Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:3, ESV)
This is where it all starts. The very first beatitude is also the very first step into the Christian life. Let's take a close look and see what Jesus is saying here.
Blessed
Each beatitude starts with this. The blessing in all of these beatitudes is not referring to material gain, but to position. Those who emulate these things are blessed in the sense that they are recipients of the grace and favor of God. The things they receive (the kingdom of heaven, comfort, mercy, etc.) are benefits of living under God's grace and favor.
We should not view the promises in the beatitudes from a worldly perspective. This is why Jesus is careful to emphasize the spirit right from the start. These are spiritual realities and promises. The Christian life is a spiritual life with spiritual benefits.
The poor in spirit
Many people have tried to use the beatitudes to claim Jesus taught a social gospel. This is simply an unbiblical view of the text. The blessing here goes to the poor in spirit. We are not talking about the poor in finances, opportunities, or material things. This is not the poor in a social sense. This poverty runs deeper and can be felt by anyone, regardless of their wealth, position, or status. Kings and peasants have both felt this poverty.
So what does it mean to be poor in spirit? To put it quite simply, it means having an honest view of yourself. It is to recognize that you have nothing to offer God. It is an honest understanding of where you land according to the book of Romans,
“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23, ESV)
“For the wages of sin is death...” (Romans 6:23a, ESV)
Jesus begins His sermon by turning humanity's thinking on its head. Being poor in spirit means recognizing you are not enough. It means realizing, and truly believing, there is no way you can earn salvation on your own. Jesus begins here because there is no way to be saved without coming to this conclusion.
You must understand your spiritual bankruptcy in order to lose faith in yourself. It is only those finding themselves at this point who will reach out in faith and take hold of Christ. This is precisely why Jesus says the poor in spirit are blessed.
The blessing comes through a painful realization about your inability to save yourself. This leads you to turn to the only One who can. And the result is miraculous.
Theirs is the kingdom of heaven
When Jesus says “theirs" He is indicating possession. Possession of what? The kingdom of heaven.
As simply as I can put it, the kingdom of heaven is the reign of God (the king) over His chosen and sanctified people (the citizens). I think from this we can conclude that the possession here is not one of strict ownership. That kind of possession belongs to the King alone. But possession does not always mean ownership. I see two ways in which the poor in spirit possess the kingdom.
1. Belonging
When I say America is my country I am not claiming to own the United States. I am simply stating that America is the nation in which my citizenship resides. I am subject to the leadership and laws of this nation. I am also a recipient of the benefits of living in this nation.
Now transfer that concept over to our text. The Christian possesses God's kingdom by belonging to it and operating as a citizen of it.
Here is something else I find interesting about this beatitude. It is the only one where the blessing is in present tense. Theirs is the kingdom. This means we don't wait to belong to the kingdom. We belong to it the moment we place our faith in Christ. Though we may still physically reside in the lost world, we now operate as citizens of heaven in it.
We receive our way of life, code of conduct, and all allegiances from our heavenly kingdom. No wonder the world does not understand us! We are living by the rules of a different kingdom.
2. Purchase
By purchase, I mean our right to enter the kingdom; our admission. This is indicated by the transactional nature of Jesus’ statement. Those in poverty do not have adequate funds. Likewise, none of us have the spiritual currency needed to enter heaven. Those who recognize their inadequacy and call out to Jesus receive admission because He personally covered the cost.
A daily mindset of spiritual poverty
As Christians, we are called to this spiritual poverty in our daily lives. We should not walk around dejected and defeated. We are free from the punishment for sin. We are citizens of God's perfect kingdom. However, we must never forget that we have nothing without Christ. The riches of the kingdom are innumerable, but they are all given to us unmerited and undeserved. Therefore, our daily theme should simply be this:
“Nothing in my hands I bring, simply to thy cross I cling.” (Augustus Toplady)
Excellent breakdown! Thank you.