing process. The deeper the grief, the more profoundly God will reveal Himself in your broken heart. So when you mourn, you are to be envied! You are now in a position to be comforted. As Robert Smith once said, “Tears is a language God understands.” We see clearly from Jesus that God fully identifies with those with a broken heart. The Lord will collect tears of brokenness as liquid prayers that reach to the throne of heaven. “Can we find a friend so faithful, who will all our sorrows share? Jesus knows our every weakness – Take it to the Lord in prayer!” (Joseph Scriven).
“Rivers of tears gush from my eyes, because people disobey your instructions.” (Ps. 119:136).
O God, listen to my cry! Hear my prayer! From the ends of the earth, I cry to you for help when my heart is overwhelmed. Lead me to the towering rock of safety, for you are my safe refuge…” (Ps. 61:1-2).
“He will not crush the weakest reed or put out a flickering candle.” (Isaiah 42:3)
“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed.” (Ps. 34:18).
“Those who plant in tears will harvest with shouts of joy. They weep as they go plant their seed, but they will sing as they return with the harvest.” (Ps. 126:5-6).
“All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others.” (2 Corinthians 1:3-4).
“His favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.” (Ps. 30:5).
EMPTY. Congratulations, you’re running on empty! Now that’s not a blessing you hear every day. Those words seem to contradict themselves. When Jesus hand-delivered the Good News of the Kingdom, it’s no wonder the poor and broken flocked to Him. He told the unblessed that they were in a state of blessing. He told the disgraced that they were in a state of grace. He told the unfortunate that they were to celebrate their good fortune. Jesus encouraged the miserable not to be fooled by dire straits. Be grateful when you are at the end of your rope, Jesus is saying, for only then will you be able to touch the hem of His garment. The Beatitudes reveal the spiritual benefits of weakness, the blessings of emptiness. You are weak? That’s great! That’s a prelude to God’s strength and healing. You are empty? How fortunate! That will surely lead to fullness and satisfaction.