Blessed are the Poor in Spirit - Matthew 5:3

“God Blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs” (NLT)

We probably better recognize this from the King James “Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven”

Poor in Spirit – the original language thought behind this is “bent over, afflicted, miserable, in poverty”. Part of our problem here is that we come at this from our own cultural disdain of anything that causes us to be ‘bent over or afflicted’; we despise and reject poverty and weakness. So when we hear God blesses those that are bent over, afflicted, and weak it comes to us as a contradiction. We hear this from our remaining vestiges of Western modernity which was built on the protestant work ethic “God helps those who help themselves” or the American dream that it is an inalienable right to be healthy, wealthy and happy. But in order to maintain this illusion we must distance ourselves from those who we believe must be helped and are far from healthy, wealthy or happy.

This I believe is one of the roots of the problem that prevent a ministry that fully includes those with a disabilities – the cultural derision of what being ‘disabled’ represents. We feel good when we are able to have a ‘charitable response’ – but it still enables me to maintain a safe distance, while still feeling good. We value self-sufficiency – however, Jesus is telling us that we are ‘blessed’ when we become completely dependent.

This verse could be re-written,

Touched and received by God is the one who is completely wrecked and shattered when seeing themselves, because then they are finally ready to participate in the full presence of God Himself.

For many, seeing themselves in this poverty stricken position is difficult – and yet if we are to find God we must reach the reality of our condition. So much of what we surround ourselves with is a mirage – fleeting and while promising to fulfill our thirst leaves us even thirstier – when it is ‘apprehended’ it flows like sand through our fingers.
Our humanity is found in our weakness together – not from positions of strength and power. But here again is where it can get confusing. It’s easy to simply acquiesce to the state of weakness and wallow there – but that is not God’s purpose. It’s a starting point to be sure, however, only a starting point, for God is calling us out of the poverty we find in our own spirit and into the riches and strength of His. It is the process of ‘being made like Him’. Remember, Jesus, (Phil 2):6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness

In God we have all we need to make up the difference, regardless of the mental, physical, psychological, sociological conditions in which we find ourselves. Many condemn this idea of ‘thinking of ourselves as nothing’ as ‘worm theology’. It could be if the everything that was promising to fill us was not Christ Himself. The more I am able to follow the example of Christ and ‘make ourselves nothing’ so that we too are seeking to ‘take on the very nature of a servant’, the more of Christ I am able to be filled with. The more of Christ I am filled with, the more Christ like I become to those about me – no respecter of the illusions of health wealth, position or power – but as I see another, I see as Christ sees, I desire what Christ desires and touches how Christ would touch. “How do I live with this person before me so they might encounter the grace, mercy and healing of the Father.” It changes our perspective, our actions, our attitudes, our behaviours, our character, our very purpose. If that isn’t participating in Heaven, I don’t know what is.

Anyway, I was just thinking.

Neil