What Being “Poor in Spirit” Looks Like
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:3).
I don’t know the young man who asked a question about that verse last week, but I know I like his heart.
Open Forum at the Freed-Hardemen University Bible Lectures is an intimidating setting. It is certainly not meant to be, but the nature of it leads to a certain intimidation factor. But that did not stop one young man from teaching us all a lesson recently.
He had to wait his turn at one of the floor microphones, because quite a number of people had questions. I believe he had to wait through six other people’s questions, which took around 20 minutes. Patiently, he waited.
A Fantastic Question
Finally, when his turn came, the young man stepped up and said something to this effect:
I have been studying the book of Matthew, and I have a question about Matthew 5:3, which says, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” I would like to know how someone whose spirit is poor can be in heaven.
My heart melted at the innocence of that question! And it was truly a good question. After all, if one has a spirit that is poor by the standards of God’s Word–in other words, ethically poor–that person will not be in heaven.
So, how can that person enter heaven?
A Fantastic Answer
The three men on stage for Open Forum are brilliant men, but they are also men who love such hearts. One of them, gently and kindly, said: “The phrase poor in spirit simply means a teachable spirit.”
He gave some further direction to show that this phrase simply meant a spirit that saw itself as in need of molding and shaping. Being poor in spirit is not ethically poor; it is seeing oneself as always in need from God.
After that brief, but wonderful, answer, another of the men on stage looked kindly at this young boy and simply said, “That’s exactly right.”
I Learned a Lesson that Day
As I reflected on the question, I thought more about the one who asked it. Here was a young boy, who I would guess to be about 9 or 10 years of age. He had been looking at Matthew’s account of the Gospel and thinking about this foundational statement from our Lord. After all, this is the first thing stated in the Sermon on the Mount, and provides the beginning of the framework for all that this tremendous sermon contains.
In the hours and days since, I have wondered if I am truly poor in spirit. Is my heart teachable? Am I willing to know and express my absolute dependence upon God?
This young boy could not have known it, but he gave a preacher a valuable lesson that day. By his unknowingly being poor in spirit, he reminded me of my own need to be poor in spirit.
If I am not, the kingdom of heaven is not mine.
“Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” (Mark 10:15)
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AUTHOR: Adam Faughn
Photo credit: Joey Ferrell [Facebook]. Used with permission.
