THE BEATITUDES (2)

Blessed Are the Poor in Spirit

Matthew 5:3

Victor M. Eskew

 

          “And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain:  and when he was set, his disciples came unto him,:  and he opened his mouth, and taught them saying” (Matt. 5:1-2).  These two verses begin the section entitled:  “The Beatitudes.”  The “he” in the text is Jesus Christ.  Jesus had been healing many individuals the day before the sermon.  “And there followed him great multitudes of people from Galilee, and from Decapolis, and from Jerusalem, and from Judea, and from Jordan” (Matt. 4:25).  When Jesus saw this throng of people, He took a position on a mountain so He could see them and so they could hear Him.  When He sat down, His disciples, those He had called, sat down with Him. 

          Jesus began to teach the masses.  The people were eager to hear Him for several reasons.  First, He was only the second prophet to manifest Himself within the nation of Israel for some four hundred years.  Second, John the Baptist had foretold of His coming.  Third, the wonderful miracles He had done proved that He had to be a man of God. 

          Teaching involves the opening of one’s mouth.  This is extremely risky.  The message must be in harmony with God’s will.  The message often times will be rejected.  And, there are times when the messenger himself is rejected.  Jesus was willing to take the risks.  He had come to earth to seek and to save those who were lost (Luke 19:10).

          The first beatitude contains a word that would ignite the ears of the hearers.  It was the word “poor.”  Jesus said:  “Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 5:3).  Being poor in anything is not usually a commendable quality.  And yet, Jesus affirms that the “poor in spirit” will be blessed.  The spirit of a man is his inner being.  This inner being is referred to by different words:  soul, heart, mind, and inner man.  It involves the thoughts, the will, the reasoning, the emotions, and the conscience of man.  Jesus asserts that the inner man must become poor.

          There are many words that can be associated with the word “poor.”  Lowly, meek, humble, and selfless are four words that definitely get to the heart of this beatitude.  One individual described a person who is “poor in spirit” as “one who sees himself as God sees him.”  Being “poor in spirit” does not mean that a person must depreciate himself before others.  The Bible exhorts us to love ourselves (Matt. 22:39).  Too, we are to respect ourselves, but we are not to think more highly of ourselves than we ought to think (Rom. 12:3).  Being “poor in spirit” involves an honest evaluation of self.  This evaluation sees all of one’s weaknesses and flaws.  It does not result in pride and arrogancy.  It is accompanied witha willingness to be used by God, and a realization that one is completely dependent upon God to accomplish the mission one is called upon to do.

          We have many examples of individuals who were “poor in spirit” in the Bible.  Moses manifested this quality when he was called by God to lead Israel out of the land of Egypt.  “And Moses said unto God, Who am I that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt” (Exo. 3:11).  When Gideon was called by God to be the deliverer of Israel in the days of the judges, he exemplified what is means to be “poor in spirit.”  “And the Lord looked upon him, and said, Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites:  have not I sent thee?  And he said unto him, Oh my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel?  behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house” (Jud. 6:14-15).  When Saul was chosen to be the first king of Israel, he, too, was “poor in spirit.”  When Saul first met Samuel, he was seeking his father’s donkeys.  Samuel the prophet invited Saul to his house to eat with him and said to him:  “And on whom is all the desire of Israel?  Is it not on thee, and on all thy father’s house” (1 Sam. 9:20).  Saul was quite shocked, and said:  “Am not I a Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel?  and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin?  Wherefore then speakest thou so to me” (1 Sam. 9:21).  When the day of Saul’s anointing came, Saul did not immediately present himself before the people.  “…and Saul the son of Kish was taken:  and when they sought him, he could not be found” (1 Sam. 10:21).  He had hid himself among the supplies and baggage of the Israelites who had come to the inauguration (1 Sam. 10:22).  Another example of a man who began his reign as one who was “poor in spirit” was Solomon.  Upon assuming his father’s throne, “the Lord appeared unto Solomon in a dream by night:  and God said, Ask what I shall give thee” (1 Kings 3:5).  Notice that there are no conditions or stipulations placed on the Lord’s words.  Whatever Solomon desired, God would grant it unto him.  Listen to Solomon’s request.  “And now, O LORD, my God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father:  and I am but a little child:  I know not how to go out or come in.  And thy servant is in the midst of thy people which thou hast chosen, a great people, that cannot be numbered or counted for a multitude.  Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I my discern between good and bad:  for who is able to judge this thy so great a people” (1 Kings 10:7-9).

          All of these men examined themselves honestly.  They saw themselves as being little and lowly and undeserving.   They did not eagerly accept their positions.  They knew they were weak and extremely vulnerable.  This is how every person should be before God.  We are frail.  We are fleshly.  We are limited.  We are not as strong, smart, and invincible as we might think.  We need to keep these things in mind.  Having such a mindset, enables God to work through us.  Too, we keep the proper attitude when we have to work with others in order to accomplish the mission God has called us to do.

          We want to close with one more example of a person who was “poor in spirit.”  This example is somewhat surprising.  It is none other than Jesus Christ the Son of God.  In Matthew 11:29, Jesus describes Himself.  He said:  “…for I am meek and lowly in heart…”  Jesus realized the position He assumed in coming to earth.  “For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45).  Jesus left the splendor of heaven to come to earth.  He gave up some of His glory to become a man.  He readily assumed the position of a servant.  Too, He willingly obeyed His Father in heaven and died for all mankind.  Paul describes all of these things to us in Philippians 2:6-8.  “Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:  but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:  and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.”  Before Paul made this statement about the Christ, he said this to the Philippians:  “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.”  Jesus was meek and lowly.  He was “poor in spirit.”  His mind should be displayed in the lives of all those who seek to be His faithful followers. 

          There is promise given to the “poor in spirit.”  Jesus said:  “…for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”  Those who are proud often lift themselves up to a level above God.  They do not see their need for Him.  Not so with the “poor in spirit.”  They know they are sinners.  They know they are lost.  They know they stand in need of God.  They run to receive His love, kindness, mercy, and grace.  Their faithful obedience to the Father’s will enables them to become citizens of the kingdom of God.  The “poor in spirit” can be members of the kingdom now and will be ushered into the eternal kingdom when Jesus comes again.