In Mathew 5:3 (ESV) it reads – “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
This verse perplexed me for a long time but not enough for me to ask the Holy Spirit for clarification. Every time I read it, it seemed like a contradiction to me and because I know that God’s Word does not contradict itself, I would just kind of skip over it and move on. Since we are instructed elsewhere in scripture to seek spiritual riches, I just went with that and didn’t try to reconcile these verses. I believe that’s called spiritual laziness and you won’t find any blessings for that.
But as the Holy Spirit does in this walk with Him, He convicted me about my laziness and my pride. If you know me at all, you know that I am a recovered control freak. And by recovered, I mean that I am not nearly as bad as I used to be and I work on it continually. When you are a control freak such as I, pride is the sin. God had some things to say to me about this mess one day and I thought I would share it with you. I know that many of you know exactly what I’m talking about.
For many years now I have fasted the entire month of January to give the first of my year to God in thanksgiving and to spend that time asking Him what He would have me to do, know and repent of, etc. This particular year I decided to spend time in the gospels again, so I started in Matthew. But this time I didn’t get past Chapter 5 verse 3. I mean I read past it as always, but that still small voice said “Really? Again?” (that’s how He talks to me.) I was immediately convicted and said, “nope evidently not” (That’s how I talk to Him.)
So, I began to ask what does this mean “poor in spirit”? Turns out that it means to be humble (the opposite of proud). It’s the place where we must start in our walk with Him and the place that our spirit must always remain. We start by realizing our own sin and spiritual emptiness. We cannot be self-satisfied and proud in our heart believing we don’t need God if we are ever to have a relationship with Him. It’s the starting place. It’s the reason why this is the first of the Beatitudes. If we don’t realize that we are sinful creatures in need of a Savior, we certainly can’t be pure in heart. This is why it’s where it is. It’s not a contradiction. It’s a starting place to seeking spiritual riches.
I was immediately repentant of my spiritual laziness/pride and began to thank Him for never leaving me in my foolishness. Sometimes when you have read the Bible many times you have the tendency to skip over some things thinking they aren’t that important, but they are. They are there for a reason and that reason is to help us know our God. This enlightenment reminded me and reinforced in me His love for us. The fact that He starts the blessings with us acknowledging our lack and need for Him just proves once again that He is indeed Good, Kind, Merciful and Loving.
May I never again be so prideful that I think I don’t need to know more about God and His ways. Not for His benefit but for mine. He continually draws us deeper in order that we may be blessed.
Mathew 5:6 (ESV) – Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
