Matthew 5:4 Blessed Are Those Who Mourn

January 26, 2023

Jeff Harrington

In The Sermon on the Mount, Jesus is creating Cognitive Dissonance. Cognitive Dissonance occurs when current beliefs are challenged with new information. He tells His listeners the kingdom they were anticipating and how to enter that kingdom is different from what they have been told and always believed. One of the benefits of cognitive dissonance or thinking disharmony is it makes us more receptive to learning. To put it another way…sometimes before you can teach someone something new you have to first challenge what it is they think they already know or believe to be true. If they are satisfied with what they already believe and know then they will not be motivated to reevaluate, but if their current belief or knowledge is shaken then they are more likely to rethink what they believe.