Comfort – Parakaleo
Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Matthew 5:4
Mourn.
In an era of hyperbole, perhaps we have lost the meaning of mourning.
It is not a response to inconvenience or frustration.
It is a response to suffering and injustice, knowing that sin is the root cause of both.
It is a realization of what awful price my own sin cost my Lord and yet I choose to sin again and again.
It is a resignation that things will not change until the Kingdom comes in its fullness and God reigns on earth as He does in heaven.
It is having a heart broken
For loss and separation.
For justice denied or justice that will not come.
For corruption of morals and character.
For the mistreatment of the innocent and the cowardice that fails to defend them.
Mourning is not fleeting or shallow.
Across distance or time, it connects our heart with the heart of another
And with the heart of God Himself.
And then He sends comfort.
The Greek root word is parakaleo.
The same word is used for the Holy Spirit when Jesus promised His coming in John’s gospel.
The Holy Spirit moves us to pray, to give, to reach out,
To be the hands and feet of Jesus in a world that is suffering.
When we do that … the Kingdom is that much nearer.
PS – Parakaleo is one of my favorite words/ concepts in the New Testament. It makes a great study. Hmmm. In fact, it would make a good retreat topic. If you want to know more about retreats, or how to do one for yourself, check out this ebook The Personal Worship Retreat Guide.