Blessed are the Poor in Spirit
Matthew 5:1-12 Key Verse 3
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
Matthew Chapter 5 begins Jesus’ teaching called the Sermon on the Mount. In this sermon, Jesus gives the standard of living for all Christians. These rules can be called the “Constitution of the Kingdom of Heaven.” The first part of Jesus’ sermon is commonly called the “Beatitudes.” Do you know what Beatitudes means? It literally means “happiness” or “blessing.” In fact, it comes from the Latin word “beati,” which means blessing. In verses 3-10, Jesus describes eight ways to be blessed. They are practical rules for living that show us how to be happy. They tell us what our inner and outer attitude should be, both toward God and our fellow man. First we must consider, what does it mean to be blessed? And second, how can I be blessed?
First, true blessing in God’s purpose
Look at verse 1 and 2. “Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them.” Jesus had been teaching about the kingdom of God and healing the sick throughout Galilee. Large crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and the region across the Jordan began to follow him, as we see in Chapter 4 verse 25. There were so many people crowded around Him that Jesus had to find an elevated place to teach the people. Jesus found a spot on a mountainside near Capernaum. Of course, Jesus’ disciples got front row seats. They must have felt like VIPs. As crowds gathered around Jesus, they were tempted to feel important and proud as Jesus’ closest disciples. They thought that being with Jesus not only gave them prestige, but the chance to have power and wealth when Jesus established his kingdom. But Jesus was not going to give them a message about worldly wealth or earthly kingdoms. He was going to teach them about the kingdom of heaven, and how to be truly blessed. It was quite different from what the disciples or the crowds expected.
What was the focus of Jesus’ teachings? Jesus began each teaching in verses 3 thru 10 with the word, “Blessed.” Dictionary.com defines blessed as “bringing happiness, pleasure, or contentment.” But blessed refers to much more than our superficial idea of happiness. I often say that I am happy when the NY Giants win or I get a good grade on an exam. A literal translation of the Greek word meaning “blessing” would be “possessing an inward contentment and joy that is not affected by the physical circumstances.” Wow, so can I be blessed as a NY Giants fan? No, they lose too much! Maybe as a Washington Redskins fan? No. Rather to be “blessed” refers to the spiritual joy of those who are members of the kingdom of God. It is the experience of hope and joy, independent of our outward circumstance. Hope in the kingdom of God and joy in knowing Jesus Christ are the deepest form of happiness anyone can find. These Beatitudes do not promise that we will be laughing all the time, be very rich, or even live a comfortable life. It is significant that Jesus began his Sermon on the Mount by teaching who is really blessed. Jesus wanted to correct our fallen and sinful misconceptions about happiness. While favorable worldly circumstance may accompany God’s blessing, they are not the true essence of God’s blessing. In order to understand God’s blessing, we can look at some people in the Bible who were truly blessed.
In Genesis 12 verses 2-3 God promised his blessing to Abraham. It says, “I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” God never promised Abraham a comfortable life. In fact, God asked Abraham to leave his country, his people, and his father’s household to go to an unknown land. He was forced to live in tents and under the uncertainty of God’s direction. But God kept his promise and blessed Abraham. Through Abraham, the whole world was blessed when Jesus came as Abraham’s descendant. Abraham’s joy was to be used for God’s eternal purpose. In this way, he was truly blessed. We are truly blessed when we seek God’s eternal purpose for our lives. Mary was blessed when the angel asked her to be the mother of God’s son, Jesus. Mary sang a song of joy when she realized God’s plan. She said, “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.” King David was also a very blessed man. He became the greatest king of Israel, with great military victories and the famous victory over the champion Goliath. He was called by God as a “man after my own heart.” He was used in God’s purpose because the King of Kings, Jesus Christ, would be his descendant. We can also see why David was so blessed by his many psalms.
