There are two paragraphs today: (Sermon on the mount), and (The beatitudes).
This chapter starts off with the teachings of Christ. Many people have heard of the beatitudes either in church or in daily life. Our parents, grandparents, teachers, pastors, deacons and most everyone have quoted them to us. What do they mean?
3. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom
of heaven.
I know what poor means. The dictionary defines poor as: having little or no money, goods, or other means of support. Many people all over the world are poor in the flesh and in the world. So what does it mean to be poor in spirit? Does it mean to be lacking in some way in the spirit?? Does it mean that the spirit is deficient in some way, not having the means to support itself. Or does it mean a spiritual state of being as if you have no money, or goods or other means of support. What purpose does that serve? If I desire physically, to be wealthy, but have a spiritual state that says that I am poor, I am a hypocrite?
Most people today want to have fame and fortune and riches, and fine cars and a big house, and to be popular. I mean, those are the values that we grow up with. Those are the values that are ingrained in us, from day one, in the society that we live in. Even those people that live in undeveloped or underdeveloped countries want to have the riches and fame that are available in the developed countries. So what does this mean?
Blessed are the poor in spirit, theirs is the kingdom of heaven. So if I maintain a spirit of poverty, I will obtain the kingdom of heaven, is that it??? So if I think and act as though I am poor, I will be blessed?? How am I blessed?? What am I blessed with?? What does it mean to be blessed?? The definition means, divinely or supremely favored or fortunate. So If I have a poor in spirit, spiritual being, I will be blessed with the kingdom of heaven!!
Why would I want to be spiritually poor?? Is having the kingdom of heaven so much greater as to out way the value of not having a poor in spirit being?? Can it be that the kingdom of heaven is far greater in value than anything that I can imagine. Can it be that the kingdom of heaven has a far greater value than gold or silver, fame or fortune, or fine cars, or a big house or lust, or being beautiful, or having a fine body, or having a beautiful wife and beautiful kids, or any of the things that this world has to offer?? What value can I place on the ownership of heaven?? Here, Christ says, in his first teachings to us, that ownership of the kingdom of heaven is theirs who are not possessed with a spirit of riches, but to those who are poor in spirit, and they are divinely and supremely favored or fortunate.
This chapter starts off with the teachings of Christ. Many people have heard of the beatitudes either in church or in daily life. Our parents, grandparents, teachers, pastors, deacons and most everyone have quoted them to us. What do they mean?
3. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom
of heaven.
I know what poor means. The dictionary defines poor as: having little or no money, goods, or other means of support. Many people all over the world are poor in the flesh and in the world. So what does it mean to be poor in spirit? Does it mean to be lacking in some way in the spirit?? Does it mean that the spirit is deficient in some way, not having the means to support itself. Or does it mean a spiritual state of being as if you have no money, or goods or other means of support. What purpose does that serve? If I desire physically, to be wealthy, but have a spiritual state that says that I am poor, I am a hypocrite?
Most people today want to have fame and fortune and riches, and fine cars and a big house, and to be popular. I mean, those are the values that we grow up with. Those are the values that are ingrained in us, from day one, in the society that we live in. Even those people that live in undeveloped or underdeveloped countries want to have the riches and fame that are available in the developed countries. So what does this mean?
Blessed are the poor in spirit, theirs is the kingdom of heaven. So if I maintain a spirit of poverty, I will obtain the kingdom of heaven, is that it??? So if I think and act as though I am poor, I will be blessed?? How am I blessed?? What am I blessed with?? What does it mean to be blessed?? The definition means, divinely or supremely favored or fortunate. So If I have a poor in spirit, spiritual being, I will be blessed with the kingdom of heaven!!
Why would I want to be spiritually poor?? Is having the kingdom of heaven so much greater as to out way the value of not having a poor in spirit being?? Can it be that the kingdom of heaven is far greater in value than anything that I can imagine. Can it be that the kingdom of heaven has a far greater value than gold or silver, fame or fortune, or fine cars, or a big house or lust, or being beautiful, or having a fine body, or having a beautiful wife and beautiful kids, or any of the things that this world has to offer?? What value can I place on the ownership of heaven?? Here, Christ says, in his first teachings to us, that ownership of the kingdom of heaven is theirs who are not possessed with a spirit of riches, but to those who are poor in spirit, and they are divinely and supremely favored or fortunate.
