"That Magnificent Gesture" and True Mourning

The raising of both hands high above the head by those in the prayer circle as they began their prayer is referred to by Biblical scholar, H. Leclercq, a liturgist and Christian archaeologist as "that magnificent gesture" and he states it was a natural gesture both of supplication and submission. It was specifically a conscious imitation of the crucifixion, and that brings to mind the significant detail, mentioned by the Synoptic writers, that the Lord on the cross called upon the Father in a strange tongue: those who were standing by, though Aramaic was supposed to be their native tongue, disagreed as to the meaning (see Mark 15:33—36), and indeed the manuscripts give many variant readings of an utterance which the writers of the Gospels left untranslated, plainly because there was some doubt as to the meaning. It recalls the cry of distress of David in Psalms 54:2: "Hear my prayer, O God; give ear to the words of my mouth" and in Psalms 55:1—4: "Give ear to my prayer, O God. . . . Attend unto me, and hear me. . . . My heart is sore pained within me: and the terrors of death are fallen upon me."

"I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me." (Galatians 2:20)

"Suffering is an important theme of the ancient prayer circle. The rite is always related to the crucifixion, which was anticipated by it in the upper room, for "the core of the Lord's Supper is the idea of sacrifice." In the rites "the believer must incur the same sufferings as his god, and therefore he must mourn with him"—hence the peculiar passage in Matthew 11:16—17. Pulver notes that mourning denotes that the initiate is expected to suffer after the manner of the leader. The word for "mourn" in Matthew 11:17 is koptomai, literally, to inflict wounds upon oneself. (Max Pulver, The Round Dance and the Crucifixion.)

Ignatius' Letter to the Romans shows that "real suffering . . . alone enables one to become a disciple, to learn and gain experience. . . . For Ignatius, the believer must repeat the destiny of his God, he must become an imitator of God, mimētēs tou Theou."

This is done ritually as is plainly stated by Cyril of Jerusalem and the author of the Testament of Jesus Christ: "and thou hast stretched forth thy hands in suffering, that they might be freed from such suffering" by an act of imitation.

Plainly the rite is intimately involved with the suffering of the crucifixion. How do we as true disciples truly mourn for the suffering of the Savior? Repentance and having a broken heart and a contrite spirit are all apart of an offering. Then comes understanding in greater measures of just how the Savior suffered. The mysteries are unfolded and life changing effects take hold of one's soul.


"Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted." (Matthew 5:4) It seems paradoxical that Jesus calls those who mourn "blessed"! It is interesting and noteworthy that God places the Sermon on the Mount near the beginning of the very first book in the New Testament, immediately after Jesus begins to preach the gospel of the Kingdom of God. Also of note is that it follows His call for repentance—for deep, heartfelt, sincere and radical change in a person's thinking and way of life. This change is what causes conversion to God's way. Then the Beatitudes appear as the preamble to the best-known sermon ever preached, teaching intended for those who have repented and are being converted.

Concerning Matthew 5:4, William Barclay writes in his commentary, The Gospel of Matthew: "It is first of all to be noted about this beatitude that the Greek word for to mourn, used here, is the strongest word for mourning in the Greek language. . . . It is defined as the kind of grief which takes such a hold on a man that it cannot be hid. It is not only the sorrow which brings an ache to the heart; it is the sorrow which brings the unrestrainable tears to the eyes." (See: Commentary on Matthew 5:4 of BibleTools)

This illustrates mourning's emotional power, indicating it has enough power to produce the resolve to accomplish more than merely feeling badly and crying. It is a strange phenomenon that the more clearly we see our sins the better person we are. Perhaps the most damaging of all sins is to be conscious of no sin.

See:
The Early Christian Prayer Circle, Hugh Nibley