Matthew 5:1-12
–– I will be happy when I grow up and move away from home.
–– I will be happy when I don't have to go to school.
–– I will be happy when I fall in love.
–– I will be happy when I can buy a new car.
–– I will be happy when I get a new job.
–– I will be happy when I retire.
–– I will be happy –– when they lay me to rest.
When will you be happy? What will it take?
Jesus challenges our vocabulary of happiness with a vocabulary of blessedness - Jesus says, "Blessed are the poor in spirit..." although some translations do use the word happy, blessed is more accurate. Jesus has something different in mind than what we typically call happiness –– something that goes deeper –– something that seems strange when we first hear it. He says:
–– "Blessed are the poor in spirit....
–– "Blessed are those who mourn....
–– "Blessed are the meek....
–– "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness....
This is not life as we know it. Life says something more like this:
--Blessed are those who have more than I do because their stuff would make me happy.
–– Blessed are the strong, because they can take what they want.
–– Blessed are winners, because it is no fun to be a loser.
–– Blessed are those who hunger and thirst at the best restaurants, because they will be pampered and filled.
But Jesus says, "Blessed are the poor in spirit...."
He gives us a total of nine beatitudes, but I’m only going to deal with the first, "Blessed are the poor in spirit...." The first beatitude is foundational to all of the others. If you are in synch with the first beatitude, you will be in synch with all of them. If you are out of synch with it, you will be out of synch with all.
Jesus says, "Blessed are the poor in spirit...."
The Greek word that is translated "poor" means abject poverty, not being what we think of as poor. True poverty is a cruel thing. It breaks people. They suffer. Confronted daily with their own helplessness, they know the difference that even a small act of mercy can make. They watch eagerly for a gesture or a glance that might promise help. They long for a bit of kindness. They crave a bit of dignity.
Standing before God, the poor in spirit are like that. They bring nothing in their hands that God needs –– and nothing in their hearts that compels God to accept them other than their humility.
–– They come in their poverty hoping for sustenance.
–– They come in their brokenness hoping to be mended.
–– They come in their sin hoping to be forgiven.
–– They come in their grief hoping to be comforted.
–– They come in their illness, hoping to be healed.
–– They do not come bargaining with God, because they have nothing to offer.
–– It is precisely their humility –– their openness –– that makes them fertile soil to receive God's blessings.
And so Jesus says, "Blessed are the poor in spirit...." Blessed are those who come to God on their knees.
That isn't our preferred mode of travel –– on our knees. We prefer to be in control. We prefer to pay for what we get. We prefer not to be in anyone's debt. We prefer to walk up and lay cash on the barrelhead.
But Jesus says, "Blessed are the poor in spirit...."
We fight hard not to be poor in spirit. We work as hard as we can –– and do the best that we can. We try desperately to be in control of our lives.
But Jesus says, "Blessed are the poor in spirit...."
Our best efforts leave us exhausted.
We are exhausted, in part, because we are not poor in spirit. We are proud –– so desperate to be in control –– so desperate to do it our way. And so we spend so much energy on trivial things.
Jesus says, "Blessed are the poor in spirit...."
Henri Nouwen, the Catholic priest and spiritual writer once met Mother Teresa in Rome. He said that the first thing he noticed about her was her constant focus on Jesus. People were asking questions, and she was answering in a way that reflected her total focus on Jesus. Her answers sounded, at first glance, simplistic and naïve. But Nouwen sensed, not only her own personal strength, but also the subtle power of her answers.
When Nouwen finally had the opportunity to speak with Mother Teresa in private, he told her of his problems. He spoke of his struggles. He asked her advice. She answered simply, "If you spend one hour a day in contemplative prayer and never do anything which you know is wrong, you will be all right."
It sounds simplistic, but is really profound. "If you spend one hour a day in contemplative prayer and never do anything which you know is wrong, you will be all right."
Nouwen says, "With these words she answered none –– as well as all –– of my problems at the same time. It was now up to me to be willing to move to the place where that answer could be heard."
"Blessed are the poor in spirit...."
The meaning of this first beatitude –– and of all the beatitudes –– is that God blesses us when we come to God with empty hands –– bowing before the throne of grace –– ready to receive whatever blessing that God chooses to give us –– ready to follow in whatever path God chooses to lead us.
The promise is this. "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." Notice that Jesus does not say, "theirs will be the kingdom of heaven." He says, "theirs is the kingdom of heaven." We do not have to wait for the kingdom. Jesus says that it has come near. We can enter it now.
I am tempted to conclude by saying, "Be poor in spirit so that you will receive God's blessing" –– but that isn't what Jesus says. Jesus doesn't issue an order but, instead, gives a blessing. He promises that, when our need is greatest, there we will find God –– and there we will find blessing.
"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."
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