The Beatitudes: Blessed are the Poor in Spirit

Introduction: I remember one of my daughter’s first birthdays. We had a party and all of our friends came.

They brought presents. We tried to say no princess or barbies back then.

Made it through 2 kids and now Skylar is all about the barbies.

But it wouldn’t have mattered back then anyway because, of all the presents she got, her favorite, a big box that one of them came in. That’s what she wanted to play with.

In a world that is so materialistic and greedy, children can find joy in the simple things that we adults often overlook!

Is there any surprise that Jesus says

Matthew 19:14 ESV

14 but Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.”

Today we continue our study of the sermon on the mount as we continue to see what makes for the greater life.

And today is a hard one. because from thet get go, Jesus challenges our very very notion of the attitudes that make for the better life.

Transition to the Text: Turn with me in your Bibles to Matthew 5:3.

Matthew 5:3-12 represent the attitudes necessarily for the greater life.

There are either 8 or 9 beatitudes depending on how you break down 10-12. Spoiler alert, we’re going with 8 for the sake of this series.

The Beatitudes are a series of blessings or declarations of blessedness spoken by Jesus, primarily found in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5:3-12 and the Sermon on the Plain in Luke 6:20-22[1][2][3]. In Matthew's version, there are eight beatitudes, with each beginning with "Blessed are..."[2][4]. The Greek word translated as "blessed" conveys a sense of spiritual well-being, prosperity, and deep joy of the soul[2][4]. Each beatitude consists of two parts: a statement of blessing followed by the identity of those being blessed, and an explanation of why they are blessed[1]. The Beatitudes introduce a new reality for those who respond to the kingdom offered by Jesus, presenting a radical reversal for the downtrodden and revealing attitudes and actions pleasing to God[1]. They describe the ideal disciple and their rewards, both present and future, indicating that the blessed have a share in salvation and have entered the kingdom of God[2][4]. It's worth noting that Luke's version contains four beatitudes that are shorter and less spiritualized than Matthew's, reflecting Luke's greater emphasis on social justice issues[1].

[1] Tremper Longman III, Peter Enns, and Mark Strauss, eds., The Baker Illustrated Bible Dictionary (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2013), 180.

[2] Got Questions Ministries, Got Questions? Bible Questions Answered (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2002–2013).

[3] Glen H. Stassen, “Beatitudes,” in Dictionary of Scripture and Ethics, ed. Joel B. Green (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2011), 93–94.

[4] Ronald F. Youngblood, F. F. Bruce, and R. K. Harrison, Thomas Nelson Publishers, eds., Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Dictionary (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, Inc., 1995).

Introduce:

Read: Matthew 5:3

Matthew 5:3 ESV

3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Beatitude #1: BLESSED ARE THE POOR IN SPIRIT.

"Poor in spirit" refers to a spiritual state of humility and dependence on God, rather than a literal economic condition. It describes individuals who recognize their spiritual bankruptcy and complete reliance on divine grace[1][2]. This concept is likened to the posture of a beggar, utterly dependent on others' generosity[3]. Being "poor in spirit" involves emptying oneself of personal self-will, setting aside preconceived opinions, and being willing to change one's way of thinking in the pursuit of God[1]. It's contrasted with being proud in spirit and is associated with a childlike attitude[1][2]. Jesus taught that those who are "poor in spirit" are blessed and will inherit the kingdom of heaven, challenging conventional notions of blessedness[4][5]. This interpretation is consistent with Jesus' teachings on the spiritual nature of His kingdom and the Old Testament usage of the term "poor"[3].

[1] Hugh Halter, Sacrilege: Finding Life in the Unorthodox Ways of Jesus, ed. Alan Hirsch, The Shapevine Series (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2011), 66.

[2] R. Allan Killen, “Poor in Spirit,” in The Wycliffe Bible Encyclopedia, ed. Charles F. Pfeiffer, Howard F. Vos, and John Rea (Moody Press, 1975).

[3] Charles L. Quarles, Sermon on the Mount: Restoring Christ’s Message to the Modern Church (Nashville, TN: B&H Academic, 2011), 43.

[4] Esther Liu, Shame: Being Known and Loved, ed. Deepak Reju, 31-Day Devotionals for Life (Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing, 2022), 39.

[5] Joshua Cooley, The One Year Devotions with Jesus: 365 Devotions to Help You Know and Love the Savior (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 2015).

1. KNOW that God is CALLING.

Explanation: Let’s put ourselves in the early 30’s. You hear about the incredible rabbi that is going from town to town, doing great miracles, and is a great teacher that confounds the wise.

So you start to follow Him. At first it’s just the cool thing to do. But over time you genuinely believe what He is saying.

You’ve known for a while that the religious leaders were off. They would read the scriptures, but they didn’t live according to them.

And here comes Jesus, not only does he call all of those religious leaders hypocrites but He is calling ordinary people like you to follow Him and enter into the kingdom of God.

But the kingdom of God, like any nation or people or kingdom, has rules, customs, attitudes.

Now Jesus doesn’t invite you to a secret meeting. He doesn’t do anything of this behind closed doors for only the elite.

He stands up on a hillside and begins to call all who are present to be a part of His Kingdom. The call is for everyone.

And it still is today.

Illustration:

Application: The call is for everyone. But not everyone will answer. In fact many won’t even make it past the first beatitude.

Because everything they ever heard is contradicted in the first words of Jesus.

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of God.

