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The Gospel Truth
"Blessed ..." "Blessed" is not a verb. Jesus is not saying conditionally, "I will bless you if you do this or that." Nor is "blessed" here a noun. Jesus is not saying conditionally, "Here is the blessing I will give you if you do this or that." The Lord is not speaking conditionally. He is speaking of condition. "Blessed" in this context is an adjective. It is a description of the character and condition of the true children of God. "Blessed" is what God has made you, it is what you are, and it is what you forever will be if you are a believer and follower of Jesus Christ the king. "Blessed" is not "happy." Many people in the world are very happy, but they are not blessed. And frankly, many blessed believers are not happy at difficult times in their lives. "Happiness" is a superficial state brought about by human effort. Blessedness is a permanent condition brought about by God's grace. "Blessedness" is to have God's stamp of grace permanently marked upon your soul. Therefore, if you are a Christian, you are "blessed." "Blessed are the poor in spirit ..." The first words of Jesus' sermon point to his propensity for the paradoxical. What an unexpected statement! Our modern notion would be to pronounce blessed the healthy and wealthy, the athletic and beautiful, the resourceful and successful. But Jesus said blessed are the "poor," and qualified it by saying, "in spirit." Spiritual poverty is the absence of personal pride. Don't put away the pictures of your grandchildren. Don't feel guilty if you feel good when your daughter makes the honor roll. Don't fail to celebrate when you receive that award or promotion. It's okay to be proud. It's not okay, however, to have pride. The personal pride that is contrary to the first beatitude is the belief that you have become better than someone else because of any other factor than the sheer grace of God. Christians are certainly in a better position than non- Christians. But why? The grace of God! Some Christians are more holy and useful than other Christians. But why? Because they have learned to lean on God's grace and trust in God's word (Proverbs 3:5- 6). Personal pride deserves. Spiritual poverty desires. If you really want to realize your need for God and his grace, if you truly desire to attain the spiritual poverty that God blesses, then here is what you do: take a good look at God (Isaiah 6:5), take a good look at God's word (Isaiah 66:2), then take a good look at yourself. Notice I didn't advise you to look at any other person or persons. The temptation to judge yourself by judging them would be too great. Simply gaze upon the perfect God, his perfect precepts and commandments, and your imperfect self. Mix that together and what develops? Spiritual poverty. The absence of pride. The desperate need for God, God's grace, and more and more of God's word. Then you will find yourself in the midst of God's blessing: "... for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." The first beatitude offers the most basic and the most beautiful blessing. It is stated in the present tense. In other words, if you are truly "poor in spirit" you are in the kingdom of heaven - now! Where are the pearly gates, the streets of gold, the celestial cities? This present place sure doesn't look like "heaven" to me! "Kingdom of heaven" could more accurately be understood as the "kingdom of God." Matthew, writing primarily to Jews, adopted the Jewish custom of not mentioning "God" by name. He substituted the euphemism "heaven." Therefore, the "kingdom of God" exists wherever God is king, wherever Jesus Christ is lord. The kingdom of God is past. It existed before you. The kingdom of God is present. You move in the moment your repent and believe in the lord Jesus Christ, and you live in it right now. And, the kingdom of God is future. "Heaven" with a capital "H" is a literal place believers go to when they depart this present world. What is Jesus' point? Spiritual poverty is the pathway to permanent riches. If you reject God outright, or live like there is no God nor guidance from his word, you will receive what the world has to give - namely, riches that rot. If you receive God by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, you will inherit a present and future kingdom too glorious to describe. There is no price tag you can put on living for Christ now, and there is no estimated value on living in heaven forever. God does care about your happiness. But the secret of lasting happiness is holiness. Holiness is received when we are emptied into spiritual poverty, and such poverty of spirit guarantees the kingdom of heaven. Knowing you are there will make you happy.
Better yet, it will make you blessed!
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