Luke 6:21b Blessed are those who weep now, for you shall laugh.
The third beatitude gives another pair of opposites. This beatitude echoes the second one in Matthew 5:4. The words weep and mourn are used in the same verse in 6:25 and are similar in meaning. Weeping often has the connotation of mourning that results in tears. Tears express the deep grief one feels with a loss. We can experience loss in many ways, including the death of a loved one or friend, the loss of a job or something valuable, the diagnosis of an illness or the pain that goes with it, not being able to see someone we love, the cancellation of an important event, or many other things. Out of a deep sense of compassion and care, we may also weep for those who have experienced a loss, pain, or their own sorrow. In the context of Jesus’ ministry, the weeping could also come for the realization of one’s sins and desperate need of God’s forgiveness. James 4:9-10 connects weeping and mourning to humility before God. This type of desperation shows one’s sincere repentance.
The blessing comes as a future promise of laughing. It is difficult to think about laughing when one is sad. God can and will help us to change our focus from our loss to joy. The joy of the Lord becomes our strength (Nehemiah 8:10). Being a Christian is not gloomy, depressing, or a deprivation. It should be joy so great that we burst forth in laughter. The new life we receive from God should replace the struggles and pains that are common to all people. The way to experience this begins with trust, humility, and genuine seeking for God’s love, grace, and forgiveness. There is enough in this life that pulls us down. We need to experience the joy and laughter that are part of God’s kingdom. The laughter does not come at the expense of others, like the humor of the world, but comes from a deep joy that comes only from having Jesus as Lord.
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