Blessed Are Those Who Mourn - The Plight of Hagar

00:00:00 Speaker 1: Blest are those who mourn, for they will be comforted Matthew five four. Dear Lord, you see us. You see us in our highest moments of victory, but also in our darkest moments of mourning. You've seen the depths of our grief, in the gloomy moments and dark storms of life. You offer comfort in moments of mourning, when our hearts are heavy and our spirits are crushed. Wrap us in the warmth of your love. Let us feel your presence as a comforting embrace, reminding us that we are not alone in our grief. You are close to the broken hearted, a faithful friend who understands our pain and catches every tear we shed. Grant us the grace to navigate our sorrow, trusting that through the darkness of loss, your light shines the brightest, guiding us toward healing. May we find soulas in the community of believers, sharing in each other's burdens and lifting each other in prayer. Transform our mourning into dancing and our sorrow into joy as we cling to the hope of eternal life with you, where every tear will be wiped away until that day. Keep us in the comfort of your love, secure in the promise that in our mourning we are blessed, for we shall be comforted in Jesus name. Amen. Thank you for praying with me today. You're listening to the Jesus Podcast, Gospel Stories told to awaken your imagination and challenge your faith. Remain here for another episode inspired by the Sermon on the Mount. If you want to support this podcast, share it with a few friends. We want everyone to be impacted by the story of Jesus. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus began with a shout. The sea of faces leaned in, ready to receive Jesus' words, like rain on parched earth. His voice was steady and authoritative. He had just begun the greatest sermon ever preached, an oration that would be etched upon hearts for all eternity. He started with an encouragement, an anthem for the poor and spirit. Those who lack in this world would be rich in the Kingdom of God. God's provision would satisfy those deprived, humble, and needy. The wind picked up, bringing in fresh air from the coast. It was a sign of new things to come. Jesus continued to preach to them, saying, Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. 00:03:45 Speaker 2: When you feel forgotten, cast aside, and without hope, know that there's a God who sees you. He knows your every thought, and has kept every tear you've ever shed in a bottle. We don't worship but distant God who's far away, but a God who's near to us and longs to embrace us. This is the Jesus Podcast. I'm ethanfrompray dot Com. Welcome to another episode connecting the Sermon on the Mount with other stories throughout the Bible. If you haven't yet taken a moment to follow the podcast, make sure to do so. If we've brought value to your walk with Christ, consider supporting us by sharing it with a friend or leaving a review. Today, we'll take a look at mourning, loss and insecurity. How does God meet us in our despair, in our searching our sorrow. Our focus will be on Matthew chapter five, verse four, which reads, Blest are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. We'll see how this profound statement finds its reflection in the story of Hagar found in Genesis chapter sixteen. We'll explore the depth of Jesis. This is promise of comfort to those who mourn, and how we can embody these values in our daily lives. 00:05:08 Speaker 1: The Lord had promised Abram and SARAHI a son. He declared that their descendants would outnumber the stars in the sky. But years had passed, and that promise seemed like a dream, an unfulfilled and unforgotten dream. Years stacked upon themselves like stones upon a tomb. Sarah's hope for conceiving a child blew away like sand in the wind. 00:05:39 Speaker 3: Perhaps God has forgotten. 00:05:41 Speaker 1: Us, Sarah whispered beside the fire. She looked at her husband, desperate for comfort. He didn't offer it. He was too confused in his grief to see hers. 00:05:56 Speaker 3: Maybe this isn't the way. Maybe we need to move god God's plans along. 00:06:02 Speaker 1: Abram looked at his wife curiously. She had his attention. Sarah rubbed her arms and looked away. She wanted him to hold her, to tell her that it would be all right. She wanted his adoring hands on her shoulder and a reassuring reminder that he loved her despite being childless. But instead he just stood there. 00:06:31 Speaker 3: If I can't give you a child, then maybe it's time to take a different route. The Lord has been silent since he gave you that promise, Abram, and I'm tired of waiting. I'm too old to waste away waiting for a promise that may never be fulfilled. 00:06:47 Speaker 1: Abram tilted his head to the side, examining his wife closely. Surely she wasn't suggesting to be with another woman. 00:06:57 Speaker 2: What are you saying, uh, exactly, I'm saying that another should carry the child in my place. 00:07:04 Speaker 3: The Lord has kept me from having children, so you should sleep with another to fulfill his promise. 