Poor but Blessed

Is your spirit poor or rich? Jesus goes up into a mountain, and sits downs. His disciples come unto Him, and Jesus starts preaching His longest sermon recorded. It is also His most famous. Our theme is “Be a Disciple”. Now one thing that being a disciple means is you live differently from the World.These first verses are known as the Beatitudes. These start with the word Blessed which means happy. When you first look at the Beatitudes. They seem like a contradiction. It is like opposite day. When you say things mean the opposite of what they are when you are a kid. We look at this passage, and thinks that it is opposite of what is true. How are those who mourn blessed? How shall the meek inherit the earth?

One of the misconceptions of this first beatitude is many people think that it means “blessed are the poor”. People have gone voluntarily to live poor lives, because they misunderstand this verse. This is is not about financially but your spirit. Jesus says Blessed are the poor in spirit. You must be poor in spirit.

What does it mean to be poor in spirit?

It means to be humble. David says in Psalm 51: 17 “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: A broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.” Jesus is saying “Blessed are the humble” Why are the humble blessed? Because theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Jesus is saying “the ones who are humble will see heaven”. The kingdom of heaven refers to the millenial reign.

Luke 18 will show this in action. The Pharisee (who was one of the religious elite) who trusted in himself and prayed in himself prayed and was very proud. The publican did not trust in himself, but said have mercy on me oh God, a sinner. The reason being is that when you are proud you cannot see your sinful condition, but rather you see your works which Isaiah says are as filthy rags. Proverbs 8:13 “The fear of the Lord is to hate evil: Pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, And the froward mouth, do I hate.”

This poor spirit just does not stop after salvation. God still calls us to be humble. Like I preached on Sunday night, if we are proud it keeps us from relying on God the way we need to.

James 4:6-8 “But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.”

1 Peter 5:5-6 “Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:”

There is this what seems to be a contradiction. Jesus explains this to us in a parable. He says do not go to a wedding feast, and go for the upper room, because someone more honourable and deserving will take your place. People who think that they are something get shown up. An athlete talks trash just to be easily beaten. Someone acts cool then gets shown they are not. But Jesus says go to the lowest room and allow the host to tell you to go the better room. The one who humbled himself was exalted.

Proverbs 25:6-7 “Put not forth thyself in the presence of the king, And stand not in the place of great men: For better it is that it be said unto thee, Come up hither; Than that thou shouldest be put lower in the presence of the prince Whom thine eyes have seen.”

Humble yourself and let God exalt you, rather than exalt yourself and let God humble you.