Momentum: Pursuing God’s Blessings Through The BeatitudesSýnishorn

Who Are the Poor in Spirit?

What is Christ calling us to here? What does it mean to be “poor in spirit?” If “poor” means that you don’t have much, then “poor in spirit” means that you realize what you lack. You know that you don’t have what it takes. Your hands are empty. You have nothing to offer.

What does this look like in real life? Suppose the most gifted football player in your high school is a Christian. When he turns up for practice, is he supposed to tell the coach, “I don’t have anything to offer the team, Coach. You should pick someone else”? Is that what Jesus means?

Or a Christian goes for a job interview, and when the prospective employer asks, “Why should I give you this job?” should the Christian say, “I don’t know. I’m sure you can find someone much better. I don’t really know if I have what it takes”?

Is that what it means to be “poor in spirit”? No. “Poor in spirit” means that you recognize your poverty before God. Jesus is not talking here about men and women in relation to each other. He is describing what a person feels when he or she is face-to-face with God.

“Poor in spirit” is the first mark of a person who knows and walks with God. You may be a multi-talented superstar in sports, or a high flyer in business. You may be a mega mother, a brilliant musician, a technical guru, or a political genius. But if you have truly met with God, you will know that before him you have nothing to offer.

For further reading, see Matthew 5:1-12