Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Matt 5:3
The word blessed in the above verse is an adjective that really means happy. The word poor is the Greek word Ptochos which means poor, needy, beggar. According to Thayer’s Lexicon it means, “one who slinks and crouches, often involving the idea of roving around in wretchedness.” Roving around in wretchedness – wow! It goes on to say, “but it always had a bad sense until it was ennobled by the Gospels.” So it was always considered bad to be poor, until it was cool.
So in other words, “Happy is the poor and wretched and lacking in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
It’s a contrast to those rich men that will find it hard to get into the kingdom of heaven:
Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven. And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. Matt 19:23-24.
We need to look at this spiritually and not carnally. It is not really talking about wealth, although that is a part of it. The rich man, believes in his wealth and believes in the carnal world around him and cannot see spiritual things. The rich man, as noted by the rich young ruler who went away sorrowing in Matt 19:22, was unwilling to get rid of his possessions in order to really follow Jesus. Sometimes it is required to get rid of your possessions so that you can clearly see spiritual things from the Lord – but many people in the bible were rich, like Joseph of Arimethia, Abraham and Job. It’s not so much riches and wealth – but what they represent.
The reason it is so hard for a wealthy person to understand the things of God is that they believe that their wealth and their possessions are what brings happiness and understanding. They cannot see past that in order to see spiritual truths. The poor in spirit, those walking around aware of their wretchedness – they are seeking spiritual truths and they won’t let anything from the carnal realm stop them. Theirs is the kingdom of heaven, because the kingdom of heaven is available to all who will follow Christ and who seek after spiritual truths.
Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs IS the kingdom of heaven.
There is more to the Kingdom of Heaven, but that is all I have time for today.
Love in Christ
Linda
3 comments:
I knew from an early age, that there was more to life than this material world...or at least I hoped so!
I love how Jesus tells us this, tries to get the point across to the rich and comforts the poor.
Yes, there is definately more to this world than the material. Thanks for your comments!
love in Christ
Linda
So true. Everyone mentions Jesus, yet, how many actually follow what he did, and said while on earth?
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