A death had occurred. Family and friends of the deceased were gathered together. The pastor called for prayer. He called upon the Lord to comfort the mourners, as per His promise in Matthew 5: 3. It reads “Blessed are they who mourn, for they shall be comforted.”

No doubt, the Lord hurts when we do. Remember Jesus weeping in front of Lazarus’ grave? And no doubt the Lord’s comforting is available, even if the asking for it is based on a promise taken out of context.

The first time I came across the above verse, I too thought it had to do with grieving over a death. But when I found that “blessing” usually means “happiness,” I wondered how someone could be happy about a death, even if there was comforting from above.

Being blessed, though, can also mean finding oneself in a “fortunate state of being.” This definition too didn’t seem to fit with a deceased loved one. But it does seem to be the more appropriate meaning within the context of chapter five. Its context is “being in a right relationship with God.”

What also helps is to understand what the “mourning” is all about. Of course, mourning means to experience deep grief. But because chapter five is a scenario of spiritual blessings, the mourning is not over a death. The chapter instead indicates mourning over a sin committed.

People who recognize their sin and who grieve over it, normally will repent and ask for forgiveness and healing. In doing so, they find themselves in a fortunate state of being. This is due to the comforting happiness and peace that God bestows upon those who are in a right relationship with Him.

The Source of all blessings says, “These are the ones I look on with favor: those who are humble and contrite in spirit, and who tremble at my word” (Isaiah 66:2).