“Blessed are those who mourn for they will be comforted” (Matthew 5:4).


The Reason We Go to Church

The essence of the Christian faith is not prosperity in the worldly sense but becoming like Jesus and reaching full maturity in Him. Yet in the immigrant church in particular, because of the language and cultural differences at the job, being hard-pressed financially, the never ceasing strife at home, and broken relationships even within the church, there are less and less people who have a true peace of mind. There are many who spend sleepless nights in tears and in constant anxiety. The primary reason why most immigrant Christians go to church, according to the expression in our text is to be comforted when in mourning.

God affirmed through the Prophet Jeremiah, "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart" (Jeremiah 29:11-13). Jesus also in His Sermon on the Mount promised, "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you shall find; knock and the door will be opened to you...If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask Him!" (Matthew 7:7-11)

The question then we must ask ourselves is has all of our problems been solved and hurts comforted each time we've prayed earnestly? Or has it been the case that nothing has improved; rather you were plagued by anxiety in your heart? We know that not only the U.S. but the global economy is in peril right now. All are hard-pressed to make a living in this competitive market that even the most faithful may find themselves sinking with doubt and worry. But if the Christian truly believes that Jesus is with them, though they may not expect material prosperity in excess, shouldn't they at least maintain a peace of mind when facing such hardship?

The reason why we still have anxiety and worry even after we do all we can to praise and pray is because we have a false understanding of the comfort God gives. Most of us, whether we are going through a mental hurt (emotional pain) or a physical ailment, find peace only after our prayers are answered. We also have a wrong notion that God's answers must come bigger and better, or else it is of no use. We are stubborn enough to believe that God should work faster, bigger, with greater ease, than when we ourselves or a non-christian tries to resolve the same issue.

We expect God to serve our whims as if He is a drive thru of a fast food joint. In other words, a Christian's image of the Almighty God is the God who merely works in greater excess than what we have prayed for. In other words, He is one who …answers prayer but within the boundaries we have set, but better and bigger. But in truth, God is not a God who merely exceeds our prayer requests, but a God who is wholly other, One who surpasses our human understanding and therefore acts in ways that are totally outside of our box.

The definition of exceeding

"Exceeding" is when there is a preset goal that is overcome in quality and quantity. It is when the prayer request of the Christian is not only granted to a T but in a greater and better measure. "Exceeding" is when a person who has a monthly salary of two thousand dollars prays that they need at least three thousand dollars a month to get by, and in response to his prayer his salary increases to five thousand or ten thousand dollars per month. It is merely an increase in numbers. Of course three thousand and one and three thousand and two dollars also fit the definition of "exceeding" but even if there was an increase of salary to $10,000 or $100,000 it is still “exceeding” and not “surpassing”.

The Conversion of Spurgeon

Spurgeon, the great British preacher of the Gospel was a kind of spiritual prodigy. No man is born a spiritual genius, what is meant is that his deeds and life befit such a description. He was born into a generation of pastors and read countless books on faith and spirituality at an early age. He had read "the Pilgrim's Progress" by John Bunyan at least one hundred times in his lifetime. At the age of fourteen he had already written a book that exposed the hidden corruption of the papal system of the Roman Catholic Church.

All this to say that when he grew past the age of fifteen, he began to have a deep revelation of his sinful state. In the eyes of others this young man was beyond reproach. Yet he himself felt that before the holiness and magnitude of God, he was full of filth and utterly worthless. More and more he dove into self-loathing and abuse. In response he tried all the more to stop sinning. Yet the harder he tried, the stronger his sin took hold of him to the point where he was trapped in a vicious cycle of falling deeper into transgression. Although he struggled to cover up his sin with good works and charity, there was still no peace in his heart.

