We begin our study of the beatitudes with verse 3. Jesus promises us the kingdom of heaven if we are poor in spirit. So the task is for us to find out what it means to be poor in spirit and how can we learn to be that way.
There was, and still is, the feeling that happiness comes only to those that are rich. Such feelings would have been common in Jesus’ day, and the promises and conditions in these few verses stand as testimony to the contrary.
In these few verses, Jesus gives us characteristics of blessed people. They seem almost contrary to what we might think would make us blessed or happy.
Being poor in spirit is the basis for all the other things Jesus talks about in this chapter. This verse shouts out self-denial. It is all about being last on earth to be first in heaven.
Being poor carries with it the idea of not having something. If we talk about someone being poor, we usually think of them as not having much money or many possessions. Being without something is not always bad. In the case of being poor in spirit, it is good. The way we know it is good is because Jesus promised access to the kingdom of heaven if we are poor in spirit.
Since he was talking about the spirit, he was talking about something that relates to our spiritual nature, our inner person. He simply wants us to be the opposite of proud. He wants us to be humble, showing an attitude of being a servant.
Being poor in spirit is simply having humble feelings about ourselves. It is the willingness to accept what God gives us and to be happy in whatever state in which we find ourselves.
Jesus was unlike any other teacher. He began His teaching of the disciples with letting them know the reality of life. He doesn’t mince words, and He makes it clear that to enter the kingdom one must be poor in spirit. Let’s look at some examples in the New Testament.
In Luke 18, Jesus told the story of the Pharisee and the Publican. Both men went to the temple to pray. The Pharisee’s prayer was more bragging about himself than praying. This is what he said: “I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.” This man showed no compassion, no concern for others, no humble spirit.
The Publican’s prayer was quite different. He said, “God, be merciful to me a sinner”. That’s it. He wouldn’t even raise his eyes toward heaven.
Jesus condemned the Pharisee, the man that was suppose to be so dedicated to the letter of the law; and He praised the Publican, the tax collector, for his humbleness.
In Matthew 18, Jesus called a little child to Him. He said to His disciples, “Except ye be converted and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” So if we want to enter the kingdom of heaven, we will have to be “poor in spirit” and humble ourselves as little children.
Jesus told a parable in Luke 14 about a man invited to a wedding feast. He told them not to sit in a chief seat but rather take a lower place. If they took the important seat, they might be asked to move and then be embarrassed. If they took the less important seat, they might be asked to move to a more important place. Then Jesus followed the parable with this statement, “For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted”. It is much more comfortable to be elevated than to be subjected to the humiliation of being moved to a less important place or position.
Another aspect of being poor in spirit is to be content with what we have. Paul said in Philippians 4:11, “Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content”. Paul continues by telling the brethren at Philippi that he knew how to have nothing and how to have plenty. He knew how to “abound and to suffer need”.
Most of us don’t have to worry about truly being in need, but we need to know how to live with a little or live with a lot. We certainly need to be touched with feelings of concern for those that are in need. Examples of this can be found in Luke 16 in the story of the Rich Man and Lazarus and in Luke 12 with the story of the Rich Farmer. In each of these stories, the rich man was condemned because of his lack of compassion. Neither knew how to be poor in spirit.
So, if we want the kingdom of heaven to be ours, we need to value others more than ourselves, be thankful for what we have, have feelings for those less fortunate, be willing to take a less important place, and to depend on God.
Sandra Oliver