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When "'POOR" Is A Good Thing
"Poor in Spirit" Matt 5:3
That probably isn't understood by today's American mind set like those who sat at the feet of Jesus as He spoke. Traditionally inside American religious circles, people of faith would say at a minimum it describes when people find themselves, see themselves or purposefully reduce themselves into spiritual poverty to be ever conscious of their need for God, or something along those lines. Some would associate it with being humble and that makes some sense too. Certainly that's where we want to be, humble before God and not full of pride, but one can be humble when we are riding high on the Spirit too, overflowing in spirit, so being poor in spirit isn't necessary for humbleness and the reverse is true too. For certain, Jesus could see the whole big picture as He spoke these words. Perhaps our thoughts below could add to our understanding.
Remember Jesus' parable about the Pharisee and the Tax Collector? The Pharisee prayed ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people,’ he said. ‘I am not like robbers or those who do other evil things. I am not like those who commit adultery. I am not even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week. And I give a tenth of all I get.’ - “But the tax collector stood farther away than the Pharisee. He would not even look up to heaven. He beat his chest as he prayed and said, ‘God, have mercy on me. I am a sinner.’ (Luke 18:9-14)
We might look at that and determine that the Tax Collector was poor in spirit, while the Pharisee was not. The words ‘poor in spirit’ aren’t used here, but certainly he had a distinctive attitude that he needed God to help him in his sin and his attitude was one of begging for God’s mercy as one who didn’t have what he was in desperate need of.
Let's look at Jesus words again. Luke's account of Jesus words (6:20), in the NIRV say "Blessed are you who are needy". NIV simply says "poor", no "of spirit" is used. The old traditional KJV also simply says "poor" as do the RSV and more modern translations of NRSVA, NASB, and ESV. There is a contrast between the poor and the rich during Jesus sermon, as He addresses that in 2:24. Jesus talks about those who mourn, sad or broken hearted, and says they are blessed, (vs-4), hunger is contrasted with being satisfied (vs-21), and vs-11-12 contrasts being hated, reviled and excluded in this world with being loved, accepted and rewarded some day in heaven for being righteous.
Some scholars suggest the word for poor here defines the poorest of the poor, such as those who must beg for their daily needs. These same scholars would suggest Jesus here is trying to get across the point that those who are this poor and dependent, to the point of begging, are people ground down by poverty in this life but who, if faithful, will have a totally different life in Heaven one day, where-as those who are rich and carefree (and usually not seeking God) in this life, already have their reward.
Well, regardless of whether or not Jesus was aiming to make such a particular point we don't know for sure, but it's something we can consider when we read His words early on in His sermon to people, many of whom were indeed poor, and the poorest of the poor. We know that in other places, He had things to say that carried a similar message, such as “many who are first will be last, and the last first” (Matt 19:30 also Matt 20:16 Mark 10:31 & Luke 13:30).
Hopefully, being poor or financially poverty stricken in a physical sense doesn't necessitate that our spirit is always in a state of being poor or broken. Jesus offers us the ability to be rich in spirit, rejoicing, even when we struggle with earthly issues. But similarly there are times, especially when we are in the midst of struggles or sin, that we need a lowly, submissive spirit, seeing we stand in need of and begging God for help.
It may actually be easier to humble ourselves before God if we are physically poor, because it's clear in scripture that it's hard for rich people to do so. Their mindset is more of self sufficiency whereas the poor depend more on God to provide for their basic needs. But rich or poor, Jesus says, "Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted." For those who determine to be humble in a world where such isn't the norm, James says, "Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you." (James 4:10)
"Poor in Spirit" Matt 5:3
That probably isn't understood by today's American mind set like those who sat at the feet of Jesus as He spoke. Traditionally inside American religious circles, people of faith would say at a minimum it describes when people find themselves, see themselves or purposefully reduce themselves into spiritual poverty to be ever conscious of their need for God, or something along those lines. Some would associate it with being humble and that makes some sense too. Certainly that's where we want to be, humble before God and not full of pride, but one can be humble when we are riding high on the Spirit too, overflowing in spirit, so being poor in spirit isn't necessary for humbleness and the reverse is true too. For certain, Jesus could see the whole big picture as He spoke these words. Perhaps our thoughts below could add to our understanding.
Remember Jesus' parable about the Pharisee and the Tax Collector? The Pharisee prayed ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people,’ he said. ‘I am not like robbers or those who do other evil things. I am not like those who commit adultery. I am not even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week. And I give a tenth of all I get.’ - “But the tax collector stood farther away than the Pharisee. He would not even look up to heaven. He beat his chest as he prayed and said, ‘God, have mercy on me. I am a sinner.’ (Luke 18:9-14)
We might look at that and determine that the Tax Collector was poor in spirit, while the Pharisee was not. The words ‘poor in spirit’ aren’t used here, but certainly he had a distinctive attitude that he needed God to help him in his sin and his attitude was one of begging for God’s mercy as one who didn’t have what he was in desperate need of.
