POVERTY OF SPIRIT.

“The Beatitudes simply cannot be ‘good news’ if they are understood as a set of ‘how-tos’ for achieving blessedness. They would then only amount to a new legalism” (Willard, Divine Conspiracy).

Beatitudes are truths of the kingdom of God. Throughout the beatitudes (as we will discover in the next few days) it is God who declares/ imparts the blessing: it is not something we can earn no matter how qualified we think we are in the spectrum of each beatitude. While blessed is often alternated with happy, some of these traits we are invited to doesn’t necessarily mean we will enjoy them; being molded comes with chastening, redesigning which sometimes invites us to brokenness but brokenness that will yield the fruits of righteousness nonetheless.

As is revealed throughout scripture, the basis of every story ties to the bigger story ; the creation, the fall , the redemption and restoration. In the beatitudes Jesus taught the disciples and He invited them (and us) to look into standards we should strive for. Jesus embodied humility, submission, love and sacrifice which are crucial elements of all the eight requirements for blessedness.

Neither of us wants to be associated with the word “poor”. I don’t even like to feel or look poor,  let alone be poor. Anyone with me? But again, being poor is relative. Being poor is a disease that should be avoided like a plague, so it is said. If you are not poor, you have something to your name, which alludes to a sense of security. With money comes control; control over what we can eat, how we can dress and where we can go and being human, we like control but in God’s script of a perfect relationship, a sense of control is an invitation to separation for we were built to stay in dependence…dependence on Him.

It’s a wonder how God would accede for the word blessed and poor to be in the same sentence. Aren’t we meant to swim in the richness of all things? He however isn’t referring to being resourcefully insufficient. John Gill says “Not the poor in purse, or who are so with respect to things temporal: for though God has chosen and called many, who are in such a condition of life, yet not all; the kingdom of heaven cannot be said to belong to them all, or only; but such as are poor in a spiritual sense.” 

Blessed are the spiritual zeros—the spiritually bankrupt, deprived and deficient, the spiritual beggars, those without a wisp of ‘religion’—when the kingdom of the heavens comes upon them.
– Dallas Willard, The Divine Conspiracy

Truth is, I have always read the Beatitudes. In fact, I had it memorized while I was in primary and high school because of all the CRE questions and yet I never really paused to internalize what they meant. It was a chorus to be sung and I sung it diligently but never felt the rhythm or allowed the beats to move being of my heart. It seemed like a successive recital from one to another.  But then the more I interacted with the Bible the more I realized that asking questions like “what does this mean?” invite us to probe deeper and gain broader and greater understanding. Beatitudes are an invitation to look at how living in Christ looks like as we model all the characteristics in order to receive from Him and live a life that grants us heavenly blessings in every way. We cannot be recipients of the catchy promise at the end until we are molded. 

TO HAVE NOTHING AND TO KNOW IT

“Not what I have but what I have not is the first point of my contact between my soul and God.” Spurgeon

Poor in spirit as I have learnt refers to dependence, being able to empty myself of self-sufficiency, pride, self-reliance in order to be satisfied by God and John Calvin defines it well by stating that he alone who is reduced to nothing in himself, and relies on the mercy of God, is poor in spirit. This nothingness allows for total reliance. It is to think lowly of ourselves (Romans 12:3 ; Proverbs 3:7). “Humility is not thinking less of oneself but thinking of oneself less.” C.S Lewis

In earlier reference, as highlighted by theologians,  poor, was likened to a man who had to beg and because of the posture of begging, it exhibited the awareness of his insufficiency. You only beg when you are at the end of the road, when there is nothing to cling to. To have nothing is not a foreign concept, we were born with nothing and with nothing we shall return (Job 1:21 ; Genesis 3:19) but it is the acceptance of it that we are hesitant to live in and by which then becomes a breeding ground for pride.

“There are some who are sensible of it, who see their poverty and want, freely acknowledge it, bewail it, and mourn over it; are humbled for it, and are broken under a sense of it; entertain low and mean thoughts of themselves; seek after the true riches, both of grace and glory; and frankly acknowledge, that all they have, or hope to have, is owing to the free grace of God. Now these are the persons intended in this place; who are not only “poor”, but are poor “in spirit”; in their own spirits, in their own sense, apprehension, and judgment.” John Gill

In the same breath of knowing what we are not, it is crucial to also know that which we cannot do and that is to make ourselves poor. It is the Lord through the power of the Holy Spirit who works in us, stripping us of every sense of pride and self exaltation. The endless invitation to sit at His table to feed from Him makes our hardened hearts be softened as we receive His truths which sanctify us (John 17:17)

MAKE ROOM FOR AN ENCOUNTER WITH GOD

No one goes into God’s presence and leaves unchanged. No receptive heart will bring out bad fruits out of his store room. A heart that has leaned into God’s will will always uphold these truths ; transforming truths.

God, fill my cup has always been a prayer that I have prayed and will continue to pray. Yet sometimes we miss the truth that in order to be filled, we have to be emptied ( see previous post). Being emptied is a necessity not only to receive the good gifts of God but it allows room for the Lord to take control and it is evidence of surrendered lives.

Whether in abundance of resource or in lack, maintain a humble and lowly heart. Paul learnt this (Philippians 4:12) and the declaration of praise by Job even when all was lost symbolized that he had lost himself to God  Resourcefully speaking, the same blessing  is promised to those who are contentedly poor, as to those who are usefully rich because poverty of the spirit is the distinctive factor. This forces us to rely on the mercy of God and lean in for His  grace daily  and as a result the Kingdom of Heaven is ours to possess. 

No one mourns until they are poor in spirit, no one is meek until they have a humble view of themselves and without being aware of our need for grace and God’s filling and refreshing, we can never thirst for righteousness and if we are without humility, how can we be merciful, peacemakers? Let’s choose to continuously respond to the working of the Holy Spirit and embrace the posture of “poor in spirit”.

You are light and you are so loved. Stay anchored and keep His light shining through.