Matthew 5 - Poor in Spirit

Matthew 5:3 (HCSB) "Blessed are the poor in spirit, because the kingdom of heaven is theirs."

Poor in spirit. That's a phrase the philosophers and theologians alike have pondered over the ages. You will find it described in many ways, but almost always as a concept of seeing yourself as a lowly being in the face of a Holy God. Proverbs 16:19 (HCSB) says, "Better to be lowly of spirit with the humble than to divide plunder with the proud."

Jesus describes Himself as "gentle and humble in heart" in Matthew 11:29. In Isaiah 66:2, God is saying, "I will look favorably on this kind of person: one who is humble, submissive in spirit, and who trembles at My word." Here the word submissive can also be translated as broken.

Luke 18,9-14 (HCSB), He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and looked down on everyone else: "Two men went up to the temple complex to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee took his stand and was praying like this: 'God, I thank You that I'm not like other people —greedy, unrighteous, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of everything I get.' But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even raise his eyes to heaven but kept striking his chest and saying, 'God, turn Your wrath from me —a sinner!' I tell you, this one went down to his house justified rather than the other; because everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted."

What is your spirit like? Are you the one who is thankful they are not like others who you see as lower than you or are you like the tax collector acknowledging that you are a sinner deserving of God's wrath? Like is so often true, God chooses to bless those who feel unworthy. Being truly poor in spirit is submitting yourself wholly to a just and righteous God expecting the punishment we deserve.

Take refuge, when we submit ourselves to God, understanding that we deserve punishment for our sinful nature, then God can bless us out of His mercy and love. Remember, as long as we are looking for the blessing that we think we deserve, we are not "poor in spirit".