What we find recorded in verses 3-12 are commonly referred to as "The Beatitudes." Each of the nine "Beatitudes" begin with the word "blessed." The basic meaning of "blessed" is happy. However, happiness in a Biblical sense has a much deeper meaning than what we tend to give the word in our modern English language. "Happiness" comes from the Old English word "hap" which means "chance or luck." "Happiness happens when happen stances happen to be happy." In other words, happiness as we know it, only exists when the circumstances surrounding our life are in our favor. But when we use the word "happiness" as the Bible speaks of it, we are speaking of a spiritual joy and satisfaction that lasts regardless of conditions, which carries one through pain, sorrow, loss, and grief.
This "happiness" or sense of spiritual joy and satisfaction is pronounced first upon the "poor in spirit."
I. THE INTERPRETATION OF "POOR IN SPIRIT"
The thought that genuine joy and satisfaction comes from being poor in anything is diametrically opposed to the conventional wisdom of today’s culture. In the minds of those who have bought into the world’s way of thinking, verse 3 ought to read "Blessed are the rich, the famous, the powerful, the movers and shakers, the important, the aggressive, the self-reliant, the self-confident, the glamorous..." In today’s world, being "poor in spirit" is equated with being depressed, weak, timid, and passive. Everyone knows that this is not the way to get ahead. This is not the way to attain "happiness." Today’s conventional wisdom teaches us to assert ourselves, to care for nothing but ourselves. We are taught that the only vice is weakness and the only virtue is strength. We are encouraged to be strong and we’re told that "The world is our’s if we can get it."
Unfortunately, the conventional wisdom held by our society at large is often at odds with Biblical wisdom. God’s wisdom and ways are radically different from the current thinking of our secular society. As a matter of fact, Paul said that "the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God" (1 Corinthians 3:19). The question that we must ask ourselves is "Are we willing to accept the radical teachings of Jesus as truth?" And if so, "Are we willing to let them change our lives in the radical way they are intended to?"
A. Negatively, what "poor in spirit" IS NOT
1. "Poor in spirit" does not refer to financial destitution or material poverty.
2. "Poor in spirit" does not mean a lack of vitality or courage.
3. "Poor in spirit" does not mean a false humility which is designed to gain the sympathy of others.
4. "Poor in spirit" does not have anything to do with suppressing our personality.
B. Positively, what "poor in spirit" IS
1. In this verse, "poor" comes from a verb meaning "to shrink, cower, or cringe." It was used to describe people of complete poverty who were reduced to crouching in a corner begging for food.
2. Spiritually speaking, to be "poor in spirit" is to humbly bow our hearts to God, acknowledging our total spiritual poverty before Him and our utter dependence upon Him. It is to understand that apart from Christ we are spiritually destitute. It is the personal acknowledgment of spiritual bankruptcy. It is the conscious confession of our unworthiness before God.
3. To be "poor in spirit" is to say "I am nothing; I have nothing; I can do nothing; I stand in need of all things."
4. Being "poor in spirit" is the opposite of being haughty and self-sufficient. It is the very reverse of that independent and defiant attitude which refuses to bow to God.
5. Poorness of spirit is not something that we can produce, it not something that we can do for ourselves. It is a work of the Holy Spirit wrought in the hearts of true believers. By nature we are self-righteous and filled with pride. It takes a miracle of the grace of God to bring us to the point where we are genuinely "poor in spirit."
6. There are numerous Biblical examples of those who were "poor in spirit."
a. Gideon - When God came to Gideon and told him that he was going to be used to "save Israel from the hand of the Midianites", Gideon’s reply demonstrated the fact that he was "poor in spirit." Gideon said, "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" (Judges 6:14-15).
b. Moses - The fact that Moses was truly "poor in spirit" is seen in his feelings of unworthiness to perform the task that was laid upon him and his consciousness of his own insufficiency and inadequacy (Exodus 4:1-12).
c. Isaiah - Having seen a vision of the Lord, Isaiah demonstrated that he was "poor in spirit." His words were, "Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips..." (Isaiah 6:5)
d. Peter - Peter was naturally aggressive, self-assertive, and self-confident. But when He saw the feebleness of his own efforts and the greatness of the power of the Lord, his words were "Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord" (Luke 5:8).
e. Paul - Even though Paul’s credentials (Philippians 3:5-6) were more than impressive, still he says, "I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,
And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:" (Philippians 3:8-9)
f. Jesus - Perhaps no other place in the Bible describes the Lord’s poverty of spirit than Philippians 2:6-8.
II. THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING "POOR IN SPIRIT"
A. Being "poor in spirit" is Fundamental to Salvation
1. Without being "poor in spirit" a person cannot even come to Christ.
2. The parable of the Pharisee and the publican shows that to be justified one must be "poor in spirit" Luke 18:9-14.
3. When we are willing to acknowledge that God must fill us or we will forever remain empty, then we are in a place where God can save us. God has never saved someone who came to Him in pride.
4. Only those are saved who have made the painful discovery that all their righteousness is as filthy rags and that even in their best state, they are "altogether vanity" (Psalm 39:5).
B. Being "poor in spirit" is Foundational to Maturation
1. As one writer put it, "Jesus puts this beatitude first because humility is the foundation of all other graces, a basic element in becoming a Christian. Pride has no part in Christ’s kingdom, and until a person surrenders pride he cannot enter the kingdom. The door into His kingdom is low, and no one who stands tall will ever go through it. We cannot be filled until we are empty, we cannot be made worthy until we recognize our unworthiness; we cannot live until we admit we are dead. We might as well expect fruit to grow without a tree as to expect the other graces of the Christian life to grow without humility. We cannot begin the Christian life without humility and we cannot live the Christian life with pride."
2. Poverty of spirit is essential to the maturing process in the life of the Christian. The same humility that it takes to get saved is the same humility that it takes to accept the teaching of the Sermon on the Mount.
3. Many of the obstacles that keep us from maturing in the Lord are dealt with honestly and openly in the Lord’s Sermon, but it will take a great deal of spiritual poverty to admit our sin and to submit to the Spirit’s leading.
4. James tells us that with "meekness" or humility we are to receive the Word of God (James 1:21). The meek will be taught the ways of God according to David’s words in Psalm 25:9, "The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way."
III. THE INDICATIONS OF BEING "POOR IN SPIRIT"
There are several characteristics that are evidenced by those who are truly "poor in spirit."
A. They Live to Exalt Christ
1. Those who are "poor in spirit" share the attitude of John the Baptist when he said, concerning his relationship to Christ and His ministry, "He must increase, but I must decrease" (John 3:30).
2. They also share the attitude of the apostle Paul in Philippians 1:20-21 and Galatians 6:14.
B. They Love to Edify other Christians
1. Romans 14:19, 15:2; 2 Corinthians 12:19
2. The "poor in spirit" can always be heard speaking an encouraging word to others, praising others, and thanking God for those around them.
C. They Look for ways to Exhibit Compassion
1. The greatest example of exhibiting compassion is seen in the life of the Preacher of the Sermon on the Mount, the Lord Jesus Himself.
2. Matthew 9:36, 14:14, 15:32, 20:34; Mark 1:41; Luke 7:13
IV. THE INHERITANCE OF THE "POOR IN SPIRIT"
A. The Kingdom and our Position
1. By virtue of our coming to Christ in humility, repenting of our sins, and placing our faith in Him, we have become inheritors of the kingdom of heaven.
2. Simply put, this means that one day heaven will be our eternal home.
3. James 2:5
B. The Kingdom and our Privileges
1. Romans 8:14-17
2. At the time of salvation we become a son of God, and because of our sonship position we are also made heirs of God and join-heirs with Christ. That is, we are made partakers of His blessings in this life and will be privileged to enjoy the glories of heaven for all eternity.
3. Both our position and our privileges in the kingdom of heaven are the results of our being "poor in spirit" which led us to salvation in Christ Jesus.
V. IMPROVING IN REGARDS TO BEING "POOR IN SPIRIT"
As was mentioned earlier, poorness of spirit is not something that we can produce, it not something that we can do for ourselves. It is initially the work of the Holy Spirit that leads us to the painful discovery that all our righteousness is as filthy rags and that the only hope we have of being saved is to turn in faith and repentance toward God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
After salvation, poorness of spirit is still the work of the Holy Spirit because by nature we are self- righteous and filled with pride and unwilling many times to acknowledge our sin.
There are a few things we can do in addition to the working of the Spirit to cultivate this poorness of spirit that Jesus talked about in His sermon. We can cultivate poorness of spirit by:
A. Focusing on the Lord
1. Christ is the supreme example of what it means to be "poor in spirit."
2. The key to becoming more Christlike in this area of our life is to spend much time in the Word of God, reading and learning about the life of Christ.
3. According to 2 Corinthians 3:18, the more we behold the glory of the Lord, the more like Him we become.
B. Denying Ourselves
1. Poverty of spirit does not happen in the life of the believer by accident. It only happens when we are willing to make a concentrated effort to deny self.
2. Matthew 16:24-25
C. Living for Others
1. We can cultivate the Christlike characteristic of being "poor in spirit" by going out of our way to put others above ourselves.
2. By giving up something for someone else, we are following the instruction given in Philippians 2:3-4, "Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.
Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others."
