Matthew 5:3
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
This verse has been on my mind the last couple of years. I spent the majority of my walk with Christ not knowing what it meant. This is a value of God. Not of the world or people. Even God chooses to associate with the lesser. We can see it at the birth of Christ. God could have had His Son born anywhere. He chose for it to be in a barn and for shepherds to be the witnesses. Very lowly.
We all wish for recognition. It could have been epic. All levels of the supernatural could have been involved. He chose to associate with the lowly. Jesus was raised in Nazareth. This was a low level area. One of His discipes said, “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” Again, He chose for His Son to be with the lowly.
The verse isn’t “Blessed are the poor”, but “poor in Spirit”. This means we know the truth about ourselves. Here are some biblical insights about that. Romans 3:11-18 says, ‘“THERE IS NO RIGHTEOUS PERSON, NOT EVEN ONE THERE IS NO ONE WHO UNDERSTANDS, THERE IS NO ONE WHO SEEKS OUT GOD; THEY HAVE ALL TURNED ASIDE, TOGETHER THEY HAVE BECOME CORRUPT; THERE IS NO ONE WHO DOES GOOD, THERE IS NOT EVEN ONE. “THEIR THROAT IS AN OPEN GRAVE, WITH THEIR TONGUES THEY KEEP DECEIVING,” “THE VENOM OF ASPS IS UNDER THEIR LIPS” “THEIR MOUTH IS FULL OF CURSING AND BITTERNESS” “THEIR FEET ARE SWIFT TO SHED BLOOD, DESTRUCTION AND MISERY ARE IN THEIR PATHS, AND THEY HAVE NOT KNOWN THE WAY OF PEACE.” “THERE IS NO FEAR OF GOD BEFORE THEIR EYES.”’ This would shock many. They wouldn’t agree. They would say people are basically good.
Why are we blessed if we know this? We go to God for help. This was how it was meant to be. Dependent on God. I’ve got a glimpse of it. Not even close to a strong knowledge. That’s far better than it used to be.
This is like a different language. It’s unknown to the world. Many would get angry at the Romans descriptions. Part of our message of the gospel is to let people know that we are all guilty and in need of saving. Otherwise they don’t know they need a savior. They need to know that they are poor in spirit.
The thought just occurred to me to pose the question, “Do you know what it means to be poor in spirit?” And “Why is that one blessed?” I like that.
Jesus chose to be with the lowly. His fight was against the proud. They harassed Him and He gave back. One of His comments was “It’s the sick that need a doctor.” Actually the pharisees were sick as well. They just didn’t know it.
What does Jesus promise those that are know they are poor in spirit? Blessings. Riches? Maybe. All our needs will be met. Probably not at a 5 star level. There will be contentment. We will have God’s peace. Philippians 4:7 says, “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” That’s a big deal. Everyone is looking for fulfillment and a freeing from anxiety. God’s peace is amazing. It’s more than a feeling. It’s one of the evidences God is in our lives. We are at peace with Him and He gives us His peace. Those poor in spirit have this.
Thank You, Lord, for Your peace. Thank You for this new perspective. Knowing that we are poor in spirit. Therefore we go to You for salvation and all else. You fix us, You draw us near and adopt us as children. You raise us up to new levels and give us honor. It is great to know we are poor in spirit. So we can go to God and He can do the repairs.