Week 1
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
Matthew 5:3
“[God] cannot fill our cups with the Waters of Life until they have been drained of all others.”
- Sherwood Wirt
Preamble and context
This first Beatitude is considered the ‘gateway’ or the ‘door’ to all of the others. Through historical readings and up to many modern readers this opening beatitude ‘sets the scene’ for how we can live each of the beatitudes. The tension that is felt in this beatitude is the difference between Matthew and Luke’s presentation - Luke says ‘blessed are the poor’ yet Matthew says ‘Blessed are the poor in spirit.’ This has created much debate through time however the consensus of New Testament scholars would say that there is a clear creative tension that can be held between both - they are not to be read separately, or considered differently, but should be seen as the fullness together.
So, who are the poor in spirit? Historically, the overwhelming evidence would point to those who walk in humility before God. This is not the individual who has been humbled or is humiliated by others but chooses to see that they have nothing to offer God - they come ‘spiritually bankrupt’ or ‘empty.’ They realize they can’t earn God’s love or bring something that would warrant Him to love them or offer something that would make Him love them. This humility is considered the doorway to seeing and knowing God. When we acknowledge we have nothing to offer we can receive fully from God. But what could cause us to not live with humility before God? In other words, how would we not be poor in spirit? If we see that humility is the prerequisite in this beatitude it follows that pride is its antithesis. Pride is the ultimate sin, the root of so many other sins within us and prevalent in our world. And pride is the belief that we are ultimately all we need, we can do it on our own, that is, we are our own God. Thus, we must address issues of pride that manifest in our life that prevent us from relying on God, of humbly knowing we need him for everything.
Within the context of this beatitude, the manifestation of pride is in our material success and riches. This is a difficult one to consider living within a country in which we see the top 1% of income across the globe. So, what do we learn from this beatitude that helps us counter the reliance on riches and materialism that can prevent us, or put obstacles in our way, when we are called to be ‘poor in spirit?’ We learn that riches create self-reliance within us - we don’t need God because we have the resources to do it on our own. This theme has been a thread through much of Christian history - riches and material wealth preclude humility and reliance on God - we take pride in our self-reliance and the fact that ‘we made it on our own.’
Thus what is the answer to this? There are several ways we can realign our hearts to live before God as ‘poor in Spirit.’ Firstly, we can choose to detach ourselves from the wealth we have. This is not to repudiate it, there are examples through scripture of those who had great wealth but chose to not let it own them. The best way they manifest this? They gave it away. They were still economically rich but it didn’t own them - they owned it.
Also, there can be the choice to live with voluntary poverty. There are examples throughout history of people who chose to live on very little of their income and give the rest away. They were still ‘high earners’ but they chose to live very frugally, instead investing and sowing what they had in those around them.
Finally, ‘poor in spirit’ can manifest because we choose to follow Jesus to the point that it economically costs us. Dietrich Bonhoeffer spoke of this through his choice to work against Nazism in his native Germany - there was an economic consequence of his decision to follow Jesus.
There is an important point that we are also called to live and see through this beatitude. South American theologians and those from the developing world would remind us that poverty, in a sense, is an easy virtue to ascribe to when you are in a rich country but we should see that abject poverty is, in fact, an abhorrent evil that we are meant to fight against. In other words, one of the manifestations of living as one ‘poor in spirit’ is that we will use the resources we do have to help lift others out of poverty.
And what is the reward (or the reversal) of living with humility before God?
The reward is that we see the kingdom of God. In some ways this is what we might consider a ‘reversal’ - that which we expect when we choose to become humble is to miss out on things. Yet here we see Jesus say - when we come to him in all humility and rely on him we actually achieve and get everything - this is a reversal of what we expect - but also the reward.
But what is the kingdom and is it for here and now or for after? The kingdom is God, put simply, is the rule and reign of God in and through our lives. To put it another way, we begin to see heaven here and now. It is what we might call the ‘already but not yet.’ We see God begin to manifest his power in our lives and through us to those around us but it isn’t fully realized until Jesus returns and heaven comes to earth. Things change, prayers are answered, hope, peace and joy are manifest and realized but when he comes they will come fully glorious and fully evident.
Thus, as we come to Jesus and live as one ‘poor in spirit’ there is a present tense promise that God will begin to change us and those around us. In other words, we begin to biblically flourish here and now though the full realization of it will be in the future when heaven comes fully to earth.
Questions to discuss and consider
What do you understand by the phrase, ‘poor in spirit?’ Can you think of any other scriptures where this is used? Can you think how these might relate to this beatitude.
How do you think you can live humbly before God? What prevents you from being fully reliant on God? What prevents you from being humble before him? Can you think of specific examples?
How would you define pride? Can you think of why pride is a problem? Can you contrast pride with humility to understand the importance of humility in following Jesus?
Can you think of ways that your growing materialism would prevent you from relying on, and trusting God? What ways could you counter this at this moment in your life?
Do you think you could lead a life of ‘voluntary poverty?’ What do you think that would cost you? Would you be willing to pay that cost?
What is the reward or reversal in living as one ‘poor in spirit?’
What do you think that could or should look like in your life? Do you think this is an honest reflection of who you are or is it more aspirational? How could it go from aspirational or realized?
Spiritual Practice for the week
This week, spend a moment at the end of each day to ask God how you relied on yourself more than him in your day. For example you had an exam and you didn’t take a moment to invite God into your preparation for it or your actual taking of the test. What does that say about who you rely on? Or possibly you had to make a decision on something that day but you didn’t take time to pray about it. Finally, did you spend some time with God today in prayer and reading scripture? What does it say about being ‘poor in spirit’ in each of these moments? Note them down and be ready to share them at your next core group.
Practical demonstration for the week
As a community, take a moment to discuss ways you could live with ‘voluntary poverty’ in the coming week or a way you could serve the poor around you in the coming week or semester. What could you do? What would that look like? What would it cost you? Think about a small way you could individually do this for others in your core group but also what you could do together.