Matthew 5:3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven"
Ok...I'm not gonna lie when I was a teenager and first read this passage I didn't understand how God could want me to be any more poor than I already was. Growing up in a home where money wasn't there, living through most of high school with a single mom, not much in the name brands for clothing or other material things, and just barely getting by each month...all these led me to believe I was going to be poor forever...
Obviously, I wasn't spiritually deep at the point of reading this to understand what Jesus actually meant. I have now come to understand alot of the misunderstandings I had in Scripture through my training and education, mentors, ministry experience, life, and being more and more saturated with the Gospel. I now understand that Jesus was calling me to be poor but different that I had originally thought...
As Jesus sat on the mountain that day with His newly called disciples this first teacing (The Sermon on the Mount) starts out with the foundation of the Christian faith...being poor in spirit...To become poor in spirit and obtain the kingdom of heaven we have to come to the place of total and reckless abandonment to Christ. Poor refers not to some materialistic loss of things and possesions or money but of self, which may also require us to give up material things (Ex.: the rich young ruler). I have come to realize that when I think I have given me completely that there is more of me to give away so Christ can completly have me.
Preaching today focuses too much on the person's strength of will or the beauty of our character - things so easily noticed. We have confused people with our preaching. "Make a decision for Christ" but do we see the message this sends? That statement places emphasis on something our Lord never trusted. He nevers asks us to decide for Him, but to yield to Him - something very different.
"Poor in spirit" requires us to give up our rights and allow the Spirit to move and work mightily within us. The Reward: "...theirs is the kingdom of Heven." The first Christians at Antioch and the disciples in Acts understood this beatitude perfectly...giving of self. They gave of self so much they didn't pay attention to accomplishments or tangible things..."they were adding to their number daily"...touching lives and not knowing how their love may have touched the heart of another close by.
Many people have touched my heart and they may never know how much. This is the true characteristic of lovliness. Concious influence is a prideful thing and unchristian. The second we question being used by God is the second we lose the beauty and freshness of the Lord. The Israelites quesiton if God was with them while in the wilderness and wanted to return to bondage, but Moses quickly corrected them telling them to trust the Father and give of themselves to His cause...something they battled over and over again.
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