Sermon On The Mount I: The Poor In Spirit

by Lawrence Kelley

Jesus was preaching the good news of the kingdom (Matt. 4:23) and gathering a large following. When the moment was right He went up on a mountain, sat down and preached the most famous sermon of all time. In the sermon we learn that citizens of Christ's kingdom have certain, well-defined responsibilities - Christ teaches us how we are required to live before Him. These requirements are not just "something to shoot for," and they are not "for somebody else." The teaching is a pattern of living for all Christians.

We must see Christ as our teacher. "And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him. Then he opened His mouth and taught them, saying . . . And so it was, when Jesus had ended these sayings, that the people were astonished at His teaching, for He taught as one having authority, and not as the scribes" (Matt. 5:1-2;7:28-29).

His teaching was astonishing - and it still is. His teaching was authoritative - and it still is. There is a great deal in that statement, "Not as the scribes." We must never confuse the biblical model of preaching with the human tendency to heap up for ourselves teachers who have all their papers are house broken.

The Beatitudes are not the conclusion of His message; they are right at the beginning. It is not an accident that this sermon begins with the Beatitudes. Obedience to particular requirements must proceed from a godly disposition. All Christian doing is built on Christian being.

Blessed Are The Poor In Spirit. The word translated "poor" here is ptochos, and it comes from a verb which means "to crouch" - the posture of beggars. Here Jesus joins the word to a spiritual attitude. "Blessed are the spiritually destitute, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." It is crucial for us to understand our need before God. Men who do not comprehend their emptiness do not seek to be filled. A hand clutching pebbles cannot be filled with gold. Those who are poor in spirit can be described this way:

First, they have a good understanding of the greatness of God. They see Him as He is and are greatly humbled. Thus says the High and Lofty One Who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: "I dwell in the high and holy place, and With him who has a contrite and humble spirit" (Isa. 57:15). Thus says the LORD: "Heaven is My throne, And earth is My footstool. Where is the house that you will build Me? And where is the place of My rest? For all those things My hand has made,"...Says the LORD. "But on this one will I look: On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, And who trembles at My word" (Isa 66:1-2). Poverty of spirit is humility before God.

Second, they are not, full of themselves. Men who refuse to acknowledge God do so, whether consciously or not, in order to get a promotion. From Adam on down we desire to be like God. One of the reasons we do this is to take credit for all we accomplish. We want the praise, adoration and worship of men. However, the poor in spirit know that apart from Christ, they are nothing. In an age consumed with idea of cultivating a "good self-image," this is a message that must be grasped. Consider the human condition as stated in Romans, There is none righteous, no not one.

Third, they are perfectly content with the God-given terms of salvation. "Beggars can't be choosers." The fact that so many want the authority to choose their own salvation for themselves reveals that they are not yet poor in spirit.

For Theirs Is The Kingdom. The kingdom of God is right side up which means, as people steeped in the ways of the world, we must learn to stand on our heads. To get into this club you must have nothing because this beatitude guards the front door. Humility before God is the only way in and service to one another is the only way up.

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Sermon On The Mount
Beattitudes

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This page was last modified on January 5, 2007