Sermon on the Mount: Blessed are the Poor in Spirit
Matthew 5:3
““Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
Matthew 5:3 NASB1995
Matthew 5:3 through 5:11 of the Sermon of the Mount are the Beatitudes. Typically, in Biblical studies, there are eight Beatitudes, as verses 10 and 11 are combined. Beatitudes means blessedness - Jesus is telling His listeners that these are truly blessed states that believers should strive for; they are positive or “do” statements and are not phrased as “do not” statements, in contrast to the Ten Commandments.
The first Beatitude sets the tone for the entire Sermon and really for all of the teachings of Jesus. What does it mean to be “poor in spirit”? Steve and I have done some group Bible studies that have you dig deep into words and meanings. One of the best tools for this is the Blue Letter Bible. If you look at the Greek word used for poor in this verse, the word is ptochos. Context is everything when doing a Biblical deep dive. The definition that most likely applies in this case (and there are several definitions) is “lowly, afflicted, destitute of Christian virtues and eternal riches”. Jesus is telling His followers that they are starting at the bottom, by being “poor in spirit” or by recognizing their complete humility and lack of spiritual virtue before God.
An excellent commentary on Matthew 5:3 is found in the sermons of Bill Ball:
The Beatitudes are progressive. As the Master Teacher, Jesus did not just start anywhere in His explanation of God’s expectations. They are like a ladder that must be climbed, one step at a time. It’s not random that Jesus begins by saying that those who recognize their own spiritual bankruptcy will be blessed: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” We must first become humble in order to have any chance of living out the other seven. The foundation of all other graces is laid in humility. The door into the kingdom of Christ is low, and you can’t stand tall if you want to enter. We must be humble in order to have God’s approval because when there is less of us, we can experience more of Him. We will only be filled when we own our emptiness, we cannot be made worthy until we recognize our unworthiness, and as someone has said, “We can’t live until we admit we’re dead.” Or, as another person put it: “Those who get too big for their britches will be exposed in the end.”
Pride and self-aggrandizement have no place in the journey to the Kingdom of Heaven. We must die to ourselves to be saved and be filled with His Spirit (less of us means more of Him!).
The next devotional examines Matthew 5:4: Blessed are those that mourn, for they shall be comforted.
Photo by Tim Wildsmith on Unsplash