One Sunday, a heavy snowstorm kept him from attending his home church. Instead he had to go to a small nameless (?) church nearby. Confidentially the pastor of this nameless church was stuck in traffic because of the heavy snow. As a result a lay member was leading the service of a meager ten people. The layman didn't have any time to prepare a sermon and was called to preach at the last minute. He
read from Isaiah 45:22 "Turn to me and be saved, all you ends of the earth, for I am God, and there is no other." After reading the passage he began to shout repeatedly, "There is no salvation other than Jesus Christ! Look to Jesus! Look to Jesus! Look to Jesus!"

Something amazing happened. Spurgeon's eyes started to well up and the wondrous love of God like rushing waters swept over him from the depth of his inner man. The soul that had been lost in the black hole of utter despair full of guilt was lifted out by the powerful hand of God. It was at that moment he felt the real Presence of Christ close to him and Christ’s love of complete acceptance just as he was, even though he was full of sin. He received full assurance that God in His infinite grace washed white his sins that were as crimson.

God indeed works in mysterious ways. What He has planned for His people He will indeed accomplish though it take the shaking of the heavens. What do you suppose was Spurgeon's state of mind before encountering God that morning? One could probably guess that he might have been full of complaint and doubt towards God. He surely could have been upset that he wasn't able to attend his regular church. Perhaps there was a famous revivalist speaking that day or an appointment with the head pastor. Perhaps he was at the end of his road of ceaselessly striving to unburden himself of his guilt so that if he could not see the light at the end of the tunnel after attending church as a last resort, he would have given up on faith altogether.

It might even have been possible that he was complaining, “Why God, on a day like today did You send this snowstorm? I will attend service at this nameless church since there are no other options, but if I falter from my faith it is no longer my fault but Yours. Whatever happens, may God see my devotion to keep the Sabbath and may this worship be full of His holiness. Yet, why did You lead me to this small church? The pastor is not even here and I have to listen to this terrible preacher shouting at the top of his lungs.”

Unexpectedly it was at that exact moment God used a mere lay person to break the heart of this spiritual genius and to completely transform his life, simply by the words “Look to Jesus!” Spurgeon would never have guessed it. It was exactly when he was full of bitterness towards God that God turned it around and made him surrender completely. This was something altogether outside of the ordinary, totally different from what he had expected; it was something wholly other- a miracle that "surpasses" knowledge, rather than a miracle of "excess."

A Goosebumps Experience

A person experiencing how God works in miracles that "surpasses" our knowledge, would say something like “It sent chills down my spine" or "It gave me the Goosebumps.” This is not because what has just taken place invites fear, but amazement, wonder, and awe. Such miracles could never have been done by the world or man. It's the case where you’re trapped on all fronts, absolutely unable to breakthrough by your own strength, and then something amazing happens, something that is not possible even by coincidence. Our spirits are transformed from infinite despair to infinite hope in a split second. The only one who can remove a person from one end of eternity to the other end in an instant is the infinite God.

That is exactly why we clearly realize without a doubt that this could have only been done by God. A third person need not even give a hint or teach us. We can merely surrender before His awesome Holy Presence by kneeling and worshiping Him. Moreover His mercies and compassion overflow to an abundance that we cannot help but praise and thank Him.

Paul confessed, “Although I am less than the least of all God’s people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things” (Ephesians 3:8). He commanded the saints in Ephesus that they “may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge- that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God” (V. 18-19). His prayer is not a request for the Christian to try to measure the love of Christ as if you can put a number on it. No doubt, Christ’s love is so abundant in both quantity and quality, but Paul wanted the saints to know that God's love is a "surpassing" love, one that is impossible to measure. Just as Paul expressed, how could a mere man put a ruler to the fullness of God's love? We as mere humans can only ask that the fullness of His love fill us, and after being filled to know that we can never even begin to fathom its width, length, height, and
depth.

"Excess" however, regardless of how great it is in quantity is able to be measured. No matter how great a number is it can be fathomed by the human mind. Even the measure infinity is used in mathematical equations. But the way God works surpasses even the "excess” of infinity. It is not possible to measure Him and His works. You cannot even imagine what is immeasurable. It is comparable to how a two or year old would never even think of the times table let alone understand it. That is how great God's ways are. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts" (Isaiah 55:8-10).

