Learning to Be Insufficient
Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:3
The culture in which Jesus ministered was not much different than ours. The rich were influential; the poor were ignored. Intellectual religious leaders were esteemed; uneducated fishermen were dismissed. Jesus challenged those social conventions by what He did, whom He praised, and what He taught.
He begins the Sermon on the Mount with a declaration that must have shocked his listeners: “Blessed are the poor in spirit”—in other words, those who experience fulfillment and contentment are those who recognize they have needs they cannot satisfy, problems they cannot solve. The Greek word is ptochos, which refers to a person who is “helpless, powerless to accomplish an end.”*
When Jesus says, “poor in spirit,” He means those who recognize their total dependence on God and turn to Him in faith, believing He can and will provide. They don’t rely on their riches, their influence, or their knowledge. They humbly acknowledge their need and wait for Him to supply it. If necessary, they’re willing to beg for it.
Two people in Matthew’s gospel come to mind: the Roman centurion in Matthew 8 and the Syrophoenician woman in Matthew 15. Although they lived on opposite ends of the social scale, their desperate circumstances united them. They both knew they were absolutely helpless to heal the people they loved. They needed Jesus.
They also understood the principle of John 15:5 before Jesus ever spoke it—“apart from me you can do nothing.” Jesus commended both of them for their faith and granted their requests: He cast out the demon that plagued the woman’s daughter, and He healed the centurion’s servant.
The English word that best conveys “poor in spirit” is humility. Not self-abasement, but self-insufficiency. Biblical humility is a constant awareness of our need for God. Without Him, we can accomplish nothing of eternal value, but with His strength we can do all things (Philippians 4:13). We see ourselves, and others, from His perspective: “as having nothing, and yet possessing all things” (2 Corinthians 6:10).
Striving for self-sufficiency will strangle our spirit and impoverish our soul. However, if we embrace self-insufficiency, our spirit will soar and our soul will be satisfied. Are we developing a poor-in-spirit mindset?
DIG DEEPER:
Read Romans 12:1-8. How does a poor-in-spirit attitude promote unity in the church?
Read Matthew 8:5-13 and Matthew 15:21-28. What similarities do you see between the centurion and the woman? What are the characteristics of their poor-in-spirit faith?
Read 2 Corinthians 6:1-10. How does a poor-in-spirit attitude affect the way we view ministry?
Denise K. Loock
*Blue Letter Bible. “Dictionary and Word Search for ptōchos (Strong’s 4434)“. Blue Letter Bible. 1996-2013. 22 May 2013.
< http:// www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm? Strongs=G4434&t=KJV >