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"The greater the risk, the sweeter the victory."
~ Mike Crawford
~ Mike Crawford
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- The Shack - William P. Young
- Walking with God - John Eldredge
5 comments:
Poor in spirit...to me means that nothing ( no possessions, no persons) absolutely nothing, should be more important to me than my relationship with God and Jesus. I "should" be willing to give up anything for that relationship. Am I like the rich young ruler? I hope not.
I understand that, but your possessions and persons are physical...why "poor in spirit?" Why not "poor in materials" or "poor in this world?"
"Poor in spirit" sounds to me like someone who does not have the relationship you mentioned...I have a sense there is something more here, but I can't figure it out.
Any other suggestions? Anyone?
What follows is my opinion. Your mileage may vary.
"Who are the poor in spirit?" is a perspective-rendering question and it is no coincidence that this blessing opens not only the Beatitudes, but the Sermon on the Mount itself. Like the real estate maxim "location, location, location", the exegetical maxims "context, context, context" and "audience, audience, audience" may help us open the "poor in spirit" box to claim its treasure.
First, who is his audience? The Jewish people, in the immediate context. But in a broader sense, all who seek to please God are the audience. God's people stumble over the same things in all ages.
Second, note that the poor in spirit and those persecuted for righteousness both receive the same blessing. This makes the Beatitudes an arc. The first and the last are its foundation, secure upon the kingdom of heaven. More on the kingdom in a minute.
In contemplating the meaning of poverty of spirit and how I should seek it, I look at the themes that occupy the majority of the Lord's words from Matt 5:21 - 6:21. In Matt 5:21-48, Jesus describes a higher calling and understanding of righteousness than 1) merely avoiding wrongdoing as described by the law or 2) the administration of fair and proportionate justice. True righteousness is more than what we can check off having NOT done or how exactly we've stayed between the lines.
Conversely, in Matt 6:1-18, Jesus turns his attention to our positive acts of piety. Again, true righteousness is beyond what we can check off for HAVING done, because the Lord weighs our motivations. In Matt 6:19-21, Jesus asks us, "Where is your treasure? What is the source of your confidence? On what do you truly rely?"
Here, I look to Paul's instruction in Phil 3:2-11 and his succinct statement in verse 9, "not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith."
The poor in spirit have taken Phil 3:2-11 to heart. Their righteousness, their confidence is not in their checklists of what to avoid or what to perform but is totally dependent upon their faith in Christ and truly knowing him.
Note that "theirs IS the kingdom of heaven." Present tense. Of course, one can make a theological mountain out of a molehill with Greek vocabulary. I will continue, nevertheless. :-) Basileia can be translated "rule" as well as "kingdom." Let's try re-rendering the blessing:
Blessed are those whose confidence is not in their own righteousness but in their faith in the Lord, for they are already under the rule and authority of heaven.
My two cents...
Okay, I get that...but would a Jew in his audience? That's what I am struggling to understand - they had no reference at this point for living a life "in the spirit" which causes me to question the meaning.
Thank you for your "humble opinion." ;)
Poor in spirit....hungering to be filled with God's spirit. Maybe if you are poor and KNOW you are poor, you want to be filled with the Spirit of God. Therefore, blessed comes in to play. Just a thought.
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