Poor in Spirit

Matthew 5:3 ESV

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

This morning we will only be looking at the first beatitude. While I do not plan to only look at one Beatitude a week for the remainder of this section - it felt appropriate to devote extra time to this one since it is the first and most misunderstood Beatitude.

As a short recap from last week: The word that Jesus uses for blessedness conveys not blessed as a means of material possession, but rather to convey divine spiritual blessings. Happy. Flourishing.

However, this kind of happiness that I described is not a subjective state, by an objective reality. It is not a fleeting feeling based upon which side of the bed you woke up on this morning, but rather the state of your relationship with God.

Those who are most blessed are those whose God is the Lord. Those who are blessed are those whose sins are forgiven. Those who confess that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. The blessedness that Jesus speaks of is descriptive of the Christian.

Again, the beatitudes are not a checklist - they are a description of those who are citizens of the Kingdom of God.

This first beatitude. Blessed are the poor is Spirit.

It is intentionally first.

It is not random that Jesus begins with poor in Spirit. These beatitudes are neither randomly arranged, nor isolated. Thomas Watson writes “… Christ begins with poverty in spirit because it ushers in all the rest.” A man cannot mourn if he is not first poor in spirit, a man cannot hunger and thirst for righteousness if he is not first poor in spirit. A man cannot be meek if he is not first poor in spirit.

This first beatitude is ultimately about the justification of the Christian. In other words, this is about the first steps into becoming a follower of Jesus.

This first beatitude is quite possibly the most misunderstood of the Beatitudes.

One historical example of this is the Roman emperor Julianus. He was the nephrew of Constantly. However, he was quiet unlike his uncle. He is most well known as Julian the Apostate - because of his rejection of Christianity, and his desire to Make Rome Pagan Again. In his persecution of Christians, he would confiscate their property and would sarcastically tell them “this should make you happy.”

Many people, like Julian the Apostate, misunderstand this beatitude to be a blessing pronounced upon the financially poor. This along with Jesus’ warnings against the love of money get misquoted so people think that Jesus said that no Christian should ever have any money ever. However, a careful reading of Scripture will show us that beggars were saved by Jesus, rich men were saved by Jesus, and those with economic stand points in between. And when we see the wealthy come to faith in Jesus, they are not shown to immediately after become poor, but rather to use the wealth they have to bless others, or to repay those they cheated.

There is no blanket condemnation against wealth - there are condemnations about how one uses that wealth.

One specific group that missed this is a group known as the aesthetics. They believed that anything that was enjoyable was sinful, and thus should be forsaken. They rejected wealth and comfort believing it would make them closer to the Lord. However, Jesus first beatitude is not merely about finances.

Blessed are the poor in Spirit should not be confused with blessed are poor in wallet.

Now one might say “Well what about Luke’s gospel? Luke says “blessed are the poor.” And this is an excellent question. One might think that Luke got it wrong, or that Matthew is trying to clean up Luke recording Jesus’ hard words.

Luke 6:20 ESV

20 And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.

In Luke’s gospel he does demonstrate that Jesus has a great concern for the poor, and many warnings for the rich. And appropriately so.

While there is a slight difference in the words that Luke and Matthew record, Jesus is saying the same thing in both accounts.

It certainly is true that one cannot buy their way to heaven. However, to understand Luke’s discussion of the poor - one must understand the prophet Isaiah’s discussion of the poor. In short, while Luke does speak of those materially poor, many instances of the discussion of poor is not just those who are financially desperate, but those who are spiritually desperate as well.

And it is in Luke’s gospel where he writes of Jesus opening the Isaiah scroll to Isaiah 61:1 and reading that the Spirit of the Lord is upon him and he has come to proclaim the good news to the poor. Poor in Luke’s gospel does at many times refer to those without money. However, poor in this Beatitude and in Isaiah’s scroll refers to the poor in spirit.

Matthew wants us to see that material poverty does not bring one closer to the gates of heaven - Luke wants us to understand that riches may keep you further from the kingdom of heaven. And as we will see later in the SOTM - where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

It’s not that one’s financial portfolio is irrelevant to the Christian life - but it is not the means by which one is included or excluded from the Kingdom of Heaven.

Money cannot make you happy, but poverty will also not make you happy.

Matthew 5:3 ESV

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

Poor in Spirit is one of those phrases that we need to begin by defining what it is NOT.

Poor in Spirit is not spiritually bankrupt. That would be the opposite. Spiritual bankruptcy is the sinner who is dead in their trespasses and sins. Unable to please God. Dead in their trespasses and sins and bound for hell. Spiritually bankruptcy is every human being is outside Christ.

In order to saved, one most move from being spiritual bankrupt to being poor in Spirit. This requires a work of the Holy Spirit.

Poor in spirit is not the same as poor in wallet.

A person’s economic state alone does not bring one any nearer to the kingdom of God.

The Lord might use one’s poverty to bring them closer to him, or he may use one’s wealth to keep him farther from him. Or vice versa, an impoverished person may continually blame God for his situation, while ignoring how his own sinful decisions have caused his problems.

Whereas a wealthy person might use all their wealth to bless the churhc and others.

Many people get this wrong. One’s net worth or lack there of is not the most important aspect of this blessing.

Those who are wealthy may be poor in spirit. They may also not be poor in spirit.

Those who are poor financially and materially, may also be poor in spirit. Or they may not be.

Economic status is not Jesus’ main concern in this blessing.

Poor in spirit is not the same as poor-spirited.

