When the long–expected King finally appeared in the flesh, he took his seat on the mountain and gave his people words of life.  “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).

“Theirs is the kingdom of heaven!” That sounds very promising.  But what does Christ mean when he says that this kingdom will only be given to those who are “poor in spirit”?  What does spiritual poverty look like, and how does one enter into such a reality, acknowledge it, and begin to live it? 

Am I poor in spirit?  Are you?  Would we want to be?

In the Old Testament the “poor man” (when used to speak of spiritual poverty rather than material poverty) referred to the one who knew that his afflictions and problems were so great that he absolutely could not save himself.  So in humble dependence upon Another to save him, he looked to God for rescue and redemption.  See, for example, how the “poor man” cries out to God in Psalm 34.6.

The prophet Isaiah — who came as a herald, proclaiming the King’s words — often spoke of what God would do for the poor in spirit, whom he defined as those who are humble and contrite in spirt, who tremble at God’s word (see Isaiah 41.17,18; 57.15; 66.1,2). 

These are the ones to whom the King addressed himself at the very beginning of his work, when he said (quoting Isaiah), “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor” (Luke 4.18). 

To be “poor in spirit” means to acknowledge that we are spiritually bankrupt before God.  We’ve got nothing.  Zero.  Less than zero, in fact, because we have actually lived in rebellion against the King and therefore deserve his holy wrath and judgment.  In truth, we have absolutely nothing to offer which might purchase the favor of the King.

One hymn — note: hymns have been called “theology on fire” — puts it this way:

Nothing in my hand I bring,
Simply to thy cross I cling;
Naked, come to thee for dress;
Helpless, look to thee for grace;
Foul, I to the fountain fly;
Wash me, Savior, or I die.

These are the kinds of things people say when they know that they are really, genuinely, truly poor in spirit.  They take their cue from the tax collector in Jesus’ story who would only cry out “God, be merciful to me a sinner!” Note that Jesus told that story to “those who trusted in themselves, that they were righteous” (Luke 18.9-14).

To such as these — and only to such as these — the kingdom of heaven is given.  It is given freely to those who admit that, spiritually speaking, they are “wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.” But those who think of their spiritual condition along these lines: “I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing,” will find themselves being spit out of the King’s mouth.  See Revelation 3.14-22, and note that Jesus is there speaking to church-going people.

So right at the very beginning of the Sermon on the Mount, King Jesus contradicted all human expectations of what the Kingdom of God should look like.  The Kingdom is given to the spiritually poor, not the rich.  The King came for the spiritually sick, not the healthy.  He‘s welcoming the spiritually weak, not the strong.  The Kingdom is given to those humble enough to accept it like children, not to those who boast that they can take care of themselves.

And that’s what you find throughout Jesus’ ministry.  The chief priests and the Pharisees — who thought of themselves as spiritual billionaires — are turned away.  The prostitutes and other assorted rejects — who knew they were so spiritually poor that all they could do was cry to God for mercy — are welcomed to the feast.

So.

What’s it going to be?  Will we live our lives before God as spiritual beggars, admitting our need for his mercy?  Or will we live before God with a tragic, self-deceived, self-satisfied sense of complacency? 

I hope we all have the courage to move beyond the superficial.  Because the King only gives his kingdom to those who acknowledge their spiritual poverty. 

He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent empty away.
—Mary’s Song (Luke 1.53)