What is common among all these Bible people? They all had joy to be used for God’s purpose. So how are we used for God’s purpose today? I think many of us are being used for God’s purpose. Being a Bible teacher is part of God’s purpose. Being a shepherd for others is part of God’s purpose. Being a missionary is part of God’s purpose. We learn from the Bible that to be truly blessed is to be a part of God’s eternal purpose for our lives. So these Beatitudes are meant to draw us closer to God and the person God wants us to be. But so often because of our sinful nature, we have the wrong idea on how to be blessed. For most of my life, I thought to be blessed was to get a good job with a lot of money and have a comfortable life, becoming the best at whatever I did. So I studied hard in school and focused on my selfish ambition, leaving God out of the picture. But through studying the Bible I realized my life would be meaningless without God. I realized that my true purpose could be found in Jesus. Now I am beginning to see God’s purpose in my life. May God show us through this passage how to be truly blessed!
Second, the eight blessings. (verses 3-12)
Look at verse 3. Let’s read it together: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” What does it mean to be poor in spirit? Basically, it means to be humble before the Lord. It is to come before God with a sincere and repentant heart, seeking forgiveness of sin. The person who is poor in spirit seeks God earnestly. They put their whole trust in God, realizing that they are totally helpless without God’s mercy. They have total dependence on God. They realize that the things of this world are not everything, but that God is everything. The poor in spirit can be contrasted with the rich in spirit, or the proud. In Mark’s gospel Chapter 9, Jesus’ disciples were arguing about which one of them was the greatest. But Jesus told them, “If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all.” This takes true humility and a poor in spirit attitude. Muhammad Ali, the famous boxer, was known for many things but humility was not one of them. He was known by his saying, “I am the greatest!” Maybe while the disciples were arguing, Peter said “I am the greatest!” There is a story told that Ali was flying to one of his engagements, when the airplane ran into heavy turbulence. The passengers were instructed to fasten their seatbelts, and all complied but Ali. So the flight attendant told him to fasten his seatbelt, to which Ali replied, “Superman don’t need no seatbelt.” The flight attendant didn’t miss a beat and replied, “Superman don’t need no airplane, either. Fasten your seatbelt, please.” I don’t mean to pick on Muhammad Ali, but the story shows a truth that the proud can live with serious misconceptions. The proud live with the worst misconception that they do not need God. They feel invincible. But they miss out on God’s greatest reward, the kingdom of heaven. To the world, the person who is poor in spirit looks foolish, like they have some self-esteem problem. But to God, the poor in spirit are those that deserve the kingdom of heaven. God favors those who come before him with a humble heart. James 4:6 says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” God’s favor to the poor in spirit is shown throughout the Bible. In Isaiah 57:15 it says, “For this is what the high and lofty One says – he who lives forever, whose name is holy: I live in a high and lofty place, but also with him who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite.” The poor in spirit can experience the kingdom of heaven on Earth, having the peace and joy that comes from total trust in Jesus Christ.
Look at verse 4. Let’s read it together: “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” Jesus promises that those who mourn will be blessed. What did Jesus mean by mourn? It means to have a godly sorrow for our sins and the sins of others. 2 Corinthians 7:10 says, “Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.” When we have godly sorrow over our sins, we are truly blessed. This is because it leads to repentance and a closer relationship with God. King David mourned over his sins in Psalm 51. In verse 17 it says, “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.” David had just been convicted of his sin of adultery and had a broken heart of godly sorrow for his sin. He was truly blessed because God forgave his sin after he sincerely repented. This is why Jesus said in verse 4, “for they will be comforted.” Those who mourn over their sins will be comforted with forgiveness. They will be released from the guilt and shame of their sin. Furthermore, they will receive the greatest comfort in the kingdom of God, where there is no more sin.
