Christian Mourning

We live in an era where all mourning and sadness are regarded as fundamentally bad. To a certain degree this is in line with a biblical worldview for we know that in the heavenly state there will be no more tears, crying, or pain (Rev. 21:4). Even though mourning and crying are regarded as aspects of a fallen world, there is still a place for them in the Christian life.

In fact, mourning is sometimes the right, godly, and necessary response to situations. Though we would never choose to mourn as if it were enjoyable in itself, unquestionably the path to true joy in God sometimes travels through deep valleys of sorrow. This was true of the life of our Lord, the ‘man of sorrows’ (Is. 53:3) who for the joy set before Him endured the cross (Heb. 12:2), and it is true for us as well. How did the authors of Scripture present godly sorrow in their writings? There are at least three categories in which they present righteous mourning.

First, Christians ought to mourn over their own sins. James, as he rebuked the Christians to whom he wrote, instructed them regarding repentance in light of their adulterous love for the world (Jas. 4:4). He wrote: “Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be miserable and mourn and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you” (James 4:7-10). This act of mourning is not redemptive or propitiatory—we do not save ourselves—rather, it is line with the gracious salvation described elsewhere in the New Testament (cf. Luke 18:9-14). The Christian, when struck by the reality of his own defiant corruption against the good and gracious God, cannot help but mourn. Such perversity in our persons is appalling. This is Christian mourning.

Second, Christians are called to mourn over the sins of others. Paul, writing to the Corinthians, said that they had become arrogant instead of mourning over the sin of a man in the church (1 Cor. 5:2). We must understand that every persons sin affects others as well—a little leaven leavens the whole loaf (1 Cor. 5:6, Gal. 5:9), which is to say that sin spreads when it is not addressed. Even Christ Himself wept over the sad state of Jerusalem, which did not know ‘the things that make for peace’ (Luke 19:41-44). Seeing the continued rebellion of our fellow man against our loving God is saddening because the insurrection is against the worthy King, who ought to be worshipped. The replacement of sin for God’s deserved praise is truly tragic—things ought not be this way.

Third, there is a godly manner in which Christians can and ought to mourn over losses and pain. This is probably the least familiar and least favorable type of mourning in our lives today. Nevertheless, Scripture says that “it is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting, because that is the end of every man, and the living takes it to heart” (Eccles. 7:2). The losses that we experience in this life prevent us from getting too comfortable here, so that we may continually long for the heavenly state where God’s presence forever drives away sadness, pain, and death. The difficulty of this life keeps our perspective rightly on the ‘things above’ (Col. 3:1-2).

--Dean of Admissions