00:07:10 Speaker 1: Sarah arched her back and walked to the entrance of the tent. She lifted the flap and pointed to her servant, Hagar. 00:07:19 Speaker 3: Hagar will do it, conceive through her and fulfill God's promise to us. 00:07:24 Speaker 1: Abram looked at Hagar drawing water from a basin to feed the animals. She was a sleigh from Egypt, a part of Pharaoh's gift to him. After a misunderstanding regarding Sarah, Abraham didn't stop to consider what his wife needed. He should have asked Sarah why she was saying these things. He should have pressed further into her heart. He should have listened to the hurt in her voice as she spoke, But instead he jumped at the opportunity. 00:08:00 Speaker 4: Very well, my love, if this is what you want, then I shall do it. 00:08:06 Speaker 1: It was certainly no sacrifice on Abram's part. His inattentiveness would ultimately be his undoing. He was repeating the sins of Adam. His wife offered him sin, and he took it with a callous tone. Sarah shouted to. 00:08:25 Speaker 3: Her servant, Hagar, come over here. 00:08:29 Speaker 1: Sarah commanded Hagar to bear a child to her and Abraham. It wasn't a request, but a demand. Hagar became a concubine, an undefined and awkward hybrid of slave and wife. She was given an honorable role in the family, but didn't have the love and protection of marriage. She would conceive a son, but wouldn't be his mother. That night, Abram and Hagar conceived a child. It wasn't an act of love or a sacred moment of divine favor. Hagar was a tool of impatience and negligence. Months passed, the child conceived within Hagar grew, However, bitterness grew along with it. As Hagar's womb expanded with Abram's son, she had to watch SARAHI receive love, favor, and authority within the household. 00:09:39 Speaker 3: I am the one giving him a son. Why am I still considered a slave while she gets to lounge at the table next to him. 00:09:46 Speaker 1: Hagar's blood boiled at her situation. She had the aches and pains in her back, she had the nausea and morning sickness. She had sleepless nights and tightness in her belly, yet she wasn't even allowed to sit at the family table. Tension between Hagar and Sarah grew with each passing day. Sarah thought that the guarantee of having a child would bring her peace, but like anyone who tries to speed up God's plans, she felt woefully empty. 00:10:23 Speaker 3: She hates me, or worse, she thinks she's better than me. 00:10:28 Speaker 1: Sarah shot Hagar a skeptical glare. Hagar returned with a bitter eye roll and turn. 00:10:34 Speaker 3: Oh, say what you want to say, Hagar, I don't need to say. 00:10:39 Speaker 1: Anything, Hagar gestured to her pregnant belly. She scoffed and turned her face away. Hagar's ere came from a deep well of hurt and a sense of powerlessness. She had been treated like an object, and now she was going to be robbed of her child cast aside. 00:11:01 Speaker 3: I'm the one who can conceive, so why do you get the honor of being the mother? This child is mine. 00:11:07 Speaker 1: Sarah was fuming. She thought she could create shortcuts for God's blessing. Sarah thought that having Hagar carry her child would satisfy the longing of her heart. 00:11:21 Speaker 5: She was wrong. 00:11:24 Speaker 1: Sarah's little experiment costs the family their sanity. Sarah stormed into Abram's tent and began to. 00:11:32 Speaker 3: Scream, this is all your fault. 00:11:36 Speaker 1: She beat her fist against Abram's chest in frustration. 00:11:40 Speaker 3: You're responsible for the wrong I'm suffering. I put my slave in your arms, and you just welcomed her without any questions, didn't you? You didn't care, You didn't ask me why some leader you are no wonder. God hasn't given you a son. Look at the mess you've made. She's pregnant and hates me. May God be the judge between you and me. 00:12:05 Speaker 1: Sarah's anger toward Abram wasn't entirely unfounded. He shouldn't have compromised he shouldn't have been so careless. Instead of repenting and seeking God, Abram repeated his patterns of thoughtlessness. He repeated the sins of many husbands, choosing swift solutions overunderstanding and heartfelt curiosity. 00:12:29 Speaker 4: Don't you dare put this on me. I don't want any part of this squabble. She's your slave. Do whatever you think is best. 00:12:37 Speaker 1: Abram didn't consider his wife's heart or the well being of Hagar. They both needed comfort, and Abram was too ignorant to offer it. Sarah left the tent and grabbed one of the goads. With frustrated tears, Sarah yelled and swung downward at Hagar. 00:13:00 Speaker 3: Worthless, Worthless, she. 00:13:06 Speaker 1: Screamed, coupled with a blow to Hagar's face. 00:13:09 Speaker 3: I'm grateful, she. 00:13:11 Speaker 1: Yelled, aiming the goat at Hagar's legs. Sarah, I may have been hurting Hagar, but she was angry at herself. She knew deep down that she had done this to herself, but instead of admitting her mistakes, she chose to lash out at Hagar. Sarah's cruelty and insecurity collided with Hagar's pride and bitterness. It was a perfect storm. Sarah frantically swung the ox goat, breaking pots and knocking over baskets. 