The Beatitudes Part 1

"Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven."        Matthew 5:3.  NKJV

The poor in spirit are those who recognise their spiritual poverty and casting aside their self-dependence, seek God's grace. The poor in spirit recognise that they have no spiritual “assets.” They know they are spiritually bankrupt. The ancient Greek had a word for the “working poor," which was penes. This was those who had to work for a living just to make ends meet. This was the basic, they had money to survive with nothing left over. The Greek also had a word for the “truly poor, which was ptochos this was absolute and abject poverty - those who were completely destitute. Jesus used the word for the truly poor here. It indicates someone who must beg for whatever they have or get. 

'Blessed," is recognised as being 'Happy', but it is quite a strange thing to start this teaching with. However, just stop for a moment here and think it through. In God's eyes we are all poor in the spirit. There is nothing we can offer God. Nothing that we can use to barter with. Yet through the precious blood of Jesus; by His Grace, we are rich in Jesus and share the Kingdom of God with Him. We reign with Him. Now that's something to shout about.

This Beatitude is first, because this is where we start with God. It's the first step near to our walk with Him, our first step in getting to know Him. This verse is not just for people starting out with Jesus. It is there for us all. Most of us can identify with being poor in spirit before we met with Jesus. We had no hope, no future, possibly no one who was there for us who wouldn't take us for granted. Then Jesus turned up. But we still have times when we feel like walking around as if we have nothing left. This verse is a reminder of just what we have in Jesus. We have been lifted from the scrap heap, and placed not among hired servants in the field, but among princes in the Kingdom of God. We reign with Jesus. We have a place in Heaven. We are His Ambassadors. 

Once you had nothing in spiritual terms, now you have everything. Once you may have been ashamed to be in the presence of Godly people, now you're one of them. But don't forget, there are 'Godly' people and 'Happy or Blessed,' people and if you know Jesus you're one of the latter. Why? Because Jesus said so, that's why and that is all that matters.

Copyright 2019 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesus@protonmail.com