“Blessed are the poor in spirit…” – Jesus Christ

At first glance to desire a poor famished spirit does not sound like a worthy goal.

Why would Jesus declare a spirit poor person blessed?

I have a tendency to think of spirit in terms of its public persona. Attractive attributes are vivacious personalities, expressed joy, and projected integrity. I want my spirit to be full not dull and poverty-stricken.

Jesus has a way of obtaining my attention by making statements pregnant with truth—yet counter intuitive to my way of thinking.

As Jesus completes His thought, I find myself baited with the intriguing promise that poverty of spirit will open the door for me to enter the kingdom of heaven.

To be full of myself does not leave room for the Spirit. The Spirit of Jesus can only enter into a spirit dried out by self-solutions. It is a spirit produced by complete poverty of self.

I do not have power enough on my steam to live within God’s kingdom of the forgiven. I cannot get there through eyes of self-sufficiency.

Jesus tells two stories that should cause me to stop dead in my tracks as a 21^st century middle-class North American. Although, it does not always feel like it, in terms of a global sampling of earth’s residents, I am rich.

Yes, it is me—Mr. Wealthy.

The first story of Jesus—meant to draw laughter and sober thinking—was one of a camel loaded with cargo, attempting to pass through the eye of a needle. As the laughter subsides, He drives His point home. “It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”

For emphasis, the first three authors of the Gospels record the same story. They must want me to get the point.

Story, number two. Jesus tells about a farmer who has an unexpected windfall of an extraordinary harvest. It was more than he could possibly use. Mr. Wealthy has a marvelous and logical idea to build great barns and depend on his self-sufficiency for the rest of his long life. He thinks he can build his own little kingdom.

 And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”’

 “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’

Again, Jesus makes His point. “This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.”

Let me remind myself once more—I cannot reach God’s kingdom through self-sufficiency—I can only be a kingdom person from the vantage point of a poor spirit.

When I see myself as a destitute, poor spirit—who understands Jesus is the only possibility of ever lighting a fire in my dark nothingness—then I will live eternally with God.

Running as a theme-thread through the entirety of the New Testament is the gratitude of those who identified themselves as poor in spirit. They see God and claim His kingdom.

I want to be among their number.

By the way—one of the miracles of the cross is its unlimited draw—there is always space at the foot of the cross. Will you join with me as we realize just how poor our spirit is and look to Jesus to fill it with true riches so that we can be present in the eternal garden?

Stay tuned. – Gary J. Sorrells