(image taken from yahoo.com)
The Beatitudes/The Sermon on the Mount
Matthew 5: 3
Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.
We are all poor in spirit – that’s why we need a savior. This is what happened when Jesus died for us – we had been saved from our poverty, and His Holy Spirit has come to us so that we may understand what His Word means each time we read it. When we believe and accept that Jesus is our ONLY LORD and Savior – we become rich in spirit! Our knowledge and acceptance of this truth – that Jesus is THE SAVIOR, is liberating and rewarding – God Himself who has enabled us to understand richly rewards us with “the kingdom of heaven” – not necessarily later when we die a physical death, BUT EVEN in the NOW( the kingdom of heaven is near – how near? In us!)! This phrase “ Blessed are the poor in spirit” means that we, who are ignorant of the true Savior and thus, are in sin ( because ignorance does not save us ) are “poor in spirit.” Yet, it is for us, “Poor in spirit” that heaven has been rewarded – through NO EFFORT on our parts – BUT ON THE EFFORT OF THAT ONE GOD MADE MAN, WHO DIED FOR OUR SINS, SO THAT WE CAN CLAIM WHAT HAD AND STILL HAS BEEN PROMISED “ theirs is the kingdom of God!” Heaven /salvation has not been promised to the sinless, BUT to the “poor in spirit,” those who acknowledge that they cannot do without THE SAVIOR/Jesus – this is all that we need to do to become rich!
