Seeing the multitudes, he went up onto the mountain. When he had sat down, his disciples came to him. He opened his mouth and taught them, saying, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. Matthew 5:1-3 WEB
In the previous chapter, Matthew described Jesus’ forty days of fasting in the wilderness and subsequent temptation by Satan. In addition, Matthew described the Lord selecting his disciples, teaching the good news of the kingdom of heaven, and healing every kind of sickness. As a result, Jesus attracted large crowds.
Matthew begins chapter five of his gospel mentioning the multitude of onlookers as Jesus ascends a mountain and sits down. As his newly selected disciples assemble before him, Christ begins to teach them. What follows in the most famous sermon ever preached. The teaching, simply known as the Sermon on the Mount, begins with a series of blessings, the first of which is a blessing given to the poor in spirit.
A Contrite and Humble Spirit
Saying, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven,” Jesus references two scriptures from the Book of Isaiah. The first is a prophecy from Isaiah 57:15 which reads, “For the high and lofty One who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy, says: ‘I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also who is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite. WEB”
The second of these prophecies comes from Isaiah 66:2 which says, “For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the Lord: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembles at my word. KJV” In each of these verses, the poor in spirit refers to a person of humble nature with a contrite heart. The humble are the very opposite of the proud. Contrite is synonymous with repentant, sorrowful, affected by guilt, and remorseful.
One of Lowly Spirit
An unrepentant and prideful spirit is lost in sin. Self-satisfaction, conceit, and arrogance distance us from God. As we read in Proverbs 29:23, “A man’s pride brings him low, but one of lowly spirit gains honor. WEB” Likewise, Jesus teaches in Matthew 23:12, “Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted. WEB”
Describing the poor in spirit as blessed, Jesus teaches the value of contrition and humility in repentance. When we humble ourselves before God and repent from our sins, the Lord blesses us with forgiveness. As we read in 1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us the sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. WEB”
Jesus calls all of humanity to repent from sin. The Lord said in Matthew 4:17, “Repent! For the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand. WEB” The cause of repentance is a contrite heart convicted of sin. Filled with guilt and shame, the poor in spirit turn to God and find his grace. Our heavenly Father blesses the repentant sinner who places faith in Christ with eternal life in the Kingdom of Heaven.
Prayer: “Father God, thank you for your forgiveness and grace. Thank you for the teaching and example of Christ. Lead me away from temptation and into greater devotion to you. Guide me by the power of your Holy Spirit to do your will. In Jesus name – Amen”
Yesterday’s Devotional: The Fullness of the Deity
