Abiding at the Feet of Jesus | A Look at the BeatitudesSýnishorn

In Matthew 5:3, you read about the Poor in Spirit. Who are the “poor” of whom Jesus speaks in His message here? It’s important to note that this clearly refers to a poor spirit, not to finances. Whether or not you have money does not automatically reflect the state of your spiritual life. The Greek word for “poor” in this case is ptochos (toe-KAS). This word has a very specific meaning: one who is reduced to begging dependence; someone who is bankrupt. 

In other words, the essence of “poor in spirit” means that the Kingdom of Christ is for the repentant, spiritually bankrupt, dependent, and needy person. Material wealth has no bearing on this matter.

Christ wants us to know that His kingdom is for the beggar, the bankrupt, and the broken. The theological backdrop of the gospel is the total depravity of humanity. The Kingdom of God is not for the religious people who know how to say and do the “right” things, nor is it for the ones who find solace in their good behaviors. 

God is looking for people who know that, in and of themselves, they cannot do it all right. They are reduced to a beggarly dependence on God to work in and through them. They need help, and they understand that. If people do not understand their need for the Savior, they will never move toward repentance. And if we do not repent, the gospel can have no effect in our lives. This understanding of our need for Christ is the beautiful message that Jesus wrapped up by His simple statement, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of God.”

The Difference Between the Pharisee and the Tax Collector  (Luke 18)

The Pharisee was quick to condemn all the “evildoers,” especially the tax collector standing outside. He also had a list of all the behaviors that affirmed his righteousness, things he believed would make him right with God. He had to feel pretty good about himself. His idea of spirituality was wrapped up in both what he didn’t do (thievery, adultery, etc.) and what he did do (attend services, tithe, and fast). He fell in line with everyone else’s expectations. Matters of the heart were not important. This man did not understand his need for a savior. He was not broken or dependent on anyone. In the words of Jesus, he walked away condemned and not justified. 

It said the tax collector stood “afar off.” It seems as if his own condemnation would not even let him go inside the temple to pray. He didn’t feel like he was good enough to go to church, believing that church was a place for good people who no longer struggled with sin. He understood that he had nothing to offer and that he wholly needed God in his life. He recognized that he was a sinner and needed a savior. 

This is the place where God wants all of us to be. According to Christ, this man walked away justified—not because of his self-loathing, but because he recognized that in and of himself, he was depraved and needed God. He cried out to God in repentance and need. Therefore, God justified this man and not the other.

Questions to Journal: 

1. Who would you relate more to in the parable in Luke 18, Pharisee or Tax Collector? 

2. Have you ever seen yourself as fully dependent upon God, bankrupt without Him? 

3. Does this Beatitude comfort you or confront you?