The Sermon on the Mount: Blessed Are the Poor in Spirit - Full Transcript

Let us bow our heads in prayer. Almighty God, we come before You this morning to study Your Word, particularly this most precious beatitude that opens the greatest sermon ever preached. Open our hearts and minds to receive the truth of Your Word, that we may be truly poor in spirit and inherit the kingdom of heaven. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Beloved in Christ, we begin this morning a most blessed study of the Beatitudes, those eight beautiful statements with which our Lord Jesus Christ opened His Sermon on the Mount. And we begin with the first and foundational beatitude: "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." This first beatitude is the gateway to all the others. Without poverty of spirit, none of the other graces can truly flourish in our hearts. It is the foundation upon which all other Christian virtues are built. As we study this morning, may God grant us grace to understand what it means to be poor in spirit and to cultivate this blessed state in our own hearts. The word "blessed" here means happy, fortunate, or well-off. It speaks of a deep, abiding joy that is not dependent on circumstances but flows from a right relationship with God. And Jesus tells us that this blessedness belongs to those who are poor in spirit.

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. The poor in spirit come to God with empty hands, confessing their complete dependence on His grace and mercy. They recognize that they are sinners in need of salvation, that they cannot save themselves, that they cannot earn God's favor, that they cannot merit eternal life. This poverty of spirit is not a negative thing, but a positive recognition of reality. It is to see ourselves as we truly are in the light of God's holiness and perfection. When we compare ourselves with God, we see our utter inadequacy and need.

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. They trusted in themselves that they were righteous and despised others. 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. The proud and self-righteous are excluded from the kingdom, while the humble and contrite are welcomed in. This is a recurring theme throughout Scripture. God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. He dwells with the contrite and lowly in spirit. He saves those who are poor in spirit but resists those who are proud in heart.

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, while the Pharisee, rich in his own righteousness, went home unjustified. The publican recognized his sinfulness and his need for God's mercy. He had nothing to offer God but his brokenness and his plea for mercy. And it was this very recognition that made him acceptable to God.

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. When we truly see our sinfulness, we understand our need for a Savior. We recognize that we cannot save ourselves, that we cannot make ourselves righteous, that we cannot earn God's favor. This drives us to Christ, who is our righteousness, our salvation, and our hope. The recognition of sin also leads to repentance. When we see our sinfulness, we turn from our sins and turn to God. We confess our sins and seek His forgiveness. We forsake our old ways and follow Christ.

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. This dependence on grace is not a passive thing, but an active trust. The poor in spirit actively trust in God's grace for their salvation, their sanctification, and their daily needs. They do not trust in their own works or merit, but in God's gracious provision. This dependence also leads to gratitude. When we recognize that everything we have is a gift of God's grace, we cannot help but be grateful. We thank God for His salvation, for His provision, for His care, for His love.

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. This humility is not self-deprecation or false modesty. It is an honest assessment of ourselves in the light of God's holiness and perfection. It is to recognize that we are creatures, dependent on our Creator, and that we are sinners, in need of God's grace. Humility also leads to teachability. The humble are willing to learn, to be corrected, to be instructed. They do not think they have all the answers, but are open to God's Word and the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

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. This teachability is essential for spiritual growth. If we are not teachable, we cannot grow in grace and knowledge. We must be willing to learn from God's Word, from other believers, from the Holy Spirit, and from the circumstances of life. The teachable spirit also leads to obedience. When we learn from God's Word, we are called to obey what we learn. The poor in spirit are not only willing to learn, but also willing to put into practice what they learn.

"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 God's rule and reign. It is the realm where God's will is done perfectly. Those who are poor in spirit are citizens of this kingdom, and they experience God's rule in their hearts and lives. This citizenship brings with it many privileges: access to God through prayer, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, the fellowship of other believers, the hope of eternal life, and the promise of God's care and provision.

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. They experience His care and provision. They enjoy fellowship with Him and with other believers. 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. They will experience the complete fulfillment of all God's promises and the full realization of all His blessings. This future hope sustains us in the present. When we face trials and difficulties, we can look forward to the day when we will be with Christ in glory. When we experience loss and sorrow, we can comfort ourselves with the promise of eternal life.

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. Spending time in God's presence helps us to see His holiness and our sinfulness. As we draw near to Him, we become more aware of our need for His grace and mercy. We recognize our dependence on Him for everything. Meditating on God's Word also helps us to cultivate poverty of spirit. As we study Scripture, we see God's holiness and perfection, and we see our own sinfulness and imperfection. This drives us to Christ for salvation and sanctification.

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. Those who are poor in spirit are blessed because they are in a right relationship with God. They recognize their need for Him and depend on His grace. They are humble and teachable, willing to learn and grow. They are citizens of God's kingdom and heirs of eternal life. This blessedness is not dependent on circumstances but flows from a right relationship with God. Even in times of trial and difficulty, those who are poor in spirit can experience the peace and joy that comes from knowing God and being known by Him.

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? Do we have a deep sense of our sinfulness and our need for salvation? Are we humble and teachable? If we are not poor in spirit, let us ask God to work this grace in our hearts. Let us pray that He would show us our sinfulness and our need for His grace. Let us ask Him to make us humble and teachable, willing to learn and grow. And if we are poor in spirit, let us rejoice in this blessed state. Let us thank God for His grace that has made us poor in spirit and has given us the kingdom of heaven. Let us continue to cultivate this poverty of spirit, that we might grow in grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. May God grant us all the grace to be truly poor in spirit, that we might be truly blessed and inherit the kingdom of heaven. Amen.