GodSprings - 28, February, 2017

Should I Be Poor in Spirit?

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven

Matthew 5:3

Augustus Toplady wrote number of hymns in his life, but “Rock of Ages” is by far his most famous. There is a story behind the writing of the hymn. It is said that this hymn was inspired by the conditions that Toplady had to go through when he was in a rock cleft that he took refuge in a storm. The particular rock is in Burrington Combe gorge in North Somerset, England, and it has a plaque on it with this claim to fame. One of the stanzas beautifully points out the humility with which we should live life.

Nothing in my hand I bring,

Simply to the 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.

Jesus says that the first step to entering the kingdom is being poor in spirit or in other words realizing our spiritual poverty. But why does Christ begin like this? It is because this is the fundamental characteristic of the Christian. All other characteristics flow from this one. This is where everything starts. This is where happiness begins.

The Jews were very proud about their religious achievements, about their ceremonial accomplishments, about their zeal for the law, about their circumcision, about their identification with the covenant people Israel and about their self-righteousness. They were self-confident. They were self-important.

Jesus says if you’re going to enter the kingdom and find true happiness, you’ve got to recognize that you have absolutely nothing, you are bankrupt. That’s where it all begins. Poverty of spirit is where everything starts.

When Jesus says poor in spirit He’s not talking about poor spirited in the sense of somebody who lacks enthusiasm or somebody who is lazy or indifferent and passive. He is talking about people who understand their spiritual bankruptcy in contrast to the Pharisees who were so proud.

Jesus illustrates this best when he tells the parable about the prayer of the Pharisee and the tax collector in Luke 18. Jesus says at the end of the parable that the tax collector went to his house justified, rather than the Pharisee, for everyone who exalts himself shall be humbled and he who humbles himself will be exalted.

Jacob had to face his poverty of spirit before God could use him. In Genesis 32 we see that he fought with God all night. He fought God all night until God had dislocated his hip, put him flat on his back. Lying flat on his back, in effect he says, “I give in, I can’t do it anymore”. And God blessed him there. In his brokenness.

This lent can we shed out our pride of being spiritually better than somebody else. This lent can we introspect our own lives and understand how spiritually poor we are? 

Let us remember that our strength comes in the midst of our admission of weakness.