The Sermon on the Mount: Blessed Are the Poor in Spirit

We begin our study of the Beatitudes with the foundational truth that Jesus Christ opens His great sermon with: "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." This first beatitude is the gateway to all the others, for without poverty of spirit, none of the other graces can truly flourish in our hearts.

To be poor in spirit is not to be materially poor, though material poverty may often lead to spiritual poverty. It is to recognize our spiritual bankruptcy before God. It is to acknowledge that we have nothing of our own to offer God, no righteousness of our own, no merit, no worthiness. It is to come to God with empty hands, confessing our complete dependence on His grace and mercy.

The poor in spirit stand in stark contrast to the proud and self-righteous. The Pharisees of Jesus' day were rich in their own estimation - they had their own righteousness, their own works, their own merit. But Jesus says that the kingdom of heaven belongs to those who recognize their spiritual poverty, not to those who boast in their spiritual riches.

Jesus illustrated this truth in the parable of the Pharisee and the Publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed, "God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get." But the publican, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, "God, be merciful to me, a sinner!" It was the publican, poor in spirit, who went home justified.

To be poor in spirit is to have a deep and abiding sense of our sinfulness. It is to see ourselves as God sees us - as sinners in need of salvation. This recognition does not lead to despair, but to hope, for it drives us to Christ, who alone can save us from our sins.

The poor in spirit recognize that salvation is entirely of grace. They know that they cannot save themselves, that they cannot earn God's favor, that they cannot merit eternal life. They depend entirely on the mercy and grace of God in Christ Jesus.

Poverty of spirit produces humility. The poor in spirit do not think more highly of themselves than they ought to think. They recognize their weaknesses, their failures, their need for God's help in every aspect of their lives.

Those who are poor in spirit are teachable. They recognize that they do not have all the answers, that they need instruction from God's Word, that they need the guidance of the Holy Spirit. They are willing to learn and to be corrected.

"For theirs is the kingdom of heaven." This is the promise to those who are poor in spirit. The kingdom of heaven belongs to them. This means that they are citizens of God's kingdom, that they have a right to all the privileges and blessings of that kingdom, that they will inherit eternal life.

The kingdom of heaven is both a present and future reality. In the present, those who are poor in spirit experience the rule of God in their hearts and lives. They know His peace, His joy, His love. In the future, they will enter into the fullness of His kingdom, where they will see Him face to face and reign with Him forever.

We cultivate poverty of spirit by spending time in God's presence, by meditating on His holiness and our sinfulness, by comparing ourselves not with others but with Christ, by confessing our sins regularly, and by depending on His grace for everything.

Poverty of spirit is indeed a blessing, for it opens the door to all other spiritual blessings. It makes us receptive to God's grace, it keeps us humble and teachable, it drives us to Christ, and it ensures our entrance into the kingdom of heaven.

Let us examine our hearts today. Are we poor in spirit? Do we recognize our spiritual bankruptcy before God? Do we depend entirely on His grace? If not, let us ask God to work this grace in our hearts, that we might be truly blessed and inherit the kingdom of heaven.