Look at verse 5. Let’s read it together: “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.” The meek are generally patient, gentle, and submissive. The meek recognize God as sovereign. They submit to God in everything. When we think of meek, the last thing we think of is strength. In this world, a man has to be strong. But meekness is not weakness. An example of a weak person in the Bible was Saul. Even though he seemed strong (he was a head taller than everyone else), he was afraid to lead his army to face the Philistines (1 Sa 17:11) He lacked faith in God, while a young boy David could defeat the champion Goliath by faith. The meek receive their strength from God by submitting to Him daily. They have strong faith in God. The meek overcome all kinds of hardship by relying on God. Moses is a good example of a meek person. Numbers 12:3 says, “(Now Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth.)” In the King James Version, it says Moses was a “very meek” man. God raised Moses as the leader of the Israelites. When the Israelites began to moan and groan about his leadership, Moses depended on God. Numerous times, he fell facedown before God in submission. (Num 14:5, 16:4, 16:22, 16:45, 20:6) Then God strengthened him to lead the Israelites. Moses was a very meek man, but he became a great leader, helping the Israelites to inherit the promised land. May God raise many spiritual leaders who are meek! Jesus was the perfect example of meekness. He was gentle and humble in heart. (Mt 11:29) He came to this earth as a humble servant and died on the cross for our sins. Yet in Philippians 2:9 it says, “Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name.”
Look at verse 6. Let’s read it together: “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” What is righteousness? Righteousness comes from God. Jesus is God’s righteousness (1 Cor 1:30). We are blessed when we seek Jesus because he alone can satisfy our souls. Jesus forgives our sins and gives us eternal life in the kingdom of God. Jesus brings true meaning and true blessing to our lives. Matthew 6:33, the theme of this conference, says “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” But in our sinful nature, we think that we will be satisfied when we seek money, power, or other worldly pleasures first, which actually just leaves us empty. But actually only those who seek God’s righteousness in Jesus first will be filled. Jesus said in John 6:35, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.” When we hunger and thirst for Jesus, we spend much time in Bible Study and prayer. Instead of focusing on the things of this world, which are here today and gone tomorrow, we seek the eternal God and his eternal reward. This is true blessing.
Look at verse 7. Let’s read it together: “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.” Merriam-Webster’s dictionary defines mercy as “a disposition to be kind and forgiving.” The merciful are willing to forgive others and help others. Jesus was the expression of God’s mercy to all mankind. Even while Jesus was being crucified for our sins, he prayed, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” When man sins he commits cosmic treason against God and deserves nothing but God’s wrath and condemnation. But God is truly merciful to us, offering us salvation through Jesus Christ. When we remember God’s mercy on us as sinners, we can be merciful to others out of our gratitude. Then we will be blessed. When we are merciful to others, God will have mercy on us. We must be willing even to have mercy on our enemies or those who do wrong to us. Of course, this is often hard. But Ephesians 5:1 says, “Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”
Look at verse 8. Let’s read it together: “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” Purity is not something that’s highly valued in society today. Purity is not the way the world thinks one can be blessed and happy. Do you see TV shows about purity? But the Bible teaches that the pure in heart will see God. But how can we have a pure heart? First, we must recognize that we are not pure. In Mark 7 it says that “out of men’s hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance, and folly.” So how can we have a pure heart when there is so much sin? 1 John 1: 7 says, “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.” Jesus’ blood can make our hearts pure. David was called a man after God’s own heart. He had a deep relationship with God, as shown by his beautiful psalms. In Psalm 51, David prayed, “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” When we desire a pure heart, Jesus will release us from our guilt and we’ll enjoy an intimate relationship with God. At the Young Disciples Conference last month, everyone participated in a “purity workshop.” In my group, we all agreed that being pure is not something we do, but rather it is a condition of the heart. At the end we all shared our struggles to be pure in an impure world. Mostly, our struggle came down to the need of more Bible study and prayer. My struggle was wondering why I still struggled with sin after I became a Christian. When I expected temptation to go away, temptation got stronger. But during Bible study a verse I remembered was Psalm 119:11: “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” When we have God’s Word in our heart, we can be pure in heart. Then we will be blessed to see God.
