We here at Rogues & Kingdom men would like to extend our condolences and our sorrowful prayers towards Pastor Chad Scruggs who lost his beautiful little girl, the congregation at Covenant Presbyterian Church, the Covenant School and all those who lost loved ones in Monday’s tragic event where three 9-year-old students and three school staff members were murdered by a former student of the school.
The Lord said that the mourners in this age would be blessed for they will be comforted (Matthew 5:4). No one would in those days and in ours would attribute blessing to a mourner. Someone who mourns is someone who has generally suffered loss and not gain, sorrow and not joy. Isaiah prepared the way for this coming enigma. The comfort of the mourner was a sign that the Messiah had come. Those who awaited the coming of the Messiah were expecting that He would bring comfort to the broken hearted in this world especially to His people. We are told in Isaiah 61:1-2 that not only would He bring good news, but that He would bind up the broken hearted (v.1), proclaim liberty and freedom (v.1) and in the context of our verse, that He would comfort those who mourn (v.2). Isaiah continues to declare that the Messiah would:
To grant those who mourn in Zion,
Giving them a garland instead of ashes,
The oil of gladness instead of mourning,
The mantle of praise instead of a spirit of fainting.
So they will be called oaks of righteousness,
The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified. (Isaiah 61:3)
Rest assured that our mourning will turn to praise because in it, God will be glorified! As grievers, we will experience that great day of comfort when Jesus will wipe every tear from our eye and all our mourning will turn to rejoicing.
Brothers & Sisters, we mourn with you this day and you are in our prayers!
With Love,
Your brothers in Christ
RKM