Beatitudes Part 1: “Blessed are the Poor in Spirit”
“Blessed” or “Bless-ed?” A Walk in the Beatitudes of the Kingdom of Heaven
Matthew 5:3-12
Part 1: “Blessed are the Poor in Spirit” – The Desperate Disciple
Have you ever gone to a restaurant or a shop and have the clerk tell you after the transaction: “Have a blessed day!” Or gone to Church on a Sunday and asked a friend or acquaintance how they’ve been and been told: “I’m blessed!” So, what does that really mean? Is the clerk just being polite? Is your friend being honest about truly being blessed or is it just “the churchy thing” for him or her to say? At the beginning of Matthew Chapter 5 is Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount in which He begins with 9 blessings known as the Beatitudes (in the Greek: Makarios -supremely blest, well off, fortunate, happy) but they are unlike any blessing we have heard in Scripture to this point! Being blessed in the Ancient World was seen much like being blessed in today’s World- being “well off” endowed, fortunate, favored, everything going your way… But Jesus’ blessings, the Beatitudes, are different.
First, one can’t help but notice that Jesus is not giving a blessing as much as He is announcing one- you ALREADY are blessed! Jesus pronounces a “state of being” BEFORE He speaks of receiving… It is poetic and formulaic in its rhythm: “blessed are… for theirs is & they shall… Jesus places a state of being first in all the Beatitudes before He gives that which is ready to receive all the goodness and riches of God. Why does He do this? Jesus’ wording is intentional, and Matthew picks up on it for the rest of the Sermon. The Kingdom of Heaven has come to earth and is inaugurated in Jesus Christ our Lord and everything about our lives as His followers, subjects and disciples is to be different just as the Kingdom of Heaven is different from the kingdoms of men. Those in a state of poverty and humility- humbleness of position- Poor in Spirit are made READY to receive The Master’s Word and Heaven’s Blessing that Jesus and His Kingdom brings…
The nature of our being is not one of earthly blessing- “having it all” and being well off materially, physically, or circumstantially. No, Jesus’ Beatitudes speak of and to those who are in need and desperately desire the gifts of God that Jesus brings and Jesus states that in that desire they are blessed because they are ready to receive Him and His gracious gifts. Nor is Jesus speaking of being blessed through earthly knowledge and wisdom that comes through our own efforts but by His graciousness through wisdom, promise, and command that comes directly from Him- from Heaven to Earth… full of good fruit, and the eternal treasures of the Kingdom. Who is ready to hear and receive Jesus and His Word? Who is ready to accept His Sermon and see the Abundant Life Transformation that the Spirit brings on a daily and regular basis? Those who are poor in spirit and realize their need of a Savior and Lord. Those not only willing to hear, but because of their awareness of their spiritual bankruptcy are willing to listen, receive and respond to King Jesus. The Kingdom of Heaven is open to those who know their need and look for and desire a BETTER Kingdom while it is shut to those who don’t (It is the desire of the Faith of the Old Testament Saints to see Messiah and His promises fulfilled with a Heavenly Kingdom that they are commended for- they were looking for a better Kingdom while being poor in Spirit… see Hebrews 11:1-2, 13-16).
Jesus gives us an example through a parable in Luke 18 between the prayer of a self-righteous Pharisee and a penitent tax-collector and then the welcoming of little children... Take a look at Luke 18:9-17. Who is justified and blessed in this passage? Who shows the blessing (the Beatitude) of being poor in spirit and who does not?
When I was a boy, I was a real “know-it-all” an Encyclopedia Brown; to this day I’ve been fascinated and curious about the world around me- “vegetable, animal, and mineral” even though I’m not a “Modern Major General…” but my search for knowledge and my retaining of information in many ways led to pride and a proud spirit instead of a humble one. The irony was that I thought I was “rich” when I was poor spiritually. It took circumstances and situations in my life that were way beyond my control for me to realize my need of God and of a Savior: bullying, health problems, social awkwardness, abuse, and suffering- things as a child that I was not equipped to handle and even as an adult not able to process… My need was GREAT but my God is even GREATER! So, I’ve learned, so I KNOW, so I’m learning! All that pain and suffering not only made me aware of my need for God but made me DESPERATE for Him! The great irony of Jesus’ blessings (the Beatitudes) is it turns our self-sufficiency upside down! The Kingdom of Heaven is a reversal of earthly fortunes. I need Jesus but I won’t receive Him, His Kingdom, and His Word if I don’t realize I need Him; if I think I can handle life on my own or by “trying harder”. As I boy, I thought I was “cursed” not “blessed” and certainly not “bless-ed”! But the pain and suffering I experienced was what God was using to prepare and make me ready to receive Him… I needed a new frame, a true frame of reference- one of God’s Holiness, Sovereignty, and love that was not only over me but much greater than me, my life, and my circumstances! Not just a “new attitude” but a life transformation a completely new place to live, grow in and dwell- a new order, a new way, a new life, a New Creation… In my poverty of spirit was the only way I could receive the riches of God and His Kingdom! And What I thought was a curse Jesus turned into a blessing because it led me right to Him once I recognized my need!