That we cannot even begin to fathom God's ways means in its flipside that man in his will can never hinder God’s supernatural grace and peace that flows from above. Once He starts to work and interfere just as when a bulwark collapses, the tides come rushing in and fills the person completely. There is no such thing as receiving a half-baked grace of God, nor does He allow even humility to get in the way of experiencing God’s overpowering love. All of our confidence, pride, dignity, and ego that we normally strut about in front of the world and others are scrunched up like piece of trash and thrown away. Through the fullness of Him who fills us in every way, our hearts are joyous yet tearful, mourning yet joyous. We cry out of the sheer awesome love of God and simultaneously out of mourning for how poor our spirits are. All the while the fact that this Eternal Absolute Being came to visit us and bestow so much love to us transforms us to see ourselves in a different light than before- and knowing how precious we are for the first time gives us immense joy. No wonder why Christians seem like crazy fanatics and big softies to the outside world. In contrast the Christian himself does not need any fancy words to come before the Holy God, but can only confess “Thank You Lord! Thank You Jesus!” This is what it means to truly drown in the river of grace. At that moment, all the worries of this world disappear for the Christian and he or she is able to give themselves wholly unto the Lord.

Exceeding is the Responsibility of the Christian

Has such powerful experience of God’s grace been restricted to when you first believed in Jesus and you have been dry ever since? Is our God One who gives saving grace only when He redeems the sinner and not at other times? Or is it that God grants greater grace because He has to save the person from their sins, and since now the individual is saved, God seldom gives grace or He does so in weak measures? Not so. God’s grace is unconditional and given freely regardless of circumstances. Even what seems insignificant, the mundane cares of life to us are not exempt from being graced with His love. "For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to Him through the death of His Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through His life!" (Rom. 5:10)

An immigrant Christian who worked as a house painter gave this testimony. He had such bad teeth that even soft foods, he needed to chop up in little pieces before eating them. Even though most all of his teeth were failing on him (if left untreated his gums were about to recede altogether), because of the expensive hospital bill and being so overtaken with work he dared not go see the dentist. He had all but given up on fixing his teeth.

One day a dentist’s office called to receive an estimate to paint its interiors. It came out to about $2,500; they asked for an additional job to be done at the last minute that was not in the contract, yet they wanted to pay the same price. It seemed as if he had a case of a super stingy customer, and there was no way out except to lose his profit. Since the customer was referred by a friend, he had to comply with the request. Turned out that the dentist seeing the man’s teeth, was moved to compassion and offered to treat his teeth free of charge if only the man not receive the payment for the paint job. He also offered to treat them not once but repeatedly and whenever the Christian man was free to come into the office. Before when the Christian man had visited several different dentists the estimate for the treatment came to at least $35,000; he ended up exchanging the payment for the paint job which was only $2500 (excluding supplies fess $1500) with the humungous dentist’s bill.

To have received treatment that cost $35,000 for $1,500, it is as if he got the treatment for free. This is an example of how God fulfills our needs, not in "excess" but in a divine "surpassing" intervention. No matter how hard-pressed the man was financially he would never have imagined praying to God to meet a doctor who would offer the treatment for free. This man had merely prayed that he would have time within his busy schedule to meet a doctor who is honest and skilled. He never imagined that God would answer in such an outrageous way.

Many Christians set a limit on God. They set a specific goal that they themselves are able to fill then in prayer merely ask God to fill the rest, the excess that they may lack. But to "exceed" and work hard is not the responsibility of God but the Christian. Because God has already given the Christian a job, they must work hard and save up in order to come up with the cost for the treatment. Moreover God offers us the grace to fill such a need through our gifts, talents, and opportunities. All the more reason why before such an ailment takes hold of us we must take good care of our bodies. Yet God is a God who not only "exceeds" our expectations but "surpasses" them.