They have looked longingly at the pharisees and the sadducees who seem to have it all together. They look the part, they know the Scriptures, the pray right, they do all the right things. And all the time, they say, if you want the kingdom you have to imitate me.

Do what I do. You’ll never measure up though.

And Jesus says, stop with that nonsense! First, those pharisees are faking it!

Matthew 23:27 ESV

27 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness.

Matthew 23:12–15 ESV

12 Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted. 13 “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. For you neither enter yourselves nor allow those who would enter to go in. 15 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel across sea and land to make a single proselyte, and when he becomes a proselyte, you make him twice as much a child of hell as yourselves.

I think that it is important for us to get this right even now, because we have people who want to come to church and worship God, but don’t think that we will God will welcome them because we sometimes like to pretend we have it all together.

We need to be poor in spirit! And that means being transparent and vulnerable about our desperate need for Jesus.

Being poor in spirit is about one begger showing another begger where to find food.

Best example of this is a parable by Jesus

Luke 18:10–14 ESV

10 “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ 13 But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

To be poor in spirit is to….

2. KNOW that YOU need a SAVIOR.

Explanation: One particular objection I often get from people about Christianity is: Why do I need a savior?

And a lot of times that’s followed up with I’m a good person. If there is a God, certainly He will take into consideration that I tried my best.

One of the great travesties of the entlightenment that continues to this day is that people are inherently good. It’s society that makes them bad.

And why is our society so corrupt and bad? Because of all the inherently good people?

The Bible tells us a different story.

Romans 3:10–13 ESV

10 as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one; 11 no one understands; no one seeks for God. 12 All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.” 13 “Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive.” “The venom of asps is under their lips.”

Romans 3:23 ESV

23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

Romans 6:23 ESV

23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 5:8 ESV

8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

To be poor in spirit is to know yourself as God knows you.

Apart from Christ, no matter what good things we have done, we are dead.

It is only in Christ that we are raised to life!

And this is where the rubber meets the road for the poor in spirit.

The very first thing we must do is admit that we are sinners in need of a savior.

If you don’t acknowledge that you aren’t poor in spirt, you’re full of yourself.

Illustration:

Application: Now for the pharissees, they were full of themselves! They should have been acknowledging their own need for a savior and bringing others along. But they were liars and hypocrites who had an image to uphold so they had to tear others down to keep themselves up.

What should the attitude of someone who is poor in spirit be?

Those who understand all that they have been saved from…will be humble.

Philippians 2:3–8 ESV

3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

3. KNOW that GOD’S KINGDOM is GREATER.

Explanation: Already Jesus has redefined who the kingdom of God is for.

It’s not for the great ones of history who attain to the status of legend. It’s not for those who achieve good deeds, have great knowledge and wisdom. It’s for those who conquer and overcome great adversity by their own power and will.

The kingdom of God is for the lowly and desperate. The kingdom of God is for those who know they don’t deserve it. Those who know that there is nothing good in them apart from Christ. Who know that no matter what, God’s kingdom is worth it.

And sure, Jesus says that it will be hard. It will be filled with trials and tribulations. There will be suffering.

Even looking at the beatitudes, it’s bookended by 2 things.

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

The kingdom of heaven belongs to the lowly and the persecuted. Keep that in mind the next time we ask God for He allows us to go through tough times.

But in the midst of that suffering is something worth living for. There is joy, peace, meaning, purpose.

But right there, Jesus probably lost half of the crowd. The price is too high. Not what they signed up for.

Because they didn’t believe that such a sacrifice would lead to something greater.

They know this life. It’s highs and lows. For many of them, more lows than highs. And then Jesus says, it’s going to get worse.

uh uh, I’m out.

But Jesus tells us the kingdom is so worth it.

Matthew 13:44–46 ESV

44 “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. 45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, 46 who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it.

Even with everything Jesus is saying about being poor in spirit, lowly, humble, downcast, cast off, rejected, abused, persecuted and even killed….it’s still greater and you should give up everything to enter in it.

It is with this band of misfits, who against all common sense, abandon all to follow Jesus.

Illustration: It’s football season again, and one of the greatest sports movies of all time comes to mind.

A ragtag group of players and their lowly coach come together against all odds to overcome adversity and persecution to conquer their enemies and win the big game!

That’s right, the little Giants.

It’s amazing to me how many of hollywood’s best movies, steal their basic plot structure from the Bible.

Application: When you look at Jesus disciples. They were the rejected, overlooked, misfits, not good enoughs, has beens. And they knew it.

Look at Peter’s very first response to Jesus’ call.

Luke 5:8 ESV

8 But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.”

And through him and others like him, Jesus is changing the world.

A perfect model for us of what it means to be poor in spirit.

Response: Are you POOR IN SPIRIT?

Summation: To be poor in spirit is:

To recognize a greater calling by a greater savior for a greater kingdom.

Closing Illustration: For some of this, this is a hard teaching.

It goes against everything we’ve ever been taught.

How do we go to our high powered job tomorrow which is built on confidence, perhaps a little bit of arrogance, and the belief that we don’t need anyone to achieve our goals.

What will this attitude adjustment look like for you?

How will it change things for you?

Are you afraid of what it might cost you if you truly follow Jesus?

And this is just sermon 1!

To be completely honest, I’ll be the first to say, I struggle with this too. I’m not there yet. I’m a hypocrite in this area. But I’m an honest one. I won’t fake it. (Please don’t fire me!)

This sermon is for me as much as it is for you. And we are in this together. On this journey together.

So let’s go. Hands in!

Let’s pray.