The Constitution of God’s Kingdom Part 1

The Beatitudes - Poor in spirit

Certain portions of Scripture seem to be etched more deeply into people's minds than others. Psalm 23 is definitely one of these, as are I Corinthians 13 and Hebrews 11. The Sermon on the Mount is another. People know it well because of its distinct and strikingly clear teachings that form many of the foundational principles of the Christian way of life. Detailing the Lord’s description of what His followers should be and do, it comes closer to being Christianity's manifesto than any other single portion of the Bible.

When one compares this event with that of Moses and Israel at Mount Sinai, its unique location and setting provides more contrasts than similarities. Here, Christ goes up an unnamed mountain and preaches a sermon that is really an exposition of the law. Yet when God spoke the law to Moses, it was accompanied by thunder, lightning and earthquake, while the people cowered in fear. During this occasion God speaks in a small still voice, and the people are invited to draw near. Small things? Maybe, but significant in that they’re still remembered.

Matthew breaks a 400-year-long scriptural silence - between Malachi and the birth of Christ. We have no record that God sent any prophets during that period. But when God began speaking again, He spoke through His Son. Here, the King of the kingdom of heaven outlines the characteristics of those who are subjects of His kingdom. Jesus sits as He proclaims the laws of His Kingdom and His posture is better seen as symbolic of the King sitting on His throne, and laying down the law to His subjects, than a prophet speaking.

But whom was Jesus addressing? Virtually every picture of this Sermon, whether in a movie or painting, portrays Jesus speaking to a large multitude. Undoubtedly, Jesus attracted large numbers of people to hear Him. However, in this case the stronger evidence lies with the understanding that it was a message intended for His disciples. Though others besides the twelve may have been listening, Jesus did not speak to a great multitude. Matthew 5:1 begins with, "And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain," clearly giving the impression that He went up the mountain to withdraw from the crowds. Then the verse carries on with, "…and when He was seated, His disciples came to Him."

There is no doubt, to whom this message applies. Some parts of its instruction might be considered as of a general nature, yet the overwhelming majority of it applies only to Christ’s disciples (the converted), those having the Spirit of God. Its thrust is not intended to call people into the kingdom, as it sets standards for those already in the kingdom - preparing them for its fullness. This sermon is intensely practical; it deals, not as much with things to be believed, but with things to be done.

The Beatitudes tell us what our attitudes should become and admonish us to be lights to the world. They tells us how to pray, fast, do charitable deeds, lay up treasure in heaven, be single minded, exercise our faith in trusting God, seek Him before all other things in life, and much more. The point is clear. These are all things the converted must actively do to witness for God, and glorify Him. They are not intended to be the limit but a summary of the views, thoughts and works of anyone striving to extend the Kingdom of God on the earth.

So what application does this passage have for today? There is hardly a verse in the entire Sermon where Jesus is not contrasting what He wants us to be, with the way the world was in His day (and still is). This is its underlying theme. Human nature never changes, so the same challenges placed before His disciples face us also. Sometimes the contrasts are with the religious Jews, and sometimes the Gentiles, but they are always drawn to leave us without excuse about knowing what is expected of us. Therefore, the Sermon on the Mount teaches us that we are to be different - different from both the religious and the irreligious secular world.

Christ’s wonderful Sermon is the most complete ‘outline’ in the New Testament of what might easily be called a true Christian counter-culture. In the 1960s the hippie generation dropped out of society to seek a culture that ran counter to the violent, cold and loveless one they found themselves living in (a world their parents had created). But all their efforts ended in utter failure. They had neither a correct concept of society, nor the right attitude. Whereas the Lord's Sermon presents us with a true and Godly value system - ethical standards, religious devotion, attitudes toward material things, and correct relationships - all of which are in total contrast with the world's.

Now, on to the Beatitudes… Each beatitude pronounces the person who possesses that quality as being "blessed." We need to understand this word because, as some have rightly noted, the Greek word used by Matthew, ‘makarios’, can also be translated as "happy." Happy, however, is not the correct translation in this context. Happiness is subjective; the same things do not always make everybody happy.

