We are beginning to consider the Beattitudes recorded in the first chapter of the Sermon on the Mount.  Many commentators believe that the themes developed in Matthew 5,6, and 7 were preached on numerous occasions which tells us that Jesus thought these truths and attitudes were essential to our walk with him.  If taken literally his entire sermon is very demanding but it is these essentials on which we must build even supernatural ministries if we are to maintain the blessing of Christ on what we do.  After all, he said, “Blessed are….”

Jesus began with, “Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”  The Greek word used is for “poor” in this verse is a word that speaks of poverty so deep that a person is forced to beg in order to survive.  It would describe Lazarus in the story of Lazarus and the rich man in Luke 16.  Lazarus was a beggar who was covered with sores.  He was laid by a rich man’s gate every day hoping for some kind of help and was so immobilized that dogs would come and lick his sores and he apparently could not chase them away. The word describes a desperate and destitute person as opposed to a person who has very little.  This is a person who has nothing.

Jesus is literally saying that a man or woman who is destitute in spirit or who is a spiritual beggar is blessed  blessed and can expect his/her inheritance to be the kingdom of heaven. So what does it mean to be destitute in spirit? Those who face life at this level of poverty are dependent on others.  They cannot afford pride or self-sufficiency because they have no capacity to provide for themselves. The American value of pioneering self-sufficiency does not translate into the spiritual realm.  Our desire to be independent and self-determining does not gain us entrance into the presence of God.  Satan’s first recorded temptation was an offering of independence and self-sufficiency to Adam and Eve.  He said, “Eat of the tree and you will be like God.”  His statement implied that they would be equal with God and know all that he knows. They wouldn’t have to bow down or depend on God any longer. When they bit, they lost everything they had been given by the Father.

We shouldn’t think of “poor in spirit” as being spiritually poor.  Jesus is not calling us to a languid spiritual life of self-loathing and a sense of being unworthy, weak, and deplorable.  In Christ, God has made us just the opposite. He is calling us to a realization that for anything beyond this realm we are totally dependent on the grace, power, and authority of Jesus.  What we have is simply on loan and we are simply stewards of whatever gifts and opportunities he has given us.

Jesus himself set the standard.  He said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it issomething He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner” (Jn.5:19).  Even as the sinless and beloved Son of the Father, Jesus lived as a man completely dependent on the Father for provision, direction, and power. Luke tells us, “One day as he was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law, who had come from every village of Galilee and from Judea and Jerusalem, were sitting there. And the power of the Lord was present for him to heal the sick” (Lk.5:17). This verse suggests that, like us, Jesus healed when the power of the Lord or the Father was present.  In other words, the power to heal was not inherent in Jesus but rested on him by the grace of the Father. Jesus more than any other seemed to be totally dependent on the Lord for power, provision, protection, and or direction in what to do and what to say.  I believe we all get to that place from time to time but for Jesus it was a 24/7 condition. Undoubtedly, that is why Jesus often went off to spend time alone with God and pray.

The key is in noticing that God honors our chosen dependence on him.  Paul said that when he was weak, then he was truly strong. When he truly felt his need for the Lord, then the Lord graced him with strength and power. That is why Jesus taught us to pray for daily breadbecause that mindset keeps us dependent on the Father.  Jesus talked about how difficult it is for the rich to be saved.  The problem is that the wealthy and powerful are prone to feel self-sufficient. They find security in their possessions and bank accounts. They sense no need for daily bread because they have enough set aside for years to come. In that state it is easy to forget about God or only give him lip service.  The kingdom seems to be reserved for those who truly sense a deep need for God’s care.

Perspective is key.  The most important things in life and after this life are truly unattainable in our own power. The less I feel a need for God, the more he will withhold his help. He honors our attitudes.  We must remind ourselves daily of how dependent we truly are on the Father for health, life, spiritual blessings, protection, and provision. All of that can truly be lost in a heartbeat.

We need God….every day. When we know that andacknowledge our dependence on him, then the Kingdom of Heaven is open to us…now as well after our funeral.  God withholds nothing from his children…at least the ones who know that he is their source and those who are truly thankful for his gifts. So…One day as he was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law, who had come from every village of Galilee and from Judea and Jerusalem, were sitting there. And the power of the Lord was present for him to heal the sick^[1]blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs will be the kingdom of heaven. Ironically, the poor in spirit are truly the strong in spirit and the powerful in God.

^[1]The Holy Bible: New International Version. (1984). (Lk 5:17). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.