Those who only Expect "Excess"

Those Christians who merely expect God to exceed their expectations are concerned usually on getting what they want, their goals and expectations met. That is why they tend to pray their predetermined goals while carefully enlarging its sphere to somehow fit God into it. They feel that is the only way they will ever get the courage to pray to God. One wonders if behind that mentality lies a doubting Thomas who establishes safeguards so that there is no personal loss. It's ok if the prayer is not answered in its fullness as long as there is no harm done to his faith. Or perhaps it is the opposite; they humbly ask outwardly for something meager, yet within themselves they secretly desire that the Almighty will pour out His blessing in magnificent excess.

The more we try to put God in a box the less we will experience neither God’s power nor His comfort. As long as we constrain God and His ways we start losing ground in our walk of faith. We usually want to believe that God’s answers to prayer must fit into this box we have created for ourselves – what we absolutely need minus the excess and wildest dreams. But often times than not, it is the case that God does not answer as proscribed by us. Let’s say that we needed 10,000 dollars yet we received 7,000 as an answer to prayer. What is our usual response?

“This must be God’s will. Isn’t He One to want us to save up our money and practice self-control? It does say in Scripture that the love of money is the root of all evil. Perhaps He knew that I would be tempted and therefore stopped in advance a full transaction. He also said we are not to look to the world but to be thankful in all circumstances. So I must be thankful in this situation. Thank You for answering my prayer.” But if within ourselves there is even a slightest tendency to say, “Oh well…I guess that was God's will. So there’s nothing I can do but just to obey” then we fall under mere hypocrisy and not true faith. To put it nicely it may even be pure religiosity. Would God be so pleased with such a response?

If indeed the one whom we pray to is our true Father and Creator of the universe and if we truly need 10,000 dollars what’s wrong with asking for 10,000? Moreover God is not a God who is unaware of our every need, nor is He one to try to upset us out of spite by purposely giving less than the desired amount. The Apostle James wrote that God will not grant a prayer of the Christian that is motivated by greed. If we look at that verse and turn it upside down, if we do not precalculate and add onto the prayer some extra baggage and do not use if for our selfish desire, God will certainly answer our requests. The Lord Jesus Himself taught us to pray for "daily bread"; the "daily" in "daily bread" means the essentials one needs to survive every day.

Of course the Christian facing such financial hardship in reality may even dream about winning the lottery and he may start buying tickets every week. No one can condemn him, nor will God hate or punish the Christian for his weakness. That is because He knows how difficult and needy the state that the Christian is in. There is a real reason why God may be sighing and disappointed over the Christian however. He may say "I know that you are under much pressure and stress. I see it all. But why do you not look to me? Am I not One who surpasses your expectation? The least you can do is to remember that I feel for you; I know what you're going through. Don't ever forget that."

If a Christian asks God for 10,000 dollars there are times when God grants that request. Yet there are also times when He rather takes away the 10,000. The surpassing ways of God applies in all circumstances. Ultimately His ways for the Christian has a greater effect than merely having your prayer answered and receiving the desired $10,000; rather God's purpose, grace, and comfort overwhelms the Christian and blossoms in what is good. This is priceless. (He is whom we must trust in/ not in our answers to prayer). God will not be blasphemed, but stands alone to be glorified.

Let's take a look at one of our favorite passages from the Apostle Paul. "I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or want. I can do everything through Him who gives me strength." (Philippians 4:11-13)

Just because Paul stated that he learned to be content whatever the circumstances does not mean that he practiced a super austere lifestyle of self-control, saving up as much as he could. He does say in the beginning "I am not saying this because I am in need." Paul is not saying that after requesting $10,000 and having received $5000 instead, he gave thanks despite feeling disappointed. There have been many circumstances when he was poor, yet many other times when he had an abundance. But whatever the circumstance those circumstances were allowed by God, and regardless of what happened God would accomplish what His will in Paul's life. God's purpose still stands and comes into being regardless of the forces in the world that stands against it. It comes into being regardless of the hurdles that the world and its people present and even if the Christian's expectation and faith is weakened.

