Matthew 5 Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them.
He said: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
Beatitudes are beautiful blessing from God. Only he is able to apply these blessings to our hearts and lives. There is a list of them, and we are looking at them one at a time.
When we see the word `’poor” we automatically think of money. God is not thinking of money here, He says, “poor in spirit”
Who are the poor in spirit? It doesn’t sound much like anything I would like to be.!
To be poor in spirit, means a person realises where they stand with God.
Someone who realises they are not rich towards, God. They have nothing to give to God and have hardly any understanding about Him. So we could use the word, “humble” here. WE need to humble ourselves before a holy God and seek the riches He offers to us.
Jesus says that is a good place to be. If we are puffed up with pride and think we can do anything for God, or make ourselves good in his sight, we are not poor in spirit. Our spirits are puffed up with pride and conceit.
If we think we are good enough for God, then we will never feel our need of Him. Nor will we have any idea that we need Him, and need His forgiveness for my sins, because we don’t think have any..!!
If we find ourselves in that state, we need to pray and ask God to show us our sin and ask Him to help us feel our need of forgiveness.
Jesus is speaking here to people who realise they need Him. They had heard what Jesus has said, and have come to acknowledge that they are sinful as He has told them. They realise they cannot get to heaven, cannot overcome sin and cannot be perfect.
This is what it is like to be “poor in spirit”
When we see we are not good enough and our sins are too much for us, we start to feel bad. We start seeing our sins more clearly and we get more and more uncomfortable.
The poor in spirit seek the one who can make them rich.
Only Jesus can deal with sins. Only He can make us clean and righteous before a holy God.
When we come to Jesus and admit our failures, He can forgive everything. He gives us a new heart that loves God and His ways. We have The Holy Spirit living in us, and He teaches us and gives us power to live right lives and do mighty deeds for God.
The poor in spirit walk with God because they know they cannot walk on their own. They know they are poor, and need God’s mighty power to keep them in the right ways of living.
The blessing Jesus gives is …”The kingdom of heaven belongs to you..”
Isn’t this amazing?! The humble people who walk with God, are the very ones who possess the heavenly kingdom.
It is more than just belonging to the heavenly kingdom, though they do, that everlasting, glorious triumphant kingdom is actually theirs! They were made for the kingdom and the kingdom was made for them..!!
This is not like any passing earthly kingdoms, which all fail and end up, being so unfair. This is the kingdom especially made for God’s people. Anyone who believes and trusts in Jesus can be there. It is a perfect kingdom, so there is no sin there. This is why we must trust in what Jesus did on the cross, and ask Him to forgive us.
When you become a Christian, the Holy Spirit comes to live in your life, so the Kingdom of God, actually lives in you.!! Your life as a Christian will radiate the power of God through the Holy Spirit.!!
How amazing this is!!
The promises of Jesus are so full of meaning for us, and last way beyond this life, and into eternity.
Even if I am poor in spirit, I can be rich towards God.
I can swap my spiritual poverty for God’s riches. I can move out of a dead life, and find my home in the eternal kingdom.
The question is “is the blessing for me?”
It is if you qualify… your spirit must be poor, humble and willing to repent and bow to the Saviour Jesus. He waits for you to come. He waits to bless us…
Lettsom Inn 