Spiritual Riches In Our Poverty.
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The Paradox Of Scripture is We Are Poor But Rich.
The Paradox Of Scripture is We Are Poor But Rich.
The very first time Jesus teaches extensively in Matthew are found in chapters 5-7 known as the sermon on the mount.
It is with great anticipation that Matthew writes the words in his opening line
And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying:
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Makarios. To be fully satisfied. It indicates the state of the believer in Christ. He is indwelt by God because of Christ and as a result is fully satisfied. In the biblical sense, a blessed person is one whom God makes fully satisfied , not because of favorible circumstances but because He indwells the believer through Christ. Makarios is the one who is in the world yet independent of the world. His satisfaction comes from God and not from favorable circumstances.
The Complete Word Study New Testament , Zodhiates.
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Here’s the paradox. Perhaps you know and feel in yourself you are one who is totally bankrupt. There is nothing in you that you can hold onto and say now thats a good thing. In fact you see nothing good in you.
This is going to sound strange, but this promise of blessing and being fully satisfied is for you. God will richly indwell the man or the woman that admits they are spiritually bankrupt. When I see you struggling with this condition there is hope. God wants to comfort you who are in this condition. This is the rich soil and the good ground of the parable of the sower where the word brings forth much fruit.
Ptochos, Poor and helpless. One who is in his abjectness who needs lifting. The penes may be poor but he earns his bread by daily labor . The ptochos is so poor that he can only obtain his living by begging. The Penes has nothing superfluous, while the ptochos has nothing at all. The Complete Word Study New Testament Zodhiates.
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Notice the kingdom of heaven is spoken of in this passage as a present tense possession. It doesn’t say “for theirs shall be or will be the kingdom of heaven but theirs is.
The Net Bible translates, “ For the kingdom of heaven belongs to them.”
nor will they say, ‘See here!’ or ‘See there!’ For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you.”
“ ‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.
For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.
I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see. Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent.
Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.
The Work of the Holy Spirit XXIV. Love in the Blessed Ones
God’s elect do not exist without the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. We derive all that we are not from ourselves, but from that rich Dweller in our hearts. We, His poor host, have nothing, and from our own treasury can produce not even a grain of love; but our rich Guest works in us with all His wealth. Or rather, not with His own, but with the riches of Christ’s cross-merits; and with lavish hands He spends these cross-merits upon the poor owner of the house, making him unspeakably rich. But He does this, not in such a way as to make the saint the possessor of an independent capital, to be spent without the Holy Spirit. Nay, it is the Holy Spirit who from moment to moment holds the lamp that radiates Love’s brightness in the heart in His own hand. Hence, if after the judgment, the Holy Spirit should cease to work in, or depart from, the hearts of the saints, all their life, light, and love would at once be quenched. They are what they are by His indwelling, and Love can celebrate its triumph only by pervading their whole personality with His influences. And what is this but that “God is all in all”; for by the Holy Spirit even the Father and the Son come to dwell in them. Abraham Kuyper.
How this passage could point to Christ: Throughout the Scriptures, Christ is depicted as the ultimate source of abundant life, inviting us into a relationship where our lack becomes a canvas for His grace and power, echoing the promise that in our weakness, He is strong (2 Corinthians 12:9).
Big Idea: In our human poverty, we encounter divine richness; it's through surrendering our limitations that we open ourselves to receiving the boundless grace of God, which transforms our lives beyond what we can imagine.
Recommended Study: You may want to look into the Beatitudes in Matthew 5 within your Logos library to explore how Jesus teaches about spiritual wealth in the context of humility and need. Investigate the contrasts between worldly riches and spiritual wealth in the parables, particularly those focusing on the kingdom of God, as they provide insights into how God views abundance. Furthermore, consider studying passages in Paul's letters concerning grace and weakness, particularly in 1 Corinthians 1:26-31, to understand the theological implications of God's choice of the lowly for His glory.
1. Perceive the Poverty
1. Perceive the Poverty
Matthew 5:3-6
Perhaps starting with the Beatitudes in Matthew 5 could illustrate how Jesus elevates the spiritually poor, the mourners, and the meek, suggesting that true wealth lies in recognizing our need for God. These verses challenge us to consider that spiritual abundance begins from a place of humility and hunger for righteousness. This could lead congregants to a fresh perspective on their hardships as avenues for divine blessing and strength through Christ.
2. Power in Weakness
2. Power in Weakness
2 Corinthians 12:7-10
You could use Paul's profound insight in 2 Corinthians 12 to show how divine power is perfected in human weakness. This passage presents a compelling argument that acknowledging our limitations is not a sign of failure, but an invitation for Christ's power to rest on us, transforming our insufficiencies into divine strength. Encourage listeners to embrace their weaknesses as opportunities for encountering God's transformative grace.
3. Possess the Promises
3. Possess the Promises
Ephesians 1:3-8
Maybe highlighting Ephesians 1, where Paul speaks of the spiritual blessings in Christ, could suggest that true richness comes from our position in Him. Unlike temporal material wealth, these blessings anchor us in eternal security and identity. By understanding our inheritance, we can appreciate the riches of God's grace and the spiritual richness found in a life deeply rooted in Christ.
4. Place of Honor
4. Place of Honor
1 Corinthians 1:26-31
Consider focusing on how God chooses the seemingly insufficient according to 1 Corinthians 1. This passage underscores that God delights in using the humble and lowly to confound the strong and boastful, pointing to Christ as our wisdom, righteousness, and redemption. This sermon point could inspire believers to find confidence in their humble state, knowing that it is precisely there that God's glory is most evident.
