The poor in spirit
My first after dinner Bible study was fascinating! I ended up stopping at the end of the first verse of the sermon and found that I had already bitten off more than I could chew. Matthew 5:3 - "Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven."
The term "poor" also appears in:
Luke 4:17-18, 21
And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written:
“The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me,
Because He has anointed Me
To preach the gospel to the poor..."
...And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”
Revelation 3:16-18
So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’-and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked- I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see.
The poor in spirit seem to be those who come to God with nothing to offer Him (except a contrite heart), and everything to receive from Him. Is this perhaps the first and most fundamental understanding that the Christian must have in understanding their relationship with God?
The term "poor" also appears in:
Luke 4:17-18, 21
And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written:
“The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me,
Because He has anointed Me
To preach the gospel to the poor..."
...And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”
Revelation 3:16-18
So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’-and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked- I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see.
The poor in spirit seem to be those who come to God with nothing to offer Him (except a contrite heart), and everything to receive from Him. Is this perhaps the first and most fundamental understanding that the Christian must have in understanding their relationship with God?