Blessed Are: The Poor In Spirit

Over the next several days I'd like to take a closer look at the teachings Jesus gave His disciples in Matthew 5:3-12

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

What does it mean to be poor in spirit?

For years I saw it as an unhealthy form of humility: A brokenness in spirit like an animal trained too hard - beaten down and hopeless. Later, I thought that it meant to be weak, or lacking, in spirit. This conjured images of those who just didn't know any better and followed blindly. I wondered how a loving Father could ever expect and desire for me to be poor in these ways.

I've come to realize, however, that a lot of the issues we have when hearing this verse stems from the fact that in America we are bred on success: Pulling ourselves up by the seat of our pants to gain an advanced education and money, money, money. While there is nothing wrong with hard work and commitment, we have placed way too much emphasis on self. We are told we are special. We can do anything if we just put our mind to it. We have the power within ourselves to accomplish our dreams. We have the right...

I love the line from Disney's movie The Incredibles. The young boy Dash complains to his mother, "But Dad said our powers made us special!"
"Everyone's special, Dash." she replies.
He mutters back to her, "Which is another way of saying NO ONE is."

There can only be One who is Special. And we are not Him.

The New American Commentary summarizes it well. "'Poor in spirit' as a virtue, must refer not to a poor quality of faith but to the acknowledgement of one's spiritual powerlessness and bankruptcy apart from Christ".

We can not live as though we, as individuals, are the most one important to God. Yes, He loves us and has gone through all this trouble for us, but apart from Jesus we are nothing. John 14:6 states, "Jesus told him, 'I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one come to the Father except through Me.'"  Again in Acts 4:11-12 we hear, "This Jesus is The stone despised by you builders, who has become the cornerstone. There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to people by which we must be saved."

Jesus Himself wonderfully defines what it means to be poor in spirit:
"Then Jesus said to His disciples, 'If anyone wants to come with Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of Me will find it. What will it benefit a man if he gains the whole world yet loses his life? Or what will a man give in exchange for his life? For the Son of Man is going to come with His angles in the glory of His Father, and then will reward each according to what he has done.'" Matthew 16:24-27

This is what we need to understand to be poor in spirit:   Stop trying to be your own Jesus.

Are You Living In Neverland?

I get to return to the Magic Kingdom this Wednesday! We haven't been since Elijah, who is now 6, was just a few months old. Unfortunatley, Kevin won't get to go with us since he has to stay home and work. The kids and I are actually going down to help my mother move from Florida to Kentucky, and we figured as long as we were there, we'd make one last swing over to the Mouse House with both of their grandmothers.

It seems weird though. Kevin and I use to go over to Epcot every Sunday afternoon after church when we were first married. That's the nice thing about being a Florida resident and having season passes. Now, we haven't been in six years. How times change. How our reality has changed! I've tried telling people who have never lived in central Florida how it really is another world. Especially if you go to Disney all the time. It just isn't reality.

It began making me think recently: That is how it is being an American. It's like living in Disney World. The rest of the world doesn't work that way in general, but we just can't comprehand that people don't really have a Zip-a-dee-doo-da time everywhere else. Is that how we are as American Christians?

Many of you know our family has a passion for those of our brothers and sisters in other countries who are persecuted, or looked down upon because of their relationship with Jesus Christ. We are amazingly blessed to live in a country where there is even the pretense of a nationwide Christianity, though this is beginning to change. Let's not take it for granted. Sadly, many Christians in other parts of the world view American Christians as weak, and, in general, I think they are right.

Take a few moments today to pray for the endurance of the saints around the world. Also, thank God for how easy Christians have it here in the United States. They day will come when we do not.

Take a moment, if you will, to check out an organization that Kevin and I love and support. They have a free newsletter which you can request if interested.

The Voice of the Martyrs
http://www.persecution.com/