Mourning…

 

Mourning….

About 9 months after my husband’s passing, I started attending a Griefshare group offered by my church…it was a 13 week commitment of learning about grief, working through grief, moving on with life…not that we hadn’t been working on it beforehand…death of loved ones is a tremendous bump in life’s pathway…it can bring anger, denial, bitterness, joy for some, plus a multitude of other emotions and reactions…

David heard the report of Saul and Jonathan’s death on the battlefield…and he was grieved…his king, his best friend….

“Then David and all the men with him took hold of their clothes and tore them. They mourned and wept and fasted till evening for Saul and his son Jonathan, and for the army of the Lord and for the nation of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword.”

2Sam.1.11-12

David, the song writer, wrote a lament for their lives and deaths…choosing to remember the good of those men…2 Samuel 1: 17-27…

“It takes courage to lay aside hatred and hurt and to respect the positive side of another person, especially an enemy “ . Bible study notes…

 Blessed are those who mourn,for they will be comforted.

Matt.5.4

I thought of Jesus upon hearing of his friend Lazarus’ death…he called him out of the tomb …he told those around him that he, Jesus, was the life and resurrection…

 “After saying these things, he said to them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awaken him.” The disciples said to him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.” 

Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that he meant taking rest in sleep. 

Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus has died, and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. 

But let us go to him.” So Thomas, called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.” Now when Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles off, and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother. So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, but Mary remained seated in the house. 

Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” 

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” 

She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.” When she had said this, she went and called her sister Mary, saying in private, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.” And when she heard it, she rose quickly and went to him. Now Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was still in the place where Martha had met him. When the Jews who were with her in the house, consoling her, saw Mary rise quickly and go out, they followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to weep there. 

Now when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet, saying to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” 

When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled. And he said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” 

Jesus wept. 

So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man also have kept this man from dying?” 

Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days.” Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” So they took away the stone. 

And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me.” 

When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.” The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.””

John.11.11-44

Of course, David couldn’t do as Jesus did…but he could lament and mourn his friend… as we do our friends and family members…

But, we have hope in the resurrection of Jesus…

Thank YOU….

Up fro the grave He arose…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SdQmQwvbc4Q

Verses on mourning…

https://www.openbible.info/topics/mourning

https://www.griefshare.org