So, where are you today? Is the spirit within you impoverished? Are you a Desperate Disciple? Or do you feel you can handle life on your own? Maybe you’re living a life of frustration and angst… Convinced that if you just try a little harder, if you’re a “good person”, dig a little deeper, put forth some form of earthly pursuit of “excellence,” keep the rules, and moral fortitude you will arrive at the blessings of God, you will ascend to the Beatitudes (the Blessings) of Jesus and His Kingdom… BUT that’s not God’s way! We don’t ascend to God’s throne and the hand of His blessings by the domination of our own efforts (they fall short every time- see Lk 18:18-27, Rom 3:23, Eph 2:8-10) instead we DESCEND- WE BOW DOWN in our needful desperation before Him poor in spirit (see Lk 18:9-14) believing and accepting His Grace!
It is as if we come before Him as desperate little children who in our spiritual poverty ask Jesus: “What must I ‘do’ to receive your Kingdom? What must I give to receive what I will get?” Jesus just smiles knowingly and shakes His head. He answers His helpless ones with the Beatitudes… It is as if He is saying: “No, my sheep… it is not what you do but who you are; it is not what you give but what I have already given in my Life, Cross, and Resurrection that makes for the “bless-ed” life, the life walked with Me… The Kingdom of Heaven here and now and the Kingdom of Heaven that is coming forever…” The Good News of Jesus, the Good News of His Gospel is that His Spirit makes you “Good and New” in the sight of Father God- restoring and reclaiming your relationship with your Creator!
You see, the start of our “Desperate Discipleship” begins not with God’s need of us, but our need of Him. The Beatitudes are realizing and revealing promises of Jesus and His Kingdom brought to earth… When we realize we are poor in spirit and cannot live life without Him and turn to Him (repent of our sin) the Kingdom of Heaven and all of God’s resources (treasures) ARE ours! And our lives are transformed and transfigured from a curs-ed state to a bless-ed state- from death to life, from despair to hope, from hate to grace, from evil to righteousness, from the darkness of our lostness to the found and foundational light of His love (see John 8:12)! This is the bless-ed life that we are placed into and learning to walk the way of. The Bible tells us it is the Way of Jesus and His Kingdom- it is now our way as well- “This is the way!” Jesus is that way to the Father and no other and no one else (John 14:6).
So, are you Jesus’ Desperate Disciple today? Have you believed in His Name, trusted in His Cross and Resurrection for the forgiveness of your sins? Are you His today? A simple prayer of Faith can secure your future and begin your journey, your walk with Him. Acknowledge you are in desperate need of Him- that you are a sinner and have gone your own way that you are spiritually bankrupt without Him separated from God and justly condemned to an eternity apart from Him in Hell and in need of His grace (unmerited favor) through His cross and resurrection. Ask Him for it, for His Grace and receive His salvation. Next declare Him LORD over your life and your decisions from this point forward and finally devote yourself to walking after Him… Find a church an assembly of believers where you can grow in your faith, be baptized as a symbol of your commitment and devotion to Him, and learn daily what it means to follow Jesus. Study His Word, and by the Spirit’s help put His Word into practice in your life- make His Word a living part of who you are… as a Witness to others.
As A Desperate Disciple I begin each day with recognizing three identifying characteristics of my relationship with God: 1. I’m a Sinner saved by Grace in Christ Jesus My LORD. 2. I’m a Saint of God called to follow and serve Him daily. 3. I’m a Son receiving an inheritance set aside in Heaven that will never perish or fade. SINNER, SAINT, SON. Before I begin following Jesus each morning and do what He needs me to do I realize I can’t do anything without Him. I abide and remain in Him Soley by trusting in His grace. I’m far from perfect- but my sins are forgiven, I’m covered by His righteousness and raised to walk in newness of life! Which leads me to the second marker- I’ve been called by God through His Grace to serve Him daily alongside others, and finally the third marker- I’m no less but more than a servant I’m a Son with my feet on the road to Heaven- nothing can snatch me from God’s hand because of Jesus and I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. Thank God for His blessings- for His Beatitudes that have covered this Desperate Disciple! Are those same Beatitudes covering you as a “Bless-ed and Desperate Disciple today?