Comforting the sorrowful

Apr 22, 2016

By Daniel S. Mulhall
We hear in Isaiah 40:1: “‘Comfort, give to my people,’ says your God.”

A comment often said about Jesus was that he came to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable. While the comment may be simplistic, there are certainly many examples in the Scriptures where Jesus comforts those who are sorrowful.

This message of Jesus echoes the statements about God the Father found throughout the Old Testament, especially in the Psalms and the prophetic books, and that found in numerous places throughout the Acts of the Apostles and the Epistles.

Jesus begins his teaching in Matthew with the Sermon on the Mount. One group he blesses is those in need of comfort, Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted (Mt 5:4).

In Mark, we hear that Jesus is moved to compassion because of the plight of a woman suffering for years from a haemorrhage (Mk 5:21-34). In Mark 9:14-29, Jesus heals the boy with convulsions. The boy’s father pleads with Jesus, “But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” To which Jesus responds: “Everything is possible to one who has faith.”

The chapter ends with Jesus telling his disciples — who could not heal the boy — that such work can only be done through prayer.

The story that may best illustrate how Jesus gave comfort to those who were hurting can be found in John 11. Someone dear to Jesus, Lazarus, the brother of Mary and Martha, had taken ill. When Jesus finally arrived in Bethany (John said he waited two days to go) Lazarus was dead, and everyone was in tears, including Jesus.

John 11:35 reads: “And Jesus wept.” Jesus then proceeds to call Lazarus to arise out of the tomb and return to life.

A few consistent themes arise from Jesus’ words and actions in the Gospel accounts for those who seek to live out the spiritual work of mercy “comforting the sorrowful” (also known as comforting the afflicted).

First, when we comfort those who hurt, we are acting as both God the Father and Jesus have acted.

In 2 Corinthians 1:3-4, we are told: “Blessed be the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the father of compassion and God of all encouragement, who encourages us in our every affliction, so that we may be able to encourage those who are in any affliction with the encouragement with which we ourselves are encouraged by God.”

In order to provide comfort, the Christian first needs to be moved with compassion. We are called, not only to be there to help those in need but, we are also called to feel their pain and to journey with them.

If they weep, then we, too, should weep. More than doing good things for people, this work of mercy calls us to be the presence of God in their lives.