Poor in spirit is not insecurity - or self deprecation. The person who constantly focuses on how terrible they are isn’t any more humble than the person who is puffed up and always talking about themselves.

The man who celebrates how poor in Spirit he is, is not all that poor in spirit.

POSITIVE DEFINITION

As I was preparing this week, I came across a number of writers and pastors referencing Rock of Ages in description of the poor in spirit. (Spurgeon, Ferguson, Akin, MLJ). Because Poor in Spirit is defined wonderfully by the 3rd verse of the hymn.

“Nothing in my hands I bring, simply to thy cross I cling, naked come to thee for dress, helpless, look to thee for grace; foul,I to the fountain fly; wash me savior or I die!”

For one to be at the place where they can genuinely look to Jesus and cry:

“Rock of Ages, cleft for me, let me hide myself in thee.”

They must be poor in Spirit.

To be poor in spirit is to understand your desperate need for God. It means that you know that you are a sinner, who has offended a righteous and holy God, and you are unable to save yourself. It is emptying of yourself to confess that you are not god, and that you are in need of a savior.

To be poor in spirit is to have the attitude that it requires to come to Jesus in need of salvation.

When you present yourself to someone else - whether it be for a job, or to a potential suitor, or a friend - you present your best… but when you come to Christ come to Christ, you come empty handed and desperate. Poor and needy.

This beatitude is ultimately about our justification.

Justification is that legal declaration of forgiveness made by the Lord Jesus. All those who believe in Jesus are declared justified, righteous, before God the Father - because Jesus.

The means by which the Lord declares us forgiven and free is when we come to him poor and needy - looking to him along for our salvation.

It is the poor and needy to whom the kingdom of heaven belongs.

Is poor in spirit synonymous with humility? This is a tricky question. One that has been debated throughout church history.

Tertullian, 3rd Century, says “none are poor in spirit but the humble.” Thomas Watson, 15th Century, summarizes that [Tertullian] seems to make humility the cause of poverty of spirit. Stating “I rather think poverty of spirit is the cause of humility, for when a man sees his want of Christ, and how he lives on the alms of free grace, this makes him humble.”

Jesus does not promise the poor that they will be made rich. He states blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Those who are poor in spirit will obtain a greater wealth than money could ever buy.

MLJ “How does one therefore become ‘poor in spirit’? The answer is that you do not look at yourself or begin by trying to do things to yourself.”

The very question of what do I need to do to become more poor in Spirit, is a fundamentally flawed question. However, to be poor in spirit is the work of God in the heart of a sinner, to awaken and draw the sinner to himself.

And until we are poor in Spirit, we cannot truly treasure Christ.

Those who are poor in Spirit, treasure Christ, and are given the kingdom of heaven.

What does it mean to inherit the kingdom of heaven?

As I pointed out last week, Jesus came preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom. And that’s the beginning of what this is here.

But what does he mean by the Kingdom of Heaven? This is a HUGE theme in the gospel of Matthew. As Matthew has begun his gospel by demonstrating that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of David. But he is also demonstrating what Jesus is King of.

Luke uses the phrase Kingdom of God, Matthew prefers Kingdom of Heaven. These two phrases refer to the same reality. Both a present reality - the kingdom is here, but also an eternal promise. This is the promise of eternal life for followers of Jesus, but it is also the promise of Jesus’ eternal reign - when Jesus returns he will bring about a new heavens and a new earth - free from death and sin. But the Kingdom of God is more than that. It is the Sovereign Rule of God, which is manifested/demonstrated in the church but ultimately extending over all creation.

Possession of the Kingdom of Heaven is not just an future insurance policy to be payable upon death. It is not just a promise for the next life - but instead one for today. For the blessedness that Jesus speaks of for those who are poor in spirit - carries us through all of life. That blessedness is why we can be comforted when we mourn, it is what leads us to meekness, it is why we can be satisfied when we hunger and thirst for righteousness, it is how we receive mercy - that we may also be merciful; in that blessedness we will see God and be called sons of God. That blessedness begins when the Lord opens our eyes to our need for Christ, sustains us throughout our life and stays with us through all eternity.

Application

Christian, take comfort in knowing that if you treasure Christ then you are poor in Spirit. If you understand that you are a hopeless wretch if not for the grace of God given in Christ Jesus - and your only hope comes by grace through faith in the salvation of the once crucified, not risen Lord Jesus - then yours is the kingdom of heaven.

This is not a challenge to be more poor in Spirit. Though it may be a reminder to grow in your humility.

Apply your salvation… if you know that your only hope is faith in Christ Jesus. Then put aside your pride. If you are in Christ, then you are already poor in Spirit, so repent of any pridefulness.

This beatitudes is a reminder that only the Kingdom of Heaven is only open to the poor in Spirit. There’s a warning, and an invitation in that. Knowing Jesus means that you know that there is no other way to inherit eternal life… and if that is the case, then are you warning others that their works will not earn their salvation?

Appeal to the non-Christian…

If you’re here this morning and you’re not a believer… where is your hope?

What is your hope in this life or in the next? Are trying to earn your way to a better standing with God, are you simply trying your best, and hoping that he might let you in? (And even though that is what you tell yourself you still ultimately know that your best isn’t actually your best - and even if it is - your best isn’t good enough.)

Conclusion:

MLJ “There is no more perfect statement of the doctrine of justification by faith only than this Beatitude: “blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs (and theirs only) is the kingdom of heaven.

The dying words of Martin Luther were written on a scrap of paper they said “we are beggars, this is true.” This short statement conveys the concept of spiritual poverty.