Let's look at Jesus words again. Luke's account of Jesus words (6:20), in the NIRV say "Blessed are you who are needy". NIV simply says "poor", no "of spirit" is used. The old traditional KJV also simply says "poor" as do the RSV and more modern translations of NRSVA, NASB, and ESV. There is a contrast between the poor and the rich during Jesus sermon, as He addresses that in 2:24. Jesus talks about those who mourn, sad or broken hearted, and says they are blessed, (vs-4), hunger is contrasted with being satisfied (vs-21), and vs-11-12 contrasts being hated, reviled and excluded in this world with being loved, accepted and rewarded some day in heaven for being righteous.
Some scholars suggest the word for poor here defines the poorest of the poor, such as those who must beg for their daily needs. These same scholars would suggest Jesus here is trying to get across the point that those who are this poor and dependent, to the point of begging, are people ground down by poverty in this life but who, if faithful, will have a totally different life in Heaven one day, where-as those who are rich and carefree (and usually not seeking God) in this life, already have their reward.
Well, regardless of whether or not Jesus was aiming to make such a particular point we don't know for sure, but it's something we can consider when we read His words early on in His sermon to people, many of whom were indeed poor, and the poorest of the poor. We know that in other places, He had things to say that carried a similar message, such as “many who are first will be last, and the last first” (Matt 19:30 also Matt 20:16 Mark 10:31 & Luke 13:30).
Hopefully, being poor or financially poverty stricken in a physical sense doesn't necessitate that our spirit is always in a state of being poor or broken. Jesus offers us the ability to be rich in spirit, rejoicing, even when we struggle with earthly issues. But similarly there are times, especially when we are in the midst of struggles or sin, that we need a lowly, submissive spirit, seeing we stand in need of and begging God for help.
It may actually be easier to humble ourselves before God if we are physically poor, because it's clear in scripture that it's hard for rich people to do so. Their mindset is more of self sufficiency whereas the poor depend more on God to provide for their basic needs. But rich or poor, Jesus says, "Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted." For those who determine to be humble in a world where such isn't the norm, James says, "Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you." (James 4:10)
"Poor in Spirit" Matt 5:3
That probably isn't understood by today's American mind set like those who sat at the feet of Jesus as He spoke. Traditionally inside American religious circles, people of faith would say at a minimum it describes when people find themselves, see themselves or purposefully reduce themselves into spiritual poverty to be ever conscious of their need for God, or something along those lines. Some would associate it with being humble and that makes some sense too. Certainly that's where we want to be, humble before God and not full of pride, but one can be humble when we are riding high on the Spirit too, overflowing in spirit, so being poor in spirit isn't necessary for humbleness and the reverse is true too. For certain, Jesus could see the whole big picture as He spoke these words. Perhaps our thoughts below could add to our understanding.
Remember Jesus' parable about the Pharisee and the Tax Collector? The Pharisee prayed ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people,’ he said. ‘I am not like robbers or those who do other evil things. I am not like those who commit adultery. I am not even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week. And I give a tenth of all I get.’ - “But the tax collector stood farther away than the Pharisee. He would not even look up to heaven. He beat his chest as he prayed and said, ‘God, have mercy on me. I am a sinner.’ (Luke 18:9-14)
We might look at that and determine that the Tax Collector was poor in spirit, while the Pharisee was not. The words ‘poor in spirit’ aren’t used here, but certainly he had a distinctive attitude that he needed God to help him in his sin and his attitude was one of begging for God’s mercy as one who didn’t have what he was in desperate need of.
Let's look at Jesus words again. Luke's account of Jesus words (6:20), in the NIRV say "Blessed are you who are needy". NIV simply says "poor", no "of spirit" is used. The old traditional KJV also simply says "poor" as do the RSV and more modern translations of NRSVA, NASB, and ESV. There is a contrast between the poor and the rich during Jesus sermon, as He addresses that in 2:24. Jesus talks about those who mourn, sad or broken hearted, and says they are blessed, (vs-4), hunger is contrasted with being satisfied (vs-21), and vs-11-12 contrasts being hated, reviled and excluded in this world with being loved, accepted and rewarded some day in heaven for being righteous.
Some scholars suggest the word for poor here defines the poorest of the poor, such as those who must beg for their daily needs. These same scholars would suggest Jesus here is trying to get across the point that those who are this poor and dependent, to the point of begging, are people ground down by poverty in this life but who, if faithful, will have a totally different life in Heaven one day, where-as those who are rich and carefree (and usually not seeking God) in this life, already have their reward.
Well, regardless of whether or not Jesus was aiming to make such a particular point we don't know for sure, but it's something we can consider when we read His words early on in His sermon to people, many of whom were indeed poor, and the poorest of the poor. We know that in other places, He had things to say that carried a similar message, such as “many who are first will be last, and the last first” (Matt 19:30 also Matt 20:16 Mark 10:31 & Luke 13:30).
Hopefully, being poor or financially poverty stricken in a physical sense doesn't necessitate that our spirit is always in a state of being poor or broken. Jesus offers us the ability to be rich in spirit, rejoicing, even when we struggle with earthly issues. But similarly there are times, especially when we are in the midst of struggles or sin, that we need a lowly, submissive spirit, seeing we stand in need of and begging God for help.
It may actually be easier to humble ourselves before God if we are physically poor, because it's clear in scripture that it's hard for rich people to do so. Their mindset is more of self sufficiency whereas the poor depend more on God to provide for their basic needs. But rich or poor, Jesus says, "Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted." For those who determine to be humble in a world where such isn't the norm, James says, "Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you." (James 4:10)
