THE BEATITUDES III

THE BEATITUDES III

Jesus begins the so-called Sermon on the Mount with this statement: "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to them." (Matthew 5:3). There are two parts, two elements or sections of this sentence that need definition. First, what does it mean, 'Blessed are the poor in spirit'? Secondly, what is 'the kingdom of heaven'?

Does 'poor in spirit' mean someone who doesn't seem to have much ambition or motivation? We sometimes talk about 'spirited' people, meaning those who draw attention to themselves by their behaviour. They are the ones whom we say 'stand out in a crowd'. They seem confident, happy, satisfied with their lives. They look like they know where they are going and what they are doing. People like this don't seem to need anything or anyone. We may think they 'have it all'.

In contrast then, in opposition to that description, poor in spirit would be those who are needy. These would be the people who aren't so self-confident, who may be hurting or even ill, people who are suffering. They just can't seem to 'make it' on their own. They are not as successful; at least not in the way success is generally measured in our world. Some might go so far as to call them ‘losers’, but I don’t think it is ever helpful to use that word. It puts people down and demeans them. It is derogatory.

So, what then is the kingdom of heaven? It is first of all a place where God reigns, as that is where we speak of God as having his dwelling. Psalm 115:3 says: "Our God is in the heavens" and Psalm 11:4 says, "The Lord's throne is in Heaven." So, the kingdom of heaven is the place where God lives and gets our allegiance, our loyalty. We'll learn more about that in the future.

Why would we want to be in that kingdom? What does it have to offer? This is a Kingdom where all our needs can be met. Not maybe our wants, but those may not be good for us. What we desire can often seem attractive now but be harmful in the end. 

When I first went to a church service in China on my first trip there in 2007. I watched in wonder, as I waited to enter for the second service, at the people that came out from the early service. Many were crippled, lame, blind, obviously not whole or healthy by the standards of many. But they looked happy! I thought to myself, 'Yes, these are whom the church, the kingdom of heaven, is for. What did Jesus say? "Those who are whole don't need a doctor, only those who are sick…I came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance" (Matthew 9:10-13).

The poor in spirit know they are missing something. They know they are in need. They are humble enough to admit that, to repent, to want to change. They know the Kingdom Of Heaven is where they will find what they need. God will not only show them what changes they need to make and give them the strength to make the changes: he will reward them eternally for doing so. Isn't that a comprehensive plan? Why wouldn't we want to accept that?