Radical Teachings of Jesus Christ #1: "Blessed are the poor in spirit".

PLEASE NOTE: THIS IS THE FIRST IN A SERIES OF LESSONS ON THE BEATITUDES FOUND IN MATTHEW CHAPTER 5.

To his listeners, the Sermon on the Mount must have seemed to turn the world upside down!

In Matthew 5 Jesus gives us a list of personal “attitudes” that will cause us to be “blessed” or “happy”. These are directly counter the usual humanistic way of thinking. 

Radical Concept #1
“Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” [Matthew 5:3 KJV]

• Is Jesus making a statement in this verse that endorses physical poverty?

IMPORTANT TRUTH: Despite the pervasive popularity of the “prosperity gospel” personal wealth or lack thereof is NOT an indicator or either God’s approval or disapproval in your life.

…[the Father] gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike. [Mat 5:45b NLT]

• What does it mean to be “poor in spirit”?

HINT: How would you describe someone who is “poor in dollars” or “rich in dollars”?

• Identify the correct statements:

God needs everything I am and have… 
God needs nothing I am and have…
God wants everything I am and have…
God wants nothing I am and have…

• Identify the correct statement:

God will never ask us to do anything we cannot do…
God will never ask us to do anything we can do…

Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, [2Ti 1:9 KJV]

• Why does a spiritual balance of “zero” qualify as blessed?

HINT: We cannot be filled with the "kingdom" until we are first emptied of "self".

Don't you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body. [1Co 6:19-20 NLT]

• We will never be "poor in spirit" until we see God in his greatness.

Biblical examples:

Job: Job considers himself righteous until he has an encounter with God. 

"My righteousness I hold fast." (27:6)"I have heard of thee, but now I have seen thee, wherefore I abhor myself and repent in dust and ashes." (42:5,6)

Isaiah: Isaiah is able to identify sin in others, then when he sees the Lord, he is able to identify it in himself.

Woe unto the wicked! [it shall be] ill [with him]: for the reward of his hands shall be given him. [Isa 3:11 KJV]Woe unto them that join house to house, [that] lay field to field, till [there be] no place, that they may be placed alone in the midst of the earth! [Isa 5:8 KJV]Woe unto them that rise up early in the morning, [that] they may follow strong drink; that continue until night, [till] wine inflame them! [Isa 5:11 KJV]Woe unto them that draw iniquity with cords of vanity, and sin as it were with a cart rope: [Isa 5:18 KJV]Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! [Isa 5:20 KJV]Woe unto [them that are] wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight! [Isa 5:21 KJV]Woe unto [them that are] mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink: [Isa 5:22 KJV]Then said I, Woe [is] me! for I am undone; because I [am] a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts. [Isa 6:5 KJV]

Peter: Peter recognizing the superiority of Jesus is able to see his own inferiority.

"And when Peter saw that he fell at Jesus knees and said, Depart from me Lord for I am a sinful man." Luke 5:8

To read the next lesson click HERE.