Because Paul experiences so often the amazing, the wondrous, and the surpassing intervention of God, that even if his outward surroundings shift from plenty to want, his inner being would no longer be shaken. No doubt that there were moments that Paul must have been trembling before the trials he faced...he was merely human. In a way he lived and enjoyed an adventurous life with its sharp turns and
bumps. Even though his reality was full of hardships and trials, yet always he was awaiting with a holy curiosity, with sweat in his hands, how God would come to the rescue.

Faith like a Toddler

How can you stop a baby from crying? Do we just try to amuse them saying "Peek- a-boo"? The old trick works sometimes but not always. If the baby cannot stop crying what is the reason usually? A person who is dying of hunger will not smile just because he sees a standup comedian. A baby does not stop crying merely because his or her parents woo him or her; they stop crying only when their essential need is met. If they are sleepy they won't need a milk bottle; when their diapers are wet, they have no need of a toy.

Many Christians, outside of the religious activities at church, in their daily lives still continue to mourn. But the real reason why there is no manifestation of their faith but rather only exhaustion is this; it's not because one has been skipping out on the discipleship program or has been sinning secretly, nor that they have not been reading their Bibles. It is because no matter how passionately and faithfully they have been during the 40 days of prayer that their prayers were not answered exactly the way they wanted. In simpler terms their cause for mourning is not much different than why the infant cries out for milk.

We Christians say we know God, but we don't really know Him. Perhaps then, we could not even call ourselves Christian. We do not expect and hope for the wondrous God, the amazing God, and the God who surpasses all knowledge. We merely seek the God who will provide to excess those prayers that we lay before him, trying to contain Him in a box. That is not the real God, but an idol that the pagans seek after; that is not the God who crucified Jesus in order that we may live.

When Jesus speaks of God comforting those who mourn, what do you suppose was the reason behind the mourning? "God when I left you and have stopped searching you, all I ended up with were a bunch of empty wells before me. I'm such a mess God… Please do not turn a deaf ear to me, but fill this hungry heart with Your Living Water." That is the real reason why the Christian mourns. It is because of his relationship with God is bent, regardless of whether he is poor or rich materially. He mourns because of his soul that is in poverty like a broken cistern. His mourning is not dependent upon a certain prayer request being answered the way he wanted. If the person has prayed faithfully, sincerely, without any selfish reasons, that in itself shows that there is nothing hindering him in his relationship with God. Then there is no real reason to mourn. The pain they may experience in the present is merely temporary and causes discomfort, but not something they should mourn over.

The word in our text "comfort" in its original context means "to call a person nearby by." More importantly the Greek meaning of the word “Spirit” is similar to the first one- "comforter near us." Whenever we stray from God, as a solution God sent the Holy Spirit to be near us, in order that He may comfort us and help us to know just who God is and thereby strengthen our relationship with Him. The God of Christianity is not someone to be fooled or like a vending machine. Even if a Christian has decided to do a 40- 100 day fast and cry out with all of their strength, if it is for his own glory and greed God will not answer such prayers.

Paradoxically God's comfort towards the Christian starts with overturning all our expectation that believes that the more we try, devote ourselves, and hardworking and sacrificial we are, the more likely He is going to answer us and make come true our plans in excess. God is One who, as we see in the story of Jonah who fled from the Almighty to Tarshish, will accomplish His plans for His children even if it takes us being thrown overboard into the stormy sea and a whale swallowing us up at just the right time.

It is no surprise that when God works there is awesome and wondrous display of power and grace. To Him, it is nothing. As easy as reciting the alphabet. Even still if the Christian only expects God to exceed their expectation, their faith will begin to wane. Our answers to prayer can be a kind of a stimulus; there is a tendency in humans to get bored of experiencing the same stimulus over and over again. We need to have increasing or varying dosage of stimulus to feel content. If after having experienced many answers to prayer, it seems as though God is not answering in increasing measure with fireworks extravaganza, we will grow numb to the riches of His grace. We will merely grow in complaints.

