Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
– Matthew 5:3
In the Bible there is probably no section of Jesus’ teaching more familiar than the Sermon on the Mount, chapters five through seven of Matthew’s account. Within those chapters, there are probably no lines more familiar than those we call the Beatitudes. The words are offered with beauty and simplicity. While they are considered part of Jesus’ teaching, they are not instructional, like a command to do something. These verses are observations meant to give us perspective and encouragement.
In order to appreciate what Jesus says in these short lines, we first need to consider what Jesus might mean by word translated “blessed.” Some translations of the Bible use the word “happy,” but I’m not sure that is the best choice of words. Indeed, the people in the conditions Jesus described may be happy, but that doesn’t seem to be the essence of the word. “Happy” describes how I feel, but the Greek word makários seems to convey the state or status of something. Several times in scripture the word is used to describe something other than a person. “But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear” (Matthew 13:16). “Blessed is the womb that carried You, and the breasts at which You nursed” (Luke 11:27b). “…looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus” (Titus 2:13). A more full definition of the word would need to include “well off” or “fortunate.” It suggests one who is the recipient of goodness, or perhaps one who is in good standing. For the purposes of the Beatitudes, think of makários as one who receives the goodness and approval of God.
Among those Jesus understands to be blessed are the “poor in spirit.” The phrase might seem confusing, almost contradictory to what we might expect. It could seem more logical that Jesus would commend those who are spiritually abundant. Though Jesus does not explain what he means by “poor in spirit,” it has usually been taken as a reference to people who are aware of their need of God. We are in a favorable place with God when we learn to appreciate how much we must rely on Him. I have an old friend who liked to say, if you want to test your dependence upon God, hold your breath and see how long you last. Indeed, the air your lungs are drawing right now is a gift of God. You won’t last long without it.
The exodus from Egypt of the Hebrew people is laced with lessons to teach reliance on God. When they were leaving the land and being pursued by the Egyptian army, they found themselves pinned by the Red Sea with no apparent way of escape. Moses said to the people, “Do not fear! Stand by and see the salvation of the Lord which He will accomplish for you today…The Lord will fight for you while you keep silent” (Exodus 14:13-14). Once in the wilderness with no food to eat, God provided manna from heaven along with instructions to take only what they needed for the day. Egypt was a land of plenty. It is the wilderness that teaches us dependence. This is the kind of spiritual poverty that drives us toward God.
One of my father-in-law’s favorite Bible verses was Isaiah 26:3. “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You” (NKJV). God’s peace comes to us in abundance when we learn to trust God in every aspect of life. This is the blessing for those who are poor in spirit.
See you along the Winding Path.
The Winding Path 