00:13:49 Speaker 3: Sarah, stop, get away. 00:13:51 Speaker 5: You're going to. 00:13:52 Speaker 3: Hurt my baby. Your baby, That child is mine. You wouldn't have it if it weren't for me. 00:13:59 Speaker 1: Sarah swung again, this time hitting Hagar in the temple and knocking her back into a pile of firewood. Sarah stopped when she saw the blood drip down Hagar's face. She saw her cruelty reflected in Hagar's terrified eyes. Hagar wasted no time. She leaped to her feet and ran away, barefoot, without extra clothes or water skin. Hagar fled for her life. Sarah screamed and watched her leave. She fell to her knees and wept. She fell into a ball on the ground. Ashamed, alone and without comfort, Hagar stumbled down the jagged hill into the sand. Her feet were torn to shreds from the rocks, and her lips were parched. 00:15:00 Speaker 3: Thirst I'll return to Egypt. Maybe I can return to the house of Pharaoh. 00:15:06 Speaker 1: But the back country behind Canaan was desolate. There was no shade, and the road to sure was treacherous. In the late stages of pregnancy. There was no guarantee she would make it another day on the road. Hagar limped a few miles before collapsing at a spring off the beaten bath. She dipped her hand in the water and trickled some on the back of her neck. She drank from her palm, tears pulling from her face and into the water. 00:15:41 Speaker 3: Oh, is there no comfort for me? Doesn't anyone see my pain? 00:15:49 Speaker 1: Hagar had been a sleigh her whole life. She thought following Abram would be different. She thought she was going to be done with the cruelty of Egypt, done with the whips and beatings. Hagar leaned her head against the wet stone of the spring. She sighed and slowly drifted to sleep. 00:16:14 Speaker 5: Hegar. 00:16:15 Speaker 1: A gentle voice awoke Hagar from her deep sleep. Hegar, the voice said again. The voice felt familiar, but Hagar was certain she had never heard it before. Hagar slowly opened her eyes. The silhouette of a man against the setting sun stood above her. Leaning against the stone and looking down, he repeated her name. His voice was tender, like the first warm breeze of spring that caresses the face, promising new beginnings and the thawing of the coldest winters. 00:16:58 Speaker 5: Hagar, have you come from and where are you going? 00:17:04 Speaker 1: Hagar arched her back and held her belly. She wiped her eyes and said. 00:17:10 Speaker 3: Are you running away from my mistress Sarah? I have nowhere to go. I'm going to die here. 00:17:17 Speaker 1: The air shifted slightly around her. Hagar looked up, realizing that it wasn't a mere man standing beside her. It was the Lord. 00:17:29 Speaker 5: Go back to your mistress, Hagar, But what about my baby. I will increase your descendants so much that they would be too numerous to count. 00:17:41 Speaker 1: Hagar's eyes widened at the thought. She knew that was one of God's promises to Abram and Sarah. Now in the middle of the desert, Hagar was receiving a similar blessing with a voice like the sound of rushing waters. The Lord said to Hagar. 00:18:01 Speaker 5: You are pregnant with a son. His name shall be Ishmael. For the Lord has heard you in your misery. The Lord sees you. He will be a wild donkey of a man. His hands will be against everyone, and every one's hands against him. He will live in hostility towards his brothers. 00:18:27 Speaker 3: I know Abram has a name for you. But I have my own name for you. You are the God who sees me. 00:18:35 Speaker 1: The Angel of the Lord smiled and nodded his head to Hagar. The sun's golden rays fell behind the valley's edge. As the final light faded from view, so did he. Hagar's heart fluttered in her chest. The God of creation had visited her in that lonely place. His words brought comfort to her. Hagar's son would become a great nation. Although struggle awaited them, there was comfort in knowing that God saw them. They weren't forgotten and cast aside. She looked around at the grass surrounding the spring. 00:19:24 Speaker 3: I have seen the one who sees me. I shall call this place bar LEIROI. 00:19:31 Speaker 1: Hagar lifted herself and drew a few deep breaths. She drank from the spring again to replenish her strength, then returned to camp. She bore a son, and Abram named him Ishmael. Years later, God would comfort Sarah in her brokenness as well. She would bear the son of promise, Isaac, which means laughter. Both women, neglected and alone, were comforted by the presence of God. Their mourning was turned to laughter. God saw them, God knew them. God redeemed them. Blest are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. This beatitude speaks to the heart of Jesus's message of compassion and empathy. Mourning, in this context extends beyond grieving a loss. It encompasses sorrow of her sin, suffering injustice, and the brokenness in the world. Jesus promises here that those who experience such sorrow in turn to God will receive divine comfort. This comfort is not just an emotional relief, but a profound, transformative assurance of God's presence and love. To be a citizen of Heaven is to live with the character of Jesus, feeling deeply for the pain of the world