Expecting only the excess relies on God’s response fitting perfectly into what the Christian has already determined in his mind. When the Christian doesn't hear from God right away when in trouble, or he feels that as time goes by the grace that they receive remains merely constant, they will become even more anxious and worried. In doing this they are trying to put the Almighty and Infinite God within their preconceived boxes. That is why if we merely expect God to answer in excess, we might be guilty of a grave sin of standing in God's place- that is pride. Such attitudes will not bring about God's responses to prayer.

God's intervention and comfort towards the believer does take on the form of excess, but not always. Just because the Christian feels the answer to prayer exceeds one's expectation, does not mean that it was God working behind it; nor does it suggest if the answer to prayer is lacking in one’s expectation that it is not of God. God's grace always lies outside of what we expect. God is Spirit; He moves first in the world that is invisible to us, and the result expresses itself in our visible reality. That is why His acts cannot but surpass our understanding. But for us human beings who live in the visible world and respond first to the things seen, naturally we think more often in terms of "exceeding" and not in "surpassing".

But as soon as the Christian starts to hope in the surpassing God, the strength of his faith is transformed. He no longer just merely asks for a greater stimulus, nor does he pray merely bent on getting the answer he wants from God. He does not even need to be anxious about when it will be answered, nor does he ask why there is no answer as of yet. They have full assurance that God's work will ultimately come to completion in a good and glorious way that they are not focused on the result. In contrast, they desire that they be used in the work of God and are filled with excitement merely at the thought. Like Paul, whether he is in need or in plenty, even if they take away his life, his heart is content.

We must not mistake the God who “surpasses knowledge” as merely “excess” on a bigger scale. God works even beyond the realm of the Christian's will, mind, soul, and even faith. When we rely on God who surpasses, the possibilities for answers to our prayers are endless so that we do not have to fear relying merely on our own guesses. Because we believe that God is truthful to Who He is- the great I AM WHO I AM- and follow Him, before us an endless possibility unfolds. It is true that God gives all the land that the Christian sees and treads on. It is only when we look to the God who surpasses, that we can receive His true comfort no matter how much we mourn over the things in life.

Then we will no longer remain in a lukewarm faith that says, "Since I participated in worship, I'm sure He will bless me. When I pray with fervor, I'm sure He will answer sometime soon even if He does not fulfill all my expectations. When I have some surplus time and money, I should help out the poor; in order to do that I'm sure God is going to fix this problem." Rather they go onto a more mature faith where they are living, breathing, and walking with the Living God every day, every moment, knowing in intimacy that God loves and comforts them. Because they love this God so much they give praise and worship to Him alone. When they praise,

God's power and Spirit fills them up so that the devil flees. His Word becomes like a sharp double-edged sword, alive and active that it cuts off every dirty and ugly thing in the soul of the Christian and brings a holy transformation. Each and every one of God's promises becomes the living power that transforms the Christian’s identity, life, and the whole of his being to exude the full life of God.

As a result the Christian lives according to the Word of God and dedicates himself to His work throughout his life. "The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law" (Deut.29:29).

Faith is not borrowing God's superpowers in order to get rid of discomfort and hardship in our lives. It is trusting in God's love till the very end no matter what happens and living according to His word. Specifically, it is killing that daily desire when we look at the world and people around us to seek after the God who exceeds, but rather choosing to worship the God who surpasses.

God's comfort is not like a mother giving a bottle of milk as her baby is crying and wailing. Just because someone wails hard enough, does not mean that God will answer their prayer. He already knows our needs and will no doubt fill them. In contrast if the Christian truly mourns for what needs to be mourned over, God will reveal who He is in ways that only God can- in His ways, time, and place. Therefore we surrender all before such a God, and He strengthens us (delivers) to love God only so that the relationship between us and Him will no longer be strained. This is the true comfort we receive when we mourn.