Here is today's verse:
Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them saying: Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:1-3)
As I reflected upon this verse this morning, I must admit, it had me a bit perplexed. It didn't seem to make sense. "Why," I asked God, "would you say the kingdom of heaven belongs to the poor in spirit, if there are people today who are poor in spirit, yet do not know You? Are they blessed, as this verse makes clear?" And then, as I was praying about it, the Lord brought me to this passage:
"The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him, and he began by saying to them,"Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing." (Luke 4:18-21)
And then the answer hit me: yes, they are blessed, blessed beyond measure! Even those who are poor in spirit, yet do not know God, are blessed. This is because Christ has been anointed to preach good news to such as these - these broken, battered, poor wretches who have come to the end of themselves and realize their own poverty of spirit. Until we come to the end of ourselves and see the truth of who we are - sinners with no hope of righteousness apart from Christ - there is no hope of us becoming anything more. Being poor in spirit enables us to hear, understand, and apply the gospel which Christ has come to preach. Whether we end up doing so or not, it is not possible for us to cry out to Him without first being poor in spirit. See what is said of those who are not poor in spirit in the book of Revelation -
You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. (Revelation 3:17)
If we are never poor in spirit, then we never realize our own wretchedness, pitifulness, poverty, blindness, and nakedness; and thus, cannot cry out for the Savior to come in and heal our broken souls and restore us to a right relationship with God (Isaiah 6:10). I hope that we can all echo the words of this prayer here, finding completion in our brokenness and poverty through the greatness of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ:
"Here I am, at your feet,
In my brokenness complete." ~Unashamed, by Starfield
Blessings,
Andrew