And we can certainly rule out mourning as a producer of happiness. Instead, Jesus makes objective judgments about the spiritual state of the citizens of His Kingdom. He reveals, not what they feel like, but rather what God thinks of them. People with these qualities gain God’s approval. And because God thinks well of them, they are "blessed." God's blessing is far broader and exceedingly more important than merely being happy! But it all hinges on whether God thinks well of you.

The second half of each beatitude reveals what the blessing is; “for they...” or “for theirs...” As surely as all eight of these qualities should be part of each of us, so each of us should share in the eight blessings. Just as the eight qualities provide broad overviews of our responsibilities, the eight blessings give us insight into the broad privileges that come to us because we are meeting our responsibilities. Privileges that are only there because God is well pleased with us. Note also, the first four Beatitudes that have to do specifically with our relationship with God, set the stage for the final four, which have more to do with our dealings with people.

Since the Beatitudes describe the objective qualities and privileges of the true followers of Christ, their thrust is not "Do X, and you will get Y," but rather, "Those who have the spiritual quality X are fortunate and well off, because they have or will have Y." The Beatitudes thus outline the attitudes of Christ’s true disciples, those who have accepted the demands of God's kingdom, in contrast with the attitudes of the man of the world; and they present this as the best way of life not only in its intrinsic goodness but in its results.

(1) Blessed Are the Poor In Spirit

"Poor" has a wide variety of meanings and applications in the Bible. The Old Testament uses five different words from the Hebrew language, while the New Testament uses two from Greek. However, these seven are translated into a large number of English words. Besides describing destitution, they appear in contexts indicating oppression, humility, being helpless, afflicted, in want or need, weak, thin, low, dependent and socially inferior.

Of the two Greek words translated "poor", peneς designates the working poor who own little or no property. People in this state possess little in the way of material goods, but they earn what they have through their daily labour. A form of this word, describes a widow who may be receiving a small subsistence from a relative or social agency. Peneς is used only once in the New Testament (2 Corinthians 9:9), and its derivative is used merely to describe the poor widow of Luke 21:2.

This, therefore, is not the word used in the beatitude, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." Here, "poor" is translated from φτωχ?ς, which literally means "to crouch or cower as one who is helpless." It signifies the beggar, the pauper, one in abject poverty, totally dependent on others for help and destitute of even the bare necessities of life. At first "poor" simply indicated to be in material need, to be in poverty. Gradually, its usage spread to other areas besides economics to indicate people in weakness, frailty, feebleness, fragility, dependence, subservience, defencelessness, affliction and distress.

The poor were people who recognised their utter helplessness in what life had dealt them. They acknowledged that nothing within their power solved their weak state, thus they would eagerly reach out to others for assistance in rising out of their situation - as a destitute beggar would. But eventually, the word took on spiritual overtones because some began to perceive that these afflicted people often had no refuge but God. Thus David, a person we would not consider as defenceless, nonetheless says of himself in a situation where he felt only God could deliver him, "This poor man cried out, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles" (Psalm 34:6).

To grasp how Jesus uses "poor" in this beatitude, we must contemplate the mind of a person who finds himself in poverty. One who recognises his poverty and then takes the necessary steps to be “poor” no longer. In other words, he tries to change his present circumstances. God wants His children to have this recognition of poverty regarding true spiritual things, and possess the drive to seek their enrichment from Him, and Him alone. D. A. Carson writes:

Poverty of spirit is the personal acknowledgment of spiritual bankruptcy. It is the conscious confession of unworthiness before God. As such, it is the deepest form of repentance… From within such a framework, poverty of spirit becomes a general confession of a man's need for God, a humble admission of impotence without Him.

Therefore, Jesus is talking about those who have an acute awareness of their spiritual need.
These people are those who exercise conscious dependence on and confidence in God to meet that need. To such belongs the kingdom of heaven. Since the kingdom of heaven belongs to the poor in spirit, and since the poor in spirit are those who acknowledge that they have nothing within themselves by which they may commend themselves to God for His approval, this beatitude is consistent only with justification by faith. The poor in spirit are those who know and admit their depravity, and plead God for His mercy, knowing that in themselves, there is no hope for gaining God's approval. Their confidence is only in God and not in themselves.

Poverty of Spirit. When Jesus declared, “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, because the Lord has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor, He has sent Me to heal the broken-hearted”, He was not speaking of the materially poor but those who are poor in spiritual qualities or poor in terms of a relationship with Him. You can be spiritually poor regardless of how much money you possess. Also, you can be broken-hearted even though you live in a grand house, drive a luxury car, wear the finest clothes and circulate in the highest levels of society. Is being captive to sin and satan, or addicted to drugs, fashions or the vain praise of men restricted by economic boundaries? No! For none are godly attributes. Hence, Jesus is not speaking to any clearly demarcated group. Riches can motivate pride, but the economically poor possess pride too! Jesus says the “poor” are blessed; yet neither poverty nor wealth can confer spiritual blessings. They come from God and Him alone!

"Poor" does not stand-alone; Jesus connects it with "spirit" to clarify His intention. Even as the economically poor are very aware of their need, so also are the poor in spirit. Yet a vast difference lies between this and being financially destitute. Poverty of spirit is a fruit not produced in the natural man, but a work of God's Holy Spirit in the minds of those He has called (and is transforming) - explaining why being poor in spirit can span the whole economic spectrum. David referred to himself as a "poor" man, in need of what only God could supply. He perceived himself as destitute of the resources to improve his lot. He saw himself as beyond the help of men, afflicted, crushed, forsaken, desolate, miserable - as helpless spiritually as the poverty stricken are economically. Thus, recognising his need, he cried out to God, and God heard him.

Another psalm by a thoroughly chastened and humbled David reveals in greater detail his recognition of the spiritual poverty in which he committed his sins. Notice the spiritual things David requested - things only God could supply - to meet his needs (Psalm 51): Have mercy upon me... blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly... cleanse me from my sin... Make me to know wisdom. Purge me with hyssop.. Make me to hear joy and gladness... Hide Your face from my sins... Create in me a clean heart... renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and uphold me with Your generous Spirit... Deliver me... Open my lips and my mouth shall show forth Your praise. (verses 1-2, 6-12, 14-15)

To be poor in spirit is to acknowledge honestly (and with understanding) your spiritual poverty - indeed your spiritual bankruptcy - before God. We are sinners and on the strength of our lives deserve nothing but God's judgment. We have nothing to offer, nothing to plead, nothing with which to buy His favour. However, upon profession of our faith, coupled with repentance, He allows by His grace the blood of Jesus Christ to cover our sins, justifying us and providing us with access into His presence.

Promised Blessings. Those who possess poverty of spirit are pronounced "blessed." In one sense, they are blessed because they now have a new disposition - the very opposite of their natural one. This is perhaps a fundamental proof that God has begun working in them by His Spirit to transform them into His own image. “And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” (2 Corinthians 3:18)

God makes many promises to those who are ‘poor in spirit’:

"But I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinks upon me. You are my help and my deliverer; do not delay, O my God" (Psalm 40:17). If God is thinking on someone, then that person has the attention of the One with greatest power, wisdom and love n all the universe!

"The humble shall see this and be glad; and you who seek God, your hearts shall live. For the Lord hears the poor." (Psalm 69:32,33).
You can be glad even in difficult circumstances because God hears the poor in spirit, and He will deliver you.

Psalm 147:41 is a psalm of thanksgiving: "Yet He sets the poor on high, far from affliction, and makes their families like a flock." God will make sure that in time the poor in spirit will be lifted up. And their families too will receive blessings.

Two psalms clearly reveal the destiny of the poor. Psalm 113:8 says, "He raises the poor out of the dust, and lifts the needy out of the ash heap, that He may seat him with princes - with the princes of His people." Psalm 132:13-17 reads, "This is My resting place forever; here I will dwell, for I have desired it. I will abundantly bless her provision; I will satisfy her poor with bread. I will also clothe her priests with salvation, and her saints shall shout aloud for joy. There will I make the horn of David grow; I will prepare a lamp for My Anointed." In these psalms both salvation and glory are promised - which is the ultimate in blessing!

Chris Demetriou, 09/11/2009