Look at verse 9. Let’s read it together: “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.” We can be either peacemakers or troublemakers. The peacemaker lives a life of love, while the troublemaker creates conflict. Jesus is the best peacemaker. He made peace between God and man. Jesus took all of God’s wrath upon himself that we deserved. He reconciled us to God. Jesus also makes peace between men. In Ephesians 2:14-16 it says, “For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility.” Jesus destroys all the barriers that men build up between themselves. There are so many barriers that exist between people today: race, age, appearance, theological perspective, economic status, politics, intelligence, and the list goes on and on. But in Christ, we can have unity with people who are not like ourselves because we are all part of God’s family. We can be peacemakers as Bible teachers, bringing the gospel of Jesus Christ to others. The gospel can bring peace to America and to all the nations of the world. This summer I saw how the gospel is bringing peace to Russia at the CIS Conference. The theme of this conference was, “The Truth Will Set You Free!” Fifteen years ago Russia was under the veil of communism and no gospel could be preached, but now they have been set free. Tomorrow night we will hear the China Mission Report by Philip Brown and Joe Park. They are peacemakers because they bring God’s Word to Chinese students. So if they are peacemakers, they will be called sons of God. So we can call them sons of God! Wow they are really blessed!
Look at verse 10. Let’s read it together: “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Persecution doesn’t seem like a good way to be happy. But in Luke’s account it says, “Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven.” When we are persecuted because of our faith, it’s a sure sign that we are being faithful to God. If we don’t receive any persecution it means we are following the world. Jesus wants his people to be persecuted in order to be right with God. Persecution helps us to be humble and poor in spirit before God. Look at verse 11. Let’s read it together: “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.” I’m sure many of you have probably faced this kind of persecution as Bible teachers. When you are rejected for Bible study or people accuse you during fishing or you have an ungrateful Bible student, it seems like a losing proposition. It’s not easy to see it as blessing. But Jesus said we are blessed when we are persecuted because it means that we are living for God’s glory, not our own. We are part of God’s purpose. It takes faith to be persecuted for Jesus. This is why the reward is the kingdom of heaven. The apostle Paul was sitting in prison awaiting execution for his faith in Christ when he said in 2 Ti 4:6-8: “For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day – and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.” Paul could endure persecution because he knew his reward was a crown of righteousness in the kingdom of God. His joy was in serving God and offering his life to God’s purpose. He also wrote the letter of Philippians while in prison, a letter full of joy in which he wrote, “Rejoice in the Lord always! I will say it again: Rejoice!” We can rejoice always knowing that our reward is in the kingdom of God!
At this conference, many of us have prepared or will prepare their 2006 Key Verse Testimonies. We will hear some of these tonight. Looking back on this past year, I am so thankful for God’s blessing in my own life. This past year I sought God more than any other time in my life. Also this year I received his blessing more than any other time. I was blessed to see God’s work in Russia at the CIS conference last summer. This winter break has been my busiest break I can ever remember between preparing for GBS at the Young Disciples Conference and preparing this message. I am learning how God can use me in His purpose. This year my key verse is Psalm 1:2 which says, “But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.” I wanted to share my key verse because I am anticipating a very busy year between preparing for MCAT and also my classes. Despite my business, I pray that I may be truly blessed by seeking God this year. I also pray that I may be able to share the Bible with one Hopkins student this year.
In these Beatitudes we learned eight traits that bring great blessing. The perfect example of each trait was Jesus himself. May we challenge ourselves to become more like Jesus each day. We are blessed when we seek God first. May we make a decision to humble ourselves and seek God this year. If we are poor in spirit before the Lord, he can use us for his good purpose. However, when we are proud and try to find our own way to be happy, we will be left dissatisfied and without God’s blessing. May God help us to live according to these Beatitudes, so that we may receive his blessing and be happy. May God help us to be poor in spirit and live humbly before the Lord. Let’s read the key verse, verse 3, together.