"Blessed are the poor in spirit; for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."
Matthew 5:3
This section of Jesus’ “Sermon on the Mount,” is called “The Beatitudes.” These verses 3 to 11, teach us Jesus’ character traits. His attitude was always right. These “Beatitudes” show us what our “attitudes ought to be.” Verse 3 and 5 both speak to humility, although it is needed in all these attitudes.
“Blessed.”
This beautiful word used in Greek times had the meaning of happiness. In fact, the root has the thought of “great.” And in the earlier Greek times, the implication seems to be “synonymous with rich.” In those days, the “blessed” man had “outward prosperity.” The great man was seen as a rich man.
The Greek gods also are described by this word in their mythology.
“It scarcely varies from this meaning in its frequent applications to the Grecian gods, since the popular Greek ideal of divine blessedness was not essentially moral. The gods were blessed because of their power and dignity, not because of their holiness”[1] (Vincent).
As the Greek philosophers chimed in on the word, they attached a moral meaning to it. Human morals, that is, without any biblical view of sin. And finally, Jesus brought the word “blessed” into the New Testament and into the arena of the spiritual. And rather than pointing to simple external prosperity, as the usage in the Old Testament does, He raises that bar to emphasize a sense of God’s approval, based upon righteousness and love for Him.
“Shaking itself loose from all thoughts of outward good, it becomes the express symbol of happiness identified with pure character”[2] (Vincent).
In God’s eyes, the “blessed” man/woman is the righteous one. Believers, we strive to please our Lord. We do so by developing His kind of character in our “inner man,” and for His glory.
“Are the poor in spirit.”
Jesus does not say “blessed are the rich,” but “blessed are the poor in spirit.” Without God’s grace working within us, we could say that we are “bankrupt spiritually.” We have no merit of our own. We realize there is no good in us, we have nothing to buy or even earn our place in heaven. We are spiritually homeless beggars. When we genuinely acknowledge this truth, it is the beginning of authentic humility. Our hope of heaven is only by God’s grace extended to us. This attitude of utter worthlessness before God makes us ready to repent of our sin and turn to Him. Without Christ, spiritually, we are only “zeros with the rim rubbed out.”
God can bless us with heaven when we have this kind of humble spirit.
“For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
The way up is the way down of being “poor in spirit.”
“Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?” (James 2:5).
Are you poor in spirit, but rich in faith? This is the soul that believes Jesus’ Word and trusts Him.
Quote: “He that is down needs fear no fall. He that is low, no pride; He that is humble, ever shall have God to be his Guide”[3] (John Bunyan).
[1] M.R. Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament, the electronic version in eSword. Vincent traces the word’s use well. Also, Robertson has some good thoughts on the word.
[2] Vincent, ibid.
[3] Bunyan, The Pilgrim’s Progress, Part 2 (1684). The Shepherd Boy’s Song, while in the Valley of Humiliation.