The poor in spirit
“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
For theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:3).
These are the first words Jesus spoke to His disciples as He sat down on the mountainside in Matthew 5. What follows has become known as the Sermon on the Mount. I want to reflect on the words of the Lord on that occasion. Each verse begins with the word “Blessed”. It means ‘happy, because those mentioned are in receipt of God’s favour’, and the Lord uses it to describe the character of those blessed and the nature of their blessing.
When the Lord speaks about the poor in spirit, He does not speak of those who are materially poor. The most helpful insight into His meaning is what we find in Isaiah 57:15:
For thus says the High and Lofty One
Who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy:
“I dwell in the high and holy place,
With him who has a contrite and humble spirit,
To revive the spirit of the humble,
And to revive the heart of the contrite ones.”
The poor in spirit are those who recognise their need and look outside of themselves for salvation. This is the experience we have when we come to the Saviour – an overwhelming sense of our spiritual poverty and need of Him. Peter had this experience in Luke 5:1-11. In this chapter, the Lord had taught a large crowd of people from the disciple’s boat. Afterwards He told them to launch into the deep and fish. Peter explained to the Lord that they had fished all night and caught nothing. He knew the Lake of Gennesaret well and felt he was wasting his time launching out again. Peter did not understand that the Person who spoke to him was the One who made the lake and everything in it. Peter did what the Lord asked out of politeness, but thinking he knew better. The fishermen were overwhelmed by the catch of fish they had as a result of obeying the Lord. But the most profound impression was in Peter’s heart. He knew he was not worthy to be in the presence of the Lord. He felt poor in spirit and humbled as he discovered his own heart. It was not the last time this would happen. He was in the presence of the One who inhabits eternity and whose name is Holy. Peter felt his unholiness. The Lord’s greatness brought Peter into the place of contrition and humility and to the entrance to blessing.
Isaiah also wrote,
“To revive the spirit of the humble,
And to revive the heart of the contrite ones.”
The Lord’s next words were, “Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men” (v. 10). The Saviour takes a headstrong fisherman and begins to transform him into the lowly shepherd who encourages us powerfully and beautifully: “Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you” (1 Peter 5: 6-7). The great lesson Peter teaches us is that the humility we learned at the cross should always characterise us as the children of God. Our strength and power are found in the Saviour. Now, like those fishermen so long ago, it is our business to forsake all and follow the Saviour and prove the blessedness of the life we have in Him.
