March 2025

How can I be happy when I’m crying? “Blessed are those who mourn.” Matthew 5:4 Be happy while you’re crying? I don’t think so. Most tears come because of sorrow. People usually cry because something important to them has gone horribly wrong. But Jesus says that Christians are happy even when they’re crying. To understand what Jesus is saying, one must first understand why Christians cry. Christians cry for many of the same reasons everyone else cries. They cry at funerals. They cry when someone has been cruel to them. They cry when they hear a very sad story. Christians can cry when they realize how horribly they have hurt someone. The burden of guilt weighs heavily on their hearts and brings them to tears. Christians can cry when they think of bad things they have done. They know that they deserve nothing from God but a punishment that never ends. So where is the happiness? Happiness is in knowing that while we deserve only the worst from God, he has given us only the best. When we mourn because of guilt, our Savior dries our moist eyes. When hearts are heavy with sadness, Jesus puts his hand under our chins and lifts our eyes to see his cross, where he made all our guilt, and all the sorrow connected to that guilt his own. Jesus looks at you and me and says, “Be at peace. Your guilt is gone.” Christians still cry, but Christians find comfort in the midst of their tears. This comfort is for you too. It is a comfort that brings calm in the face of all kinds of tears. Jesus gives you the peace of knowing that death does not mean defeat. Jesus assures you that being mistreated by others does not mean God has abandoned you. Jesus fills you with the sure hope that all the hurt and evil in this world is not the end of everything. Can there be happiness even when you are crying? Yes, because Jesus is your comfort.