Spiritual Poverty

After preparing himself upon the mountain, Jesus begins his famous Sermon on the Mount with a startling promise: "Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." Jesus teaches that the person who is "consciously dependent on God" and recognizes his abject condition in relation to God shall enjoy the endless blessings of  Christ (Walvoord, 1974, p. 46). But what does it truly mean to be poor in spirit? According to Strong's helpful Greek concordance, the Greek word used by Matthew is ptochos, which gives the impression of a beggar or a mendicant. In other words, in order to receive this sublime felicity and thereafter experience the privileges entailed a servant of Christ, an individual must exhibit an attitude of humility and submission to God, just as a beggar would in the natural sense (The Biblical Illustrator, p. 44). Once his abased approach has been accepted by the loving Father, he will encounter an extraordinary peace and display a remarkable gratitude for the transformation of his previously hopeless situation. I am so appreciative of the gospel message and the redemptive work of the cross. Because of Christ's vicarious and victorious sacrifice, we today do not have to remain in spiritual poverty, but can enjoy the delights of Christianity since we humbly approached the throne of grace.

References
Exell, Joseph (n.d.) The Biblical Illustrator.
Strong, James (2001). New Strong's Exhaustive Concordance.
Walvoord, John (1974) Matthew: Thy Kingdom Come

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