"When Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on the mountain; and after He sat down, His disciples came to Him. He opened His mouth and began to teach them saying, 'Blessed is the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.'" - Matt 5:1-3
The Sermon on the Mount. Jesus' most famous sermon delivered to a crowd on a mountainside. Some believe that this sermon is a collection of Jesus' teachings collected together into one sermon. This is very possible. However, I believe that He did speak these words together as a part of a singular sermon.
The verse this morning refers to the first of what is known as the Beatitudes. These are a series of statements pronouncing blessings upon various types of listeners. The first mentioned here in verse 3 is the "poor in spirit". What's interesting about each of Jesus' Beatitudes is that they are the exact opposite of what you might expect. Those who are poor, gentle, merciful, hunger and thirst for righteousness, and others are the ones who are blessed. It is not those who are rich, proud, boisterous, and satisfied spiritually. This seems odd and it should.
Jesus seems to be stressing to His listeners the importance of seeking the greater. Those who are rich are often satisfied with life. Those who are arrogant and prideful are those who think that they are better than others and need no one else. Those who are loud and confrontational are those who always think that they are right. Jesus does not applaud such fanfare. He does not want to reward such behavior.
Rather, He wants to strengthen and encourage the seekers. Those who are hungry to really know God. After all, these are the people that He is speaking to. These people have come from miles around just to hear Him teach. They desperately want to know if He is the Messiah, if He is the Promised One. Knowing this, Jesus addresses their heart-felt needs.
He begins by addressing the poor in spirit. There were probably many who had wanted to be made right with God. Yet, religious duties and Jewish legalism had all but stamped out any real hope for such a realization. They longed for God's people to truly be holy. They wanted the poor to be treated with respect. They wanted the widows to be taken care of. They desired for God's people to act righteously. They desired for a Messiah. They had longed for the day He might appear and had grown weary of false Messiahs and others who had claimed to have had special relationships with God. People who would eventually disappoint them in their actions.
They were poor in spirit. They desired godliness but couldn’t see it around them. Living in a land near the Sea of Galilee they had been exposed time and time again to pagan cultures and Gentile belief systems that they knew to be false and corrupt. They longed for hope. They longed for purity. They longed for a relationship with God that they had never experienced.
Whether spoken or unspoken they were poor in spirit. They might not have used such terminology if asked but when explained they would have agreed. They were downcast and downtrodden. They were needy and their hearts cried out for something more. They were poor in spirit. Yet, Jesus didn’t bring further correction upon their actions. Instead, he said to these daydreamers and spiritual wanderers "Yours is the kingdom of heaven."
"It is you that I will give my kingdom to." Wow. What a thought. What an incredible glimmer of hope that He gave them. If they continue to seek God and His Kingdom it will be given to them. God's Kingdom is reserved for those who are poor in spirit. Not for the proud, haughty, or arrogant. Its not for the superstars of faith who claim to know everything. Its for those seekers. Those restless and relentless pursuers of truth that were willing to travel any distance to hear a man who spoke with authority and a man who just might be the promised Messiah that they had been waiting for.
It is these people who will receive the kingdom of heaven. The poor in spirit, that is.
Thank you Jesus for giving your kingdom to the poor in spirit. I am not good. I am often frustrated. I do not have all the answers. Yet, I am desperately seeking you and your kingdom. I, too, am poor in spirit.
Joshua
