Poor in Spirit

There is something about the Beatitudes that some of us (if not most of us) don't take seriously. It's not that we won't read this passage with a seeking heart, but a lot of us feel that these are abstract concepts with abstract rewards. This is not what Jesus intended. When he gave the Sermon on the Mount, he wrapped up every practical guideline for the Christian walk into his sermon. Jesus says, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven." What does it mean to be "poor in spirit?" What does it mean to obtain the "Kingdom of Heaven?" These aren't metaphorical. There is authentic practicality in every Beatitude.

Matthew 5:3, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.”

Arthur Pink makes a great observation about the way in which Jesus begins His sermon. The Messiah begins with a promise of heaven. He doesn’t condemn the people for their wickedness, lack of faith, or sinful desires, but He encourages them with the promise of a magnificent blessing. This gives believers hope that Jesus desires great blessings for us. He is not mean. He is not condemning. He is not putting you down. Instead, He is our greatest cheerleader. God is our perfect Father who loves to give us good things (Matthew 7:11).

Another observation Pink makes is described in the word “blessed.” He interchanges the word “blessed” with the word “happy.” This is our greatest guideline to assured happiness in life. “[Happy] are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven!” If the Son of God declares you will be happy to be poor in spirit, then you will be happy indeed.

This brings us to the core of this verse: what does it mean to be “poor in spirit”? According to Pink, “Poverty in spirit is a spirit that is completely dependent upon God, knowing where he came from (dust) and who he serves, knowing that there is nothing he could have done or can do to save himself, to own nothing himself but to be completely owned by God.” That’s scary. J.C. Ryle describes it similarly: “The Lord Jesus calls 'blessed' those who are poor in spirit. He means the humble, and the lowly-minded, and self-abased; he means those who are deeply convinced of their own sinfulness in God's sight; these are people who are not 'wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight' (Isaiah 5:21). They are not 'rich' and have not 'acquired wealth'; they do not fancy they 'do not need a thing'; they regard themselves as 'wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked' (Revelation 3:17). Blessed are such! Humility is the very first letter in the alphabet of Christianity. We must begin low, if we want to build high.”

Ryle brings up an interesting point. Humility is what the Lord delights in. It is the foundation of the Christian faith. Proverbs 15:33 says, “The fear of the LORD is the instruction for wisdom, And before honor comes humility.” Before honor comes humility! Jesus Himself says in Matthew 23:12, “And whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.” Jesus adores the humble! He gives grace to the humble (James 4:6). It is, in my opinion, the foundational quality that allows you to love, to serve, to grow in God, and to obey the Lord’s commands. Thomas Watson says it best: “Why is this put in the forefront? I answer, Christ does it to show that poverty of spirit is the very basis and foundation of all the other graces that follow.”

In Watson’s opinion, what does being “poor in spirit” look like practically?
1. We are no longer self-sufficient
2. We are a Christ-admirer
3. We are always seeking to becoming less while exalting Christ
4. We are lowly in heart
5. We are keeping an active conversation with God through prayer
6. We are content to take Christ upon his own terms
7. We are an exalter of free grace (realizing we cannot become holy without the help of the Holy Spirit)

Even becoming “poor in spirit” is an intense calling from the Lord. But this is only the first of the many blessings He promises us is we obey these commandments. But the question begs, what is our reward? “…for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.” From first glance, this seems confusing. It seems that Jesus is telling His audience that to gain the kingdom of heaven, they must become poor in spirit. If they don’t, they’ll miss out. I don’t think this is the case. John Calvin says it like this: “We see that Christ does not swell the minds of his own people by any unfounded belief, or harden them by unfeeling obstinacy, as the Stoics do, but leads them to entertain the hope of eternal life, and animates them to patience by assuring them, that in this way they will pass into the heavenly kingdom of God. It deserves our attention, that he only who is reduced to nothing in himself, and relies on the mercy of God, is poor in spirit: for they who are broken or overwhelmed by despair murmur against God, and this proves them to be of a proud and haughty spirit.”

There is a great reward for relying fully on God—the assurance of a Kingdom far better than the one in which we currently live.