“Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the
kingdom of heaven.” –Matthew 5:3
The
fifth chapter of Matthew marks the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount. The greatest sermon ever preached; the
greatest sermon on record. Never has so
much been said in such a short amount of time.
God’s own Son, literally speaking the words of life; the gospel that
would forever change the world.
Teachings that would call the world away from the natural and over to
the spiritual; that would take salvation all the way to intent. A gospel that would lead men into the
character of God.
The beginnings
of the sermon start with what is known as The Beatitudes; meaning supremely
blessed. The first one being, blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs
is the kingdom of heaven. The word
poor is not often associated with blessed.
The rich of that day: Romans, Pharisees, even merchants & tradesmen,
would have heaped to themselves power, wealth, or both. The natural man would think that this is a
state of supremely blessed, the state to strive after. The poor, despised, and dejected in society
had no reason to consider themselves blessed and no hope for blessings. Even the lowest of the Jews (Jesus main audience). Who would have thought to look to the church
for hope, would have been met with a bleak outlook. How peculiar that this “new” teacher would
open with blessed are the poor in spirit:
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Who was he that he could even lay claim to who should, or should not
have access to the kingdom of heaven?
The poor had little to hope for, and certainly would not have looked as
though they were blessed. The Son of God
came to this earth with a message that would echo through the ages. One of love, of hope, of peace, and life
everlasting. Jesus knew that the kingdom
of God was going to be within. He was
the very person who would make it possible.
So when he spoke of the poor in spirit he was blazing the trail, creating
a precedent, and laying down a prerequisite that all who would obtain the
kingdom of heaven would have to follow.
It was not a natural matter, but a spiritual matter. It was not about economic or social status,
rather the condition of what was within.
Those that are rich in this worlds goods lack for nothing; if they are
hungry they can buy food, if they are cold they can buy comfortable shelter, if
they are bound they can buy freedom, bored, they can buy pleasure. It follows that those that are rich in spirit
would have the same characters. They
would feel like they lack nothing, that they have all might, power, and strength. Contrast that with the poor in this
world. They need help, they need guidance,
and they need provision; so are they that are poor in spirit. They have need and Jesus can provide all
things. He is the supreme Shepherd to
his sheep.
You
cannot hope to obtain the kingdom without first acknowledging your
poverty. No matter what your bank
account says, you are woefully hopeless when it comes to your soul. We are born into this world lost and in
desperate need of a Savior, but we don’t have to stay that way. Jesus Christ says blessed are the poor in
spirit because when you’re poor in spirit you have acknowledged your lack; your
apparent need of Jesus Christ. The
kingdom of heaven only comes by Jesus and through Jesus. We can only come to Jesus poor in spirit,
there is no other way. So, blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs
is the kingdom of heaven. The
blessing of salvation and Jesus living within, is for the lowly, not the haughty.