and offering solace and hope through God's promises. Now let's turn to the story of Hagar, found in Genesis chapter sixteen. Hagar's story is one of sorrow, abandonment, and ultimately divine comfort. Hagar was an Egyptian maid servant of SARAHI later Sarah Abram's later Abraham's wife. When Sarah could not conceive, she gave Hagar to Abram to bear a child. Hagar conceived, but her pregnancy led to tension and conflict resulting in Sarah and mistreating her. In her distress, Hagar fled to the desert. In Genesis chapter sixteen, verses seven, we read the Angel of the Lord found Hagar near a spring in the desert. It was the spring that is beside the road to shore. And he said, Hagar, slave of Sarai, where have you come from and where are you going? I'm running away from my mistress Sarai. 00:22:16 Speaker 2: She answered. Then the Angel of the Lord told her, go back to your mistress and submit to her. The angel added, I will increase your descendants so much that they will be too numerous to count. In her mourning, Hagar encountered the Angel of the Lord, who provided her with comfort and hope. He reassured her of God's presence and promised a future for her and her son, Ishmael. Hagar's story is a testament to God's compassion and faithfulness. Even in her lowest moment, she found divine comfort and strength to carry on. How can we live out the values and truths taught in Matthew chapter five, verse four and Hagar's story in our everyday lives? How can we be those who mourn well instead of wallowing in despair. First, we must acknowledge and embrace our sorrow. Just as Hagar did not hide her distress, we should not shy away from our own sorrow or the sorrow of others. Whether it's morning of a personal loss, relational strife, or the brokenness in our world. Acknowledging our pain is the first step toward healing. I'm reminded of King David, who wasn't just a warrior, but a poet. He knew how to acknowledge his negative emotions. He gave them words and his psalms of lament in Psalm twenty two, verses fourteen and fifteen, David is vivid in describing his feelings. I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. My heart has turned to wax. It is melted within me. My mouth is dried up like a pot shirt, and my tongue sticks to the roof of myn You lay me in the dust of death. David knew how to acknowledge his feelings of pain and anguish, and he didn't hold back. But there's a key element in sharing our emotions and hurts. David went to God first. He wasn't venting his feelings to any stranger who would listen. He was going to the only one who would know his pain. This leads us to our next point, which is to seek God's comfort over man's. This doesn't mean you can't go to loved ones when you are in need. God has provided you with a community for a reason. But it is Jesus who swings the tides of tragedy. It is he who calms the storms and heals the leper. Before you rush to the arms of people, feel the embrace of your heavenly Father. Next, we are called to trust in God's promises. What's the difference between godly mourning and despair? One word hope. Romans Chapter five, verses three through five says this. Not only this, but we also celebrate in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance and perseverance, proven character, and proven character. Hope and hope does not disappoint because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who is given to us. We don't weep as victims of tragedy. We mourn as people who feel deeply but also know that there is hope Hangar's encounter with the Angel reminds us of God's faithfulness in our times of sorrow. We should hold on to God's promises, knowing that He is with us and has a plan for our future. Next, we must live with empathy. We are called to be a commune that supports one another through life's challenges. This means creating a safe space for people to express their grief and offering the support they need to find comfort and hope in God. Sarah was mourning the lack of a child and desperately needed comfort. Unfortunately, Abram was too oblivious to see it. Sometimes people who suffer can't see the suffering of others. Their hurt blinds them to the needs of others. May this never be so with us. Mourning for the brokenness of the world means living with a heart of empathy. We should actively seek to understand and alleviate the pain of those around us, advocating for justice, mercy, and love in all of our interactions. As we reflect on Jesus's words, Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted, and the story of Hagar's divine encounter in the desert let us embrace the depth of God's comfort and extend it to others. May we, as citizens of Heaven live with the character of Jesus, feeling deeply for the sorrows of the world and offering the hope and comfort that comes from our heavenly Father. Let us pray for the strength to be both recipients and givers of God's profound comfort. Thanks again for listening. If you haven't yet followed or subscribed to our podcast, be sure to do so. It makes sure you never miss an episode, but it also helps us get discovered by more people. Thanks for joining us.