Poor in Spirit
To be “poor in spirit” is not a phrase we hear often. In a culture that encourages and rewards self-reliance, self-sufficiency, and self-promotion, it seems like a bit of a mystery to think of a person who is poor in spirit as one who is blessed. To be poor in spirit does not mean to be meek, shy or introverted. It has nothing to do with finances. It is not the act of covering a proud heart with false humility. To be poor in spirit means that your spirit is humbled and utterly broken before the Lord. It means both recognizing and acknowledging your total depravity in the presence of God. Romans 3:10 says, “as it is written, ‘There is none righteous, not even one.”
The root word for “poor” in the Greek is “ptochos” which means absolute, abject poverty. The root word of “ptochos” is “ptosso” which means to crouch or cower. This is not the kind of poverty where you eke by and are scraping along. This is “begging poor,” the kind of poverty where you have no power or resources to help yourself in any capacity. You are completely reliant on the grace and mercy of someone else for your very life. While these definitions describe financial poverty, Jesus teaches that to be truly blessed, our spirits must be broken and humble before Him.
As we begin to understand what He is requiring of us, we may wonder, “But if I’m that broken and humbled all the time, wouldn’t I be sad and depressed? How can I be blessed in that state of mind?” The reason why we struggle with this is because of the ongoing battle of the flesh in our minds and hearts. The world insists that “if you work hard, you will get ahead,” “you don’t get something for nothing,” and “practice makes perfect.” These messages are so ingrained in us that we forget that “all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment,” (Isaiah 64:6) and that apart from Him we “can do nothing.” (John 15:5)
The truth is, no matter how much we strive, apart from Jesus we will never attain the kind of perfection required to be in the presence of our holy God. In our fallen nature, we are completely incapable of saving ourselves. Spiritually speaking, we are “begging poor.” When we truly wrap our heads around this truth and accept it and cry out, “God, be merciful to me, the sinner,”(Luke 18:13) we begin to understand the magnitude of Christ’s sacrifice on our behalf and the grace offered to us if we simply accept His gift. “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8) Our sins, past, present, and future, have been covered by His blood. “As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.” (Psalm 103:12)
We are so undeserving of His love and grace, and yet He lavishes it upon us! This is where we begin to experience joy and blessing. We can draw on His promises. “But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, ‘God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.’” (James 4:6) “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” (Psalm 34:18) “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.” (Psalm 51:17) “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” (Psalm 147:3) “…for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.” (Luke 18:14)
I can think of no greater joy than to be reminded that while I was stuck in my sin and before I even acknowledged Him, Jesus died for me. By accepting His sacrifice on my behalf, I am considered righteous before God the Father. All of my sins have been forgiven. I can approach Him with confidence (Hebrews 4:16) and rest in His promises.
How truly blessed are the poor in spirit!
Jesus, Our Eternal Joy
A couple of weeks ago I was standing in line at the customer service counter at Kohl’s. There were several people in front of me, so I decided to look up my order number on my phone to have it ready when my turn at the counter came. As I was scrolling through my email, I began to notice a commotion occurring at the front of the line. A woman was trying to return some “World’s Greatest Grandma” hand towels and apparently things were not going well. Her arms began to flail and the volume of her voice began to increase at an alarming rate. As the customer service rep calmly explained the return policy and began processing the return, this woman slouched on the counter, buried her forehead in her hand and began to dramatically (and repeatedly) sigh. One thing was abundantly clear. She was not happy.
The word “blessed” is repeated nine times in the introductory section of the Sermon on the Mount known as the Beatitudes. The root word in the Greek is “makarios,” which means happy or blissful. This is the kind of happiness that is impervious to the randomness of life. The last line of verse one in “Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus” describes Jesus as the “joy of every longing heart.” To be blessed is to experience steadfast joy – Jesus – in your heart.
Jesus said in John 15:10-11, “If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments, and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.” (emphasis mine) The kind of joy that Jesus offers has nothing to do with circumstances, and everything to do with abiding in Him. When we accept Him as our Savior, we are indwelt with the Holy Spirit. His love is complete and we can rest in this joy because we know it is secure and will last forever. John 10: 27-28 says, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they shall never perish and no one shall snatch them out of My hand.”
When we truly begin to understand this magnificent truth and internalize it into our minds and hearts, it begins to be a little easier to understand how to “consider it all joy” when we encounter various trials. Trials are part of the sanctification process. James 1:5 says, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all men generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.” In John 16:23-24, Jesus says, “…Truly, truly, I say to you, if you shall ask the Father for anything, He will give it to you in My name. Until now you have asked for nothing in My name; ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be made full.” Joy is a fruit of the Spirit. John 15:16 says, "You did not choose Me, but I chose you, that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask of the Father in My name, He may give to you."
One of the best descriptions I’ve seen about this kind of joy is, “Human happiness is something that is dependent on the chances and changes of life, something which life may give and which life may also destroy. The Christian blessedness is completely untouchable and an assailable.” (William Barclay)
To be blessed is to experience life with Jesus. By His Spirit, we have the kind of joy that dwells within, is full and complete, eternally secure, and freely given to those who call upon His name. What a blessing it is to know that whatever life throws at us, Jesus is our steadfast joy!
Start at the Beginning
One of my favorite songs from the Sound of Music begins with Maria singing, “Let’s start at the very beginning, a very good place to start, when you read you begin with A, B, C, when you sing you begin with Do, Re, Mi.” Maria wants to share her love of music with the children and encourages them to join her by teaching them the basics. She gives each note a name and sings them in the order of a scale. She understands that if they learn the notes and the general framework of music, they can join her in the joy of singing a song together. That’s one of the beautiful things about music-- once you understand the basic structure, the song possibilities are endless!
In the gospel of Matthew, we find the Sermon on the Mount, and at the beginning of the sermon is a section of verses often referred to as the Beatitudes. This is the place that I have chosen to begin my study of the word “blessed,” because its repetition caught my attention and sparked my interest in wanting to dig deeper into the word. While the sermon was given in the presence of a multitude of people, it was specifically directed to Jesus’ disciples. The Beatitudes embody the fundamental characteristics of a true believer in Christ, and thus a citizen of the kingdom of heaven. It is important to understand from the outset that we cannot achieve this kind of living without the indwelling and empowering of the Holy Spirit.
Perhaps it is the musician in me, but as I read through the Beatitudes it reminded me of a musical scale. The first note of a scale is called the root note. The melody of a song is built on, and revolves around the root. Just as Maria started with the naming of the notes of a scale, so Christ names the characteristics that describe a true believer in ascending order. Jesus teaches his disciples that the root or foundation of a life with Him begins with and revolves around a spirit of brokenness and humility. It means acknowledging that you are a sinner, completely unable to save yourself. Without an emptying of yourself, you cannot be filled with the Spirit who enables you to live as a representative of His kingdom. All of the other “notes” of His scale are based in humility, and that is why He begins with it. It is the foundation on which your life in the kingdom is built.
The characteristics listed in the Beatitudes serve as both the identifiable marks, as well as ongoing goals, of a believer. He promises blessing, both now and forever, to all who call upon His name and live according to His commands. He invites us to join Him in the song of heaven, and the first note we must learn to sing is humility. To sing His song